Is Australia’s native foods industry missing an ingredient? ‘It’s not just about products, it’s about people, story and respect’

Interest in bush foods is booming but some say a lack of Indigenous leadership and ‘black cladding’ plague the business Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast On Bundjalung Country in northern New South Wales, chef Mindy Woods breathes in the forest air. She scans the landscape’s green hues and finds native plants, including karkalla (pig face) and gulalung (finger limes). Plants aren’t just ingredients, they are kin, the proud Bundjalung woman says. “They hold knowledge, they hold memory. “When I cook with native ingredients, I’m not just creating a dish, I’m continuing a story, I’m honouring a relationship that has existed for thousands of generations. They connect us to Country and to our old people.” Woods founded Karkalla On Country, a venture that began as a restaurant serving locally sourced seasonal produce and native ingredients and now offers courses and cultural experiences on Bundjalung Country. Interest in native foods – some of which have been labelled as “superfoods” and swept into wellness fads – is booming, and Woods is one of a number of First Nations chefs and business owners happy to introduce an interested public