SOUTHERN GEM

This intriguing native spice was first introduced to me on a long-ago visit to Tasmania, where it’s proudly touted as a Tassie specialty. In fact, it’s also native to Victoria and parts of NSW, particularly highland and mountainous areas. I found the dried berries a bit addictive for both their flavour and unusual mouth feel.

You sometimes wonder what brave soul was the first. Its relatives were known and used medicinally centuries earlier.