Much Virtue in Herbs Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sea celery

Sea celery, also called sea parsley due to the shape of its leaves, grows in coastal areas of southern Australia and New Zealand. It was an important food source for early colonists, who were unsure about much of the native vegetation. This one, however, looked somewhat like a familiar plant (parsley) and was discovered to taste like another (celery).

The stems and leaves can be boiled as a green vegetable, and the dried leaves are often used as a flavouring agent, with a flavour much like the European celery seeds.

Answer: Salt

Saltbush plants draw salt from the soil, and store it in their leaves, so adding leaves to a dish introduces a salty taste, tinged with the spinachy flavour of the plant itself. The genus name (Atriplex) indicates that it is related to Atriplex hortensis, a Mediterranean plant sometimes called Mountain spinach, which was a commonly-eaten plant before spinach (Spinacia oleracea) was introduced.

The species name refers to the fact that the leaves are circular in shape. Saltbush leaves can be wrapped around meat or fish while it is being cooked, or used as you would spinach, as a cooked green or in a salad.

Answer: Native ginger

Although its genus name suggests a mountainous preference, native ginger grows in rainforest areas in coastal Queensland and as far south as the central coast of New South Wales. The blue seeds have a white pulp and plenty of seeds, which are not usually eaten when the fresh fruit is consumed. Dried berries are added to dishes to impart a sour flavour, and can be used to make an herbal tea which is, surprisingly, red in colour.

The young shoots of the native ginger plant do have a mild gingery flavour, and can be used in place of ginger when a more subtle flavour is desired.

Answer: Aniseed myrtle

Aniseed myrtle is a tree with a confused personality. Previously classified as 'Backhousia anisata' and 'Anetholea anisata', it is now classified as 'Syzygium anisatum'. As all the species names suggest, it contains the same essential oils as found in true aniseed, anethole and methyl chavicol. When its leaves are added to food, they add a flavour of licorice or aniseed to the dish.

Answer: Native peppermint

Most commercial production of E. dives occurs in South Africa. In Australia it is mostly found as a wild tree. The leaves have a distinct flavour of peppermint, and they impart an interesting taste when added to the tea leaves while brewing a billy of tea over a campfire.

The flowers of wild rosella (a member of the hibiscus family) are often added to drinks as a decorative touch, but can also be used to add a tart fruity taste (something like a mixture of plum, rhubarb and raspberry). Lemon myrtle is one of the best known of Australian bush ingredients. The dried leaves have a flavour which is definitely citrusy, combining the tastes of lemon, lime and lemongrass. Bush banana, also called silky pear, is a widely-eaten bush food. All parts of the plant are eaten, both raw and cooked.

Answer: Sea spinach

Sea spinach, also known as Cook's cabbage (he cooked and pickled a large supply to take along and help fight scurvy aboard the Endeavour), New Zealand spinach (because it is also native to that country) and Botany Bay spinach, is a groundcover plant that grows in coastal areas. Joseph Banks took some seeds back to England, where they were cultivated at Kew Gardens. Because the leaves contain oxalic acid, they should be blanched before drying for use as a flavouring agent in cooking.

Answer: Cinnamon myrtle

There are a number of subspecies of 'Backhousia myrtifolia', also known as ironwood or grey myrtle. Only one variant has a high concentration of elemicin, which produces a flavour similar to that of cinnamon, but the name cinnamon myrtle is commonly used to refer to all members of the species. The crushed dried leaves can be added to such dishes as apple and cinnamon myrtle pancakes, or pear and cinnamon myrtle muffins. Some recipe sites also suggest it can be used instead of bay leaves in recipes, but I am somewhat leery of that - the flavour would be quite different!

Native thyme is a shrub with light purple flowers whose leaves can be used in chicken and red meat dishes. River mint is an Australian member of the mint family, and goes well with lamb. Desert raisins are actually a member of the tomato family that grows well in Central Australia.

Answer: Tasmania

The Tasmanian Pepperberry is found in mountainous regions of Tasmania, Victoria and southern New South Wales. The female plants produce dark brown berries, which have a sweet flavour and a peppery aftertaste. They were commonly used by early settlers as a substitute for pepper.

The leaves are also used, having a more herbal flavour and a milder pepper sensation. Both leaves and berries are usually dried before use.

Answer: Strawberry gum

As its name suggests, the leaves of the strawberry gum have a strong fruity flavour that is a mixture of strawberry and passionfruit, with a spicy undertaste reminiscent of cumin. It is often added to stewed fruits and jams, especially stone fruits such as peaches and plums. It can also be brewed into a herbal tea, and is said to have excellent antioxidant properties.

Answer: Seeds

Over 100 species of acacia produce edible seeds. Wattleseed was used by indigenous Australians to produce bread from the dried seeds, which were ground to make flour. It has a low glycemic index, and acacia flour is often used to make bread for diabetics. Contemporary bush cuisine has seen the introduction of wattleseed to provide flavour and texture in a number of foods, including ice cream.

It has a subtle flavour which is described as a mixture of chocolate, coffee and hazelnut.