Sweet Water of Flowers (Nectar Drink)
A tender, floral drink: nectar from native flowers dissolved in water yields a barely sweet, slightly tart beverage. The oldest sweetness of the land, long before any refined sugar.
A tender, floral drink: nectar from native flowers dissolved in water yields a barely sweet, slightly tart beverage. The oldest sweetness of the land, long before any refined sugar.
Along my banks open the flowers heavy with nectar, banksia and grevillea, where stingless bees buzz. Dip their spikes in a bark bowl full of water, shake, and drink this light syrup, barely tart. It is sweet as a respite. But do not lean too far over the water to drink—I love those who forget themselves at the edge.
- •Banksia or grevillea flower spikes heavy with nectar — several (source of sugar)
- •Spring water — a bark bowl full (base)
- •Stingless bee honey (sugarbag), if available — a little (added sweetness)
Sweet Water of Flowers (Nectar Drink)
A tender, floral drink: nectar from native flowers dissolved in water yields a barely sweet, slightly tart beverage. The oldest sweetness of the land, long before any refined sugar.
Why this dish? By the billabongs bloom banksias and grevilleas heavy with nectar, foraged by stingless bees. Their spikes were soaked in water for a sweet drink—a refreshing respite near the dangerous waters haunted by the Bunyip.
Along my banks open the flowers heavy with nectar, banksia and grevillea, where stingless bees buzz. Dip their spikes in a bark bowl full of water, shake, and drink this light syrup, barely tart. It is sweet as a respite. But do not lean too far over the water to drink—I love those who forget themselves at the edge.
Ingredients (period version)
- Banksia or grevillea flower spikes heavy with nectar — several (source of sugar)
- Spring water — a bark bowl full (base)
- Stingless bee honey (sugarbag), if available — a little (added sweetness)
Ingredients
- Fresh water — 1 litre (base)
- Honey (ideally wild honey) — 2–3 tbsp (replaces flower nectar)
- Lemon myrtle leaves, fresh or dried — 2 leaves or 1 pinch (native floral and tart note)
- Untreated edible flowers, optional — a handful (fragrant infusion)
Method
- Warm a little water and dissolve the honey in it.
- Crush the lemon myrtle leaves and let them infuse in the sweetened water for 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining fresh water, and the edible flowers if using.
- Strain, serve well chilled. Taste: the drink should remain light, just sweet, with a hint of citrus.
How it was made : People would suck banksia or grevillea flowers directly for their nectar, or soak them in bark containers of water to obtain a sweet drink, sometimes left to lightly ferment. The honey of native stingless bees (sugarbag) was also a highly sought-after sweetener.
The contemporary twist : Serve over ice in a frosted glass with a floating flower: a billabong 'sweet water,' an ancestral lemonade.
Sources : Tim Low, Wild Food Plants of Australia, Angus & Robertson, 1991 · Beth Gott, ethnobotanical research on food plants of southern Australia
Bunyip · Charactorium