flipQuandong tjala — Desert Peaches with Wild Honey
Quandong tjala — Desert Peaches with Wild Honey
Why this dish? Lowitja kept her attachment to the desert fruits of her childhood: the quandong, a small tart red peach, was the sweetness of the great family gatherings at Iwantja.
Quandongs, split and pitted, simmer gently until they become a ruby compote, bright and tart, sweetened with a drizzle of honey ant or wild bee honey. The desert treat, for festive days.
The quandong, we picked it by the handful when the year had been good. Raw, it bites your mouth, so we cooked it a little, and with a drop of wild honey it became sweet as a gift. That was our sweetness — no need for anything else. The kids fought over the pits, which we kept to play with. When the whole family gathered, there was always someone bringing a bag of them.
- •Fresh or dried quandongs (desert peach) — two handfuls (main fruit)
- •Honey ant or wild bee honey — a little (sweetener)
- •Spring water — a splash (cooking)
Quandong tjala — Desert Peaches with Wild Honey
Quandongs, split and pitted, simmer gently until they become a ruby compote, bright and tart, sweetened with a drizzle of honey ant or wild bee honey. The desert treat, for festive days.
Why this dish? Lowitja kept her attachment to the desert fruits of her childhood: the quandong, a small tart red peach, was the sweetness of the great family gatherings at Iwantja.
The quandong, we picked it by the handful when the year had been good. Raw, it bites your mouth, so we cooked it a little, and with a drop of wild honey it became sweet as a gift. That was our sweetness — no need for anything else. The kids fought over the pits, which we kept to play with. When the whole family gathered, there was always someone bringing a bag of them.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fresh or dried quandongs (desert peach) — two handfuls (main fruit)
- Honey ant or wild bee honey — a little (sweetener)
- Spring water — a splash (cooking)
Ingredients
- Dried quandongs (rehydrated) or failing that dried apricots + lemon zest — 200 g (main fruit)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (sweetener)
- Water — 150 ml (cooking)
- A pinch of salt — 1 pinch (balance)
Method
- Rehydrate dried quandongs in warm water for 1 hour (skip if fresh).
- Place the fruit, their water, and honey in a saucepan; bring to a simmer.
- Let cook for 15 to 20 minutes on low heat until it reaches a coating consistency, mashing with a fork.
- Adjust honey according to acidity, add the pinch of salt, and serve warm or cold.
How it was made : Quandongs were eaten fresh in season, but also sun-dried to keep for months — rehydrated, they regained their tartness. Sugar came only from wild honey, harvested from native bee nests or from honey ants (*tjala*), whose nectar-swollen abdomens are a treat in themselves.
The contemporary twist : Served on plain yogurt with a sprinkle of toasted wattleseed, the quandong compote becomes a very contemporary bush tucker bistro dessert.
Lowitja O'Donoghue · Charactorium
