Delicious Native Edible Plants of Australia If Only the Survivor Cast Knew
Where to Look
ATLANTA, April 4 /PRNewswire/ -- All it took was a little chocolate and
peanut butter to tempt "Survivor" tribe members during a recent reward
challenge set in a lake.  But what if the Kucha and Ogakor had been offered
`Lenah' Wallaby topside, Emu fillet or Quandong Brulee instead?

According to Chef Marc Jolis of The Art Institute of Atlanta, "Australia is
abundant with wonderful native ingredients that are the basis of an inventive
and colorful cuisine."  Had the "Survivor" contestants spent more time
brushing up on native edible plants of Australia before heading to the bush
instead of buffing their abs they might enjoy tasty and nutritious meals made
with ingredients found right outside their tents.

As a student and admirer of Australian cuisine, Chef Jolis says it's only in
the last few years that the world has shined a culinary spotlight on the
country whose centerpiece is a rich native plant life that was first put to
the taste test by Australia's most experienced naturalists, the Aborigines.
According to Chef Jolis, they discovered that much of Australia's plant life
was edible and good tasting.

An Australian restaurant reflecting many of these trend-setting culinary
ideas is Australia's Red Ochre Grill with locations in Cairns, Adelaide and
Alice Springs.  Red Ochre's menus change daily to make best use of seasonal
ingredients.  Lemon myrtle, illawarra plums, bunya nuts and muntries (native
cranberries) are just a few of Australia's edible plants you'll find on the
menu.  Here are some others:

-- Wattle Seed:  varieties of Acacia seeds are collected by Aborigines and

dry roasted and ground to enhance their natural nutty, coffee-like

flavor.

-- Quandong: a wild or desert peach high in vitamin C.

-- Kurrajong flour: extracted from Kurrajong and Illawarra flame trees,

seeds are roasted and ground to produce a rich, dark flour.

-- Warrigal greens: ground cover found in many parts of Australia, used by

Captain Cook as a spinach substitute to fight scurvy.

-- Kangaroo and emu:  native game prepared similarly to beef.

To learn more about Australia's native edible plants, visit websites on Wild
Edible Plants and Ethnobotany.

For more information on the Culinary Arts Programs of The Art Institutes,
call 1-888-328-7900 or visit The Art Institutes Web site at
www.artinstitutes.edu/nr.

The Art Institutes system of 22 educational institutions is located
nationwide, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and
culinary professionals.  The Art Institutes system of schools has provided
career-oriented education programs for over 35 years with more than 125,000
graduates. For more information visit The Art Institutes website at
www.artinstitutes.edu/nr.