How To Forage For Your Food With Seven Seasons
Have you ever foraged for your food? This week, Larrakia man Daniel Motlop (founder of Seven Seasons Gin Distillery and part owner of native foods business ‘Something Wild’) sheds light on how to sustainably harvest native ingredients to use in your cooking and cocktail making, something he and his ancestors have been practicing for over 60,000 years. He shares what he loves about an Australian Summer and how to enjoy it, while living off the land.
What Does Summer Mean To You?
I have two homes, so Summer for me is a contrast. In South Australia the weather is dry and hot. I love eating the fresh berries and stone fruits. My family love to camp, fish and be out in nature as much as we can. In the Top End, its wet season during Summer, which I also love. The green tree frogs start singing telling us the “rain is coming”. The Kakadu plums are ripe and we eat them straight from the tree.
Daniel's Tips On How To Forage
We need a good understanding of what ingredients are available to forage, and when, is a good place to start.
Speak to experts like our team at Something Wild (Adelaide Central Market), who can help identify all the sustainably grown products and the best season to source them. Look out for reputable indigenous brands and people in the food and drinks industry who are breaking new ground when it comes to using sustainable native ingredients. Chef Matt Stone is doing incredible job as a champion of food sustainability and supporting artisans and producers from the Top End.
My ancestors have been foraging and sustainably hand-harvesting native ingredients for over 60,000 years. It’s important that we forage only what we need and when we need it, and don’t take too much from the land. We need to ensure that we leave a minimal footprint on the earth and there’s plenty for future generations to enjoy.
What To Drink After Foraging
A contemporary dry twist on your margarita. Seven Seasons have mixed our Low Sugar Margarita with the flavour profile of green ants, boobialla, strawberry gum, lemon myrtle and pepper berry.
See the full recipe here.
What To Listen To While Foraging
Whether you're making a refreshing end-of-day drink or playing music out in nature, this playlist will help you peacefully integrate into the land around you.
