{"id":118773,"date":"2015-08-28T20:39:37","date_gmt":"2015-08-28T10:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=118773"},"modified":"2015-08-28T20:39:37","modified_gmt":"2015-08-28T10:39:37","slug":"dodging-bunya-nuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/08\/28\/dodging-bunya-nuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Dodging Bunya Nuts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>August 28, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Jason Ford<\/strong>
\nFord on Food<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

A few years back, while picnicking at the Bunya Mountains, one of my children was almost hit by a bowling-ball sized Bunya cone which hurtled to Earth faster than the speed of sound.<\/p>\n

It exploded into the ground, making a crater before rolling down the hill into our picnic blanket. <\/p>\n

Good thing my son had just moved away seconds earlier.<\/p>\n

Bunya nuts are one of Australia\u2019s greatest indigenous bush foods. <\/p>\n

They’re large, almond-shaped nuts that grow in tight cones on giant rainforest pine trees in South-East Queensland – particularly the Bunya Mountains.<\/p>\n

The Aboriginal people used to eat them raw, or toasted in the fire and eaten like chestnuts, or even ground up like flour.<\/p>\n

Nowadays chefs have found many other uses for them, such as soups, quiches, pastries, cakes, biscuits and condiments. <\/p>\n

They easily absorb other flavours.<\/p>\n

The biggest problem with the nuts is their hard and fibrous shell. <\/p>\n

As yet, nobody has come up with an effective method of harvesting and shelling them.<\/p>\n

But you can find shelled and frozen Bunya nuts at many bush food suppliers around the country … or just wait to dodge one before it clobbers you on the head at a picnic.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Bunya Nut Pesto<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This recipe came from an apprentice chef I trained:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Ingredients:<\/strong><\/p>\n