OP: The Bush Food Handbook

Ti Tree Press, Australia, ND. Hardcover. Very Good Minus.

Combining the expertise of forager Vic Cherikoff and scholar of Aboriginal peoples Jennifer Isaacs, The Bush Food Handbook serves as a guide to identifying, gathering, eating, and growing indigenous foods of the Australian outback. Both authors share a concern over knowledge lost to colonialism and commercial agriculture: in order to mitigate environmental damage of overharvesting wild plants, they advise growing one’s own edible garden and foraging in the cities and towns where native plants are used in landscaping. 

The volume of information for each ingredient ranges from a single paragraph, as for the sweet midyim berry of the myrtle genus, to several pages, as for the bunya-bunya pine whose nuts might be harvested and eaten raw or turned into a flour. Beyond the descriptions of foodstuffs, the authors also include information on medicinal plants and water procurement as a means to survival in the bush.

The broad scope of subjects the book touches upon best demonstrates the versatility and bounty of indigenous ingredients without being the final word on any one aspect of bush living. Only a few recipes are included, but they successfully illustrate the potential applications of traditional foods in contemporary home or professional kitchens. Engaging and illuminating.

Our copy is in Very Good Minus condition. The interior is clean and unmarked, the binding sound; however, the case is heavily worn on the bottom edge, and the jacket shows wear and closed tears. A nice introduction to the subject.