Territory Taste Festival
INDIGENOUS ingredients will form a big part of the Territory Taste Festival this year with multiple local restaurants and caterers showcasing the best of Aboriginal food. The two-day event will feature Aboriginal Bush Traders, Karen Sheldon Catering, chefs from Nitmiluk Tours and Smokey J’s Brew & Que.
Aboriginal Bush Traders is located in the historic Lyons Cottage on The Esplanade and will serve up a range of modern dishes made of native ingredients for the festival.
The dishes on offer includes bush tomato, feta and aniseed myrtle damper, plus wattleseed and raspberry muffins with green ant icing.
They will be matched with bush teas made from native plants.
One of the leaders in producing indigenous inspired foods at a commercial level, Karen Sheldon Catering will show how to grow a business on ethically sourced native ingredients.
Karen Sheldon Group director Sarah Hickey said many of the cooks they employed learnt their trade through the Accelerated Aboriginal Cooks of Excellence program.
The program was established by the company to provide industry standard training for aspiring indigenous chefs.
She said a range of items would be on offer for people to sample including curries, stews, lasagne, bread rolls and jams, all made with traditional bush tucker ingredients, such as wattleseed, Kakadu plum and quandong.
Ms Hickey said the event was about showcasing the wide variety of bush foods both in the Top End and Central Australia.
Kungkas Can Cook owner Rayleen Brown sources wild harvested spices and foods from Aboriginal people in the Red Centre which Karen Sheldon Catering purchases and uses in meals.
“Our apprentice’s will be there to talk to people about their journey and how they are feeling so far and what they have learnt about the bush foods,” Ms Hickey said.
Indigenous-owned Nitmiluk Tours will also be at the Festival.
They will serve up meals made from local meats and seasoned in bush spices.
You will be able to sample smoked crocodile ribs covered in lemon, chilli, ginger, and soy with a dusting of bush seasoning on top or kangaroo tail bánh mí with pickled vegetables, coriander and katjera mayonnaise.
Smokey J’s Brew & Que will show you how to smoke a whole NT salt water crocodile served up as pulled croc tacos.
You will be also be able to learn from the professionals through a wide range of cooking demonstrations and workshops.
Headlining the two day festival is French celebrity chef and television personality Manu Feildel.
He will host an onstage cooking demonstration whipping up barramundi in a salt crust served with a beurre blanc sauce and salt and szechwan crocodile with Asian slaw and black vinegar dressing.
Roast and Noodles 328 head chef Danny Yeum, will host two workshops — the first will delve into the art of making dumplings and the second on san choy bow and dim sims.
Danny will explain the origins and history of the foods along with the wide variety of ways they can be made.
He will then demonstrate how to cook authentic, delicious Asian food at home.
The Territory Taste Festival will be held on May 25 to 26 at the Darwin Cruise Ship Terminal at the Waterfront.