Native to the West Indies and tropical America, it is now cultivated throughout the tropics and in subtropical areas around the world. Acerola strongly resembles the cherry, giving it the nick name Barbados cherry and West Indian cherry and is known to have one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C.

Although commonly called a cherry (due to the size), the odour and flavour of cooked acerola are similar to tart apples or crab tree apples.

The fruit is a natural source of vitamin C which is used as an antioxidant to contribute to:

• Cell protection from free radical damage
• Normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin

Native to Africa and Australia, and now introduced to tropical and subtropical regions, this iconic tree of African savannahs has a lifespan of several hundreds of years.

With social and economic importance, it is known to be one of the most important indigenous fruit trees of sub-Saharan Africa. The tree provides food, medicine and fibre, and almost all tree parts including the fruit pulp and shells, seeds, leaves, flowers, roots and bark can be used. Baobabs contribute significantly to economy of many rural communities. Mainly leaves and fruits are collected for food and sold as raw or processed into a variety of products.

The tree is different from any other, when bare of leaves, the spreading branches look like roots sticking up into the air, rather as if it had been planted upside-down, which is where its nickname, Upside-down tree, originated. The trunk is also smooth and shiny, not at all like the bark of other trees, and usually grows as a solitary individual.

An old Baobab tree can create its own ecosystem, as it supports the life of countless creatures, from the largest of mammals to thousands of tiny insects. Birds nest in its branches; baboons devour the fruit; fruit bats drink the nectar and pollinate the flowers, and elephants have been known to chop down and consume a whole tree.

Traditionally:

Along the Zambezi, the tribes believe that when the world was young the Baobabs were upright and too proud, lording over the lesser plants. The gods became angry and uprooted the Baobabs, thrusting them back into the ground, root upwards.

Native to the Amazon river region, Camu Camu is now grown throughout the world in tropical and subtropical climates. This water-loving shrub prefers growing on banks of streams, lakes or in swamps, where the lower part of the plant is often submerged.

Camu Camu is a very juicy berry but has a sharply acidic flavour, which is why it’s rarely eaten in its natural state, except by the indigenous people who inhabit the fruit’s natural territories. Rather, it is generally consumed in the form of juices, purees, ice-creams and more.

Traditionally:

Camu Camu fruit was not widely eaten as a traditional food, rather it was used by the Amazonians to treat a variety of health ailments. Very occasionally the local people would suck the fruit, usually when they were very thirsty, because at times, the flooded black waters where Camu Camu grows weren’t drinkable. More often the fruit was used as fish bait for Gamitana fish.

Also referred to as Chinese Wolfberries, this deciduous woody shrub is native throughout China, Tibet and Mongolia and is now grown worldwide. The etymological origin of “Goji” is unclear, but it is likely a simplified spelling of the Mandarin word gǒuqǐ.

Described to have a tangy yet sweet taste, the small teardrop-shaped, vibrant red-orange berries are delicate, and must be shaken from the vine rather than picked in order to avoid spoiling. Besides the fruit, use of other parts of the Goji berry plant, including flower, leaf, seed, and root bark, are also recorded.

Traditionally:

Traditionally, dried Goji berries are cooked before they are consumed and also are commonly used in Chinese soups and as herbal tea. Used in Traditional Chinese medicine to help treat ‘yin deficiency’ in the body, the health benefits of the Goji berry, has been recorded from the empirical insights of Chinese doctors over hundreds of years, and was believed to be considered beneficial for strengthening the body and easing life through all the seasons.

Originating in Australia, this plant is native to the Bundjalung region, growing in the tropical to subtropical rainforests of NSW and QLD.

Known as Gulalung in the Bundjalung language, this fruit is prized for its unique caviar-like pulp and various colours which can vary between yellow, green, pale pink and crimson.

Lime finger can be boiled up added to drinks, meals and also eaten raw.

The botanical name Citrus is derived from the Greek word citron which in turn is derived from the word kédros, as cedar and citrus fruit and leaves share a related scent. Australasica is reference to the plant’s Australian origin.

Traditionally:

The small fruits were originally used by Indigenous tribes as a food source; the limes were foraged in tropical jungles for their tangy pulp.

Native to Asia and Southern Europe, this flowering plant is a member of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted. This herbaceous perennial that has been used as a flavouring agent in foods and drinks, and medicinal remedies for thousands of years.

The botanical name, Glycyrrhiza is derived from the Greek wordsglykosmeaning ‘sweet’ andrhizameaning ‘root’.

Used in traditional Western Herbal Medicine to:

• Relieve mild gut inflammation
• Support gastrointestinal system health
• Relieve symptoms of mild gastritis

Use of Licorice dates to ancient Egypt, where the root was made into a sweet drink for the pharaohs.