flipLemon Myrtle and Bush Honey Infusion
Lemon Myrtle and Bush Honey Infusion
Why this dish? Cathy Freeman placed great importance on hydration and recovery. This infusion, inspired by the aromatic plants of Queensland she has known since childhood, combines the lively acidity of lemon myrtle with the sweetness of native bee honey — a comforting drink between effort and rest.
A golden, fragrant infusion, lemony without a drop of lemon, sweetened with bush honey and served warm or chilled depending on the day's heat.
After exertion, my body craved water, again and again — I never messed around with hydration. But plain water sometimes gets boring. So I steep a few lemon myrtle leaves: it smells like an entire orchard, yet there's not a single lemon in it, just our local leaf. A touch of wild honey, and you hold the glass in both hands like a treasure. It's my way of thanking the body that ran.
- •Fresh lemon myrtle leaves — a small handful (lemony aroma)
- •Spring water — as needed (base)
- •Native bee honey (sugarbag) — to taste (sweetness)
Lemon Myrtle and Bush Honey Infusion
A golden, fragrant infusion, lemony without a drop of lemon, sweetened with bush honey and served warm or chilled depending on the day's heat.
Why this dish? Cathy Freeman placed great importance on hydration and recovery. This infusion, inspired by the aromatic plants of Queensland she has known since childhood, combines the lively acidity of lemon myrtle with the sweetness of native bee honey — a comforting drink between effort and rest.
After exertion, my body craved water, again and again — I never messed around with hydration. But plain water sometimes gets boring. So I steep a few lemon myrtle leaves: it smells like an entire orchard, yet there's not a single lemon in it, just our local leaf. A touch of wild honey, and you hold the glass in both hands like a treasure. It's my way of thanking the body that ran.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh lemon myrtle leaves — a small handful (lemony aroma)
- Spring water — as needed (base)
- Native bee honey (sugarbag) — to taste (sweetness)
Ingredients
- Dried or fresh lemon myrtle leaves — 1 tsp per cup (signature flavor)
- Water — 1 liter (base)
- Honey (ideally bush honey / Tasmanian leatherwood) — 1 to 2 tbsp (sweetness)
- Lime (optional) — a few slices (optional freshness)
- Ice cubes (cold version) — as desired (chilled serving)
Method
- Bring the water to a simmer, then remove from heat.
- Add the lemon myrtle leaves and steep for 5 to 7 minutes, covered to retain the aromas.
- Strain, add the honey while still warm, and stir.
- Serve hot for comfort, or let cool and serve over ice with a few lime slices for hot days.
- Taste and adjust honey: the infusion should remain lively and lemony, just rounded by sweetness.
How it was made : Aboriginal peoples used many aromatic plants in infusions and remedies; lemon myrtle, very rich in citral, is one of the most fragrant examples. Bush honey (sugarbag), collected from native stingless bees, was a precious and sought-after treat.
The contemporary twist : Pour over large ice cubes in a tall glass, with a floating myrtle leaf: a bush "iced tea" to serve all summer.
Sources : Damien Coulthard & Rebecca Sullivan, Warndu Mai (Good Food), Hodder & Stoughton, 2019
Cathy Freeman · Charactorium
