Research led by the University of Queensland (UQ) has uncovered substantial health benefits within the ancient (it was first found in the Jurassic period) and culturally significant bunya nut (Araucaria bidwillii).
UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation researcher, Dr Jaqueline Moura Nadolny said the nut was an energy and nutrient dense bushfood with huge commercial potential.
“Bunya nuts are low in fat, high in fibre, gluten free and contain all the essential amino acids, protein, and folate, while the husk is high in antioxidant compounds.
“Indigenous Australians boiled and roasted them, but they can be eaten straight out of the cone, ground into flour, brewed into tea and even fermented,” Nadolny said.
Nadolny said bunya nuts could be as commercially successful as similar nuts from the same family in Brazil and Chile, but the industry in Australia faced environmental challenges.
Established bunya trees are under threat from root rot, that causes dieback. Nadolny said it was critical for new trees to be planted and grafted, as that speeds up fruiting to within five or six years.
“In South America, grafting has helped boost production. Each tree can produce hundreds of cones, each containing up to 100 nuts,” she said.
Bunya People’s Aboriginal Corporation cultural services coordinator, Shannon Bauwens, said, “The bunya nut has a strong cultural significance to traditional owners and other Indigenous peoples who gathered for thousands of years in pre-colonial times for feasting and ceremonies.
“The Bunya Mountains in southern Queensland are home to the largest known stand of the species in the world, and the trees live for hundreds of years.
“Creating an industry surrounding the bunya nut would not only ensure its survival but create a sustainable industry for mob, allowing them to share their knowledge with the community,” Bauwens said.
Nadolny said bunya nuts could be the centre of a thriving Indigenous enterprise.
“I work with Indigenous communities who are interested in harvesting, selling, and producing food products from the nuts, creating jobs and income.
“Taking measures now to ensure a healthy future for Australia’s bunya trees could lead to showcasing this incredible Indigenous food and its potential to the world,” she said.
The research paper was published in Food Research International.
The ARC Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council’s Industrial Transformation Training Centre funding scheme (project IC180100045), the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the University of Queensland.
