Are You Nuts?
Did you get to nibble on a bunya nut or two this year?
These delicious nuts are a great bonus to our diet and potentially free if you have one on yours or a friends block. Free food is always great and food that literally falls from the sky is even better – but then again you don’t want to be waiting under a Bunya tree to catch these babies as they weigh in at, up to 10kg and then add gravity!
The Bunya Tree (Araucaria bidwillii) is one of the truly ancient members of our local forests. They hark back to the age of dinosaurs and were once widespread across the Australian continent and are part of a family of trees that extends across many of the southern land masses and includes Hoop Pines, Norfolk Pines and Monkey Puzzle Pine.
The Bunya Pine is now found naturally in one tiny patch in north Queensland and more locally as scattered populations between the Sunshine Coast and Kingaroy. Not only are these trees ancient, but quite exclusive about where they live – so we are lucky to share their neighbourhood with them!
As you may be aware the Bunya Pine was an important part of the traditional owner’s culture and economy and provided a huge crop every 3 years. This bumper crop provided a great excuse for a big party, family reunions, making of law and so much more. It’s great to see the revival of the Bunya festival under the stewardship of Beverly Hand, a great opportunity for us newcomers to learn about the traditional owner’s culture, a time for reconciliation and also to learn more about this ancient and beautiful land we now call home… also a chance for a good feed and good fun!
Bunya Trees are a Blackall Range icon and easy to grow. The starchy Bunya nut sends a root deep into the ground where it forms a thick tap root (like a radish) from which the tree shoots. They are a little bit slow to start off with but once they get going can grow a metre or two per year and can be fruiting at 12-15 years. Just don’t plant them -near your driveway, garage, shed, water tank, house etc. for what I hope are obvious reasons…
Cooking with Bunya Nuts: boil for twenty minutes, then let them cool down enough to handle, the next bit is tricky and very, very important -don’t cut your fingers off! The husk on each individual nut is quite tough and requires a sharp knife and an equally sharp operator. Once you get the knack you’ll get a taste for bunya that’s hard to match with your cutting abilities!
h 0428 130 769
spencer.shaw@brushturkey.com.au
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