Ground Bush Tomato 100g
Tasting Notes: Bush Tomato has a definite pungent tomato flavour and aroma. Much stronger and less acid than sun dried tomato with other sweeter characteristics reminiscent of caramel and tamarillo. A little salt can be added to counter any bitterness caused by the strength of Akatjurra. Flavour matures on standing (overnight with dips etc) or prolonged cooking.
Natural History: Bush Tomato Solanum centrale grows in the very arid desert regions of Australia seen in red on the map (Right). It is a small silvery looking shrub covered in tiny hairs and it prefers to grow on the red sandhills where the berries mature to the same colour as the sand. There are several species of Bush Tomato however some are poisioneous and to the untrained eye, appear identical to the edible varieties so it is best to leave the picking up to the people who have been eating them for thousands of years.
T
he Bush Tomato is closely related to the typical garden tomato, both being members of the Solanum family. It is a fast growing shrub that fruits prolifically the year after fire or good rains.
Left: Bush Tomato growing at Uluru or Ayres Rock (seen in the background!) in central Australia. This picture shows the flowers (purple with yellow centre) and ripe fruit. The fruit is allowed to dry on the bush before being picked by local Indigenous people and sent to us at Kurrajong. This picture was taken by Proprietor Lee Etheringtons best mate Peter Christie.
Cultural History: Akatjurra is hand harvested by Aboriginal tribes in the Northern Territory. Ours are collected by the Alyawarra Tribe who's traditional homelands are east of Alice Springs in the northern tip of the Simpson Desert. You can see where this is, the yellow dot on the map above. It is usually the women who collect the Bush Tomato and they leave them on the bush to dry in the fierce desert sun until they are just right to be picked. The tiny dried tomatoes are then collected and further dried before being ground up and then laid out in the sun again.
Traditionally the Bush Tomato is very important to the Aboriginal people of central Australia. It was a staple at certain times of the year and could also be ground into a paste and rolled into large balls which were then stored for use in times when food was scarce. Today the traditional name Akatjurra is used for export to Europe to avoid import taxes on tomatoes!
Ingredients: Desert Sun Dried Whole Bush Tomato Solanum centrale (100%). Coarse grind.
Using Your Akatjurra: Particularly suited to savory applications such as relish', chutneys, sauces, stuffing or crusting. Use at about 3-4% addition ratio to flavour your usual tomato recipes such as pasta sauces, pizza base' etc to add the distinctive flavour of Akatjurra. Can also be used to make a delicious dip, use sour cream base and a packet or two of good dried tomato soup, some fresh chopped basil. Add a tbsp or two of Akatjurra, allow to sit overnight to mature and you will have a dip that everyone will rave about!
Made By: Kurrajong Native Foods, wild harvested by our Aboriginal friends in Alice Springs.
Storage: Store in a cool dry dark place. Can be frozen for prolonged storage. Occasionally (1 in 200 jars) you may get a single moth larvae grow in the jar. This is due to the chemical free, organic nature of the growing conditions of the Bush Tomato. If this happens simply remove the grub, it is totally harmless and any web. The remaining Akatjurra will be unaffected or you can call us and we will replace your product.
Other Akatjurra creations: Bush Tomato & Mountain Pepper Seasoning, Akatjurra in spice card size, 100g &1kg sizes. Whole Bush Tomatoes in 80g & 1kg sizes, Super Tasty Bush Tomato Relish
