Central Australia
In Central Australia, people used innovative means to obtain a balanced diet.
The food categories, and their Arrernte names are:
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Arrernte name Foods Examples Kere food from animals; meat, fat, offal, blood, eggs Kere arlewatyerre (goanna), Kere ulkerte (perentie), Kere arntetherrke (carpet snake), Kere aherre (kangaroo), Kere antenhe (possum), Kere inape (echidna), Kere ankerre (emu). Merne food from plants; fruit, vegetables Merne atwakeye (wild orange), Merne arrutnenge (wild passionfruit), Merne pmerlpe (quandong), Merne mwanyeme (bush tomato), Merne arnweketye (conkerberry), Merne alangkwe (bush banana), Merne arlatyeye (pencil yam). Ntange (Merne ntange) edible seeds Merne ntange ulyawe (Pigweed seed), Merne ntange arlepe (Prickly wattle seed), Merne ntange artetye (Mulga seed), Merne ntange arlketyerre (Dead finish seed).
(See also: seedcakes)Tyape edible grubs and insects; witchetties, cicadas, Tyape atnyematye (Witchetty grub), Tyape ahernenge (River red gum grub), Tyape ankerrutne (Coolibah tree grub), Tyape tyerraye (Cicadas), Tyape ayepe-arenye (Tar vine caterpillars). Tyape atnyematye (Witchetty grub)
- find cracks in the ground underneath a Witchetty bush (Acacia kempeana)and dig there
- lever up swollen root where the grubs are located
- eat grubs raw or cooked in hot earth
- squash guts of the grubs onto sores
Ngkwarle honey-like foods; nectar, wild honey, lerps, gum
Ngkwarle athenge arlperle (Ironwood tree gum), Ngkwarle alkerampwe (Mulga tree gum, Ngkwarle arlperrampwe (Whitewood tree gum, Ngkwarle atnyerampwe (Supplejack tree gum), Ngkwarle akikarre (Witchetty bush gum), Ngkwarle aperarnte (River Red gum honeydew, Ngkwarle yerrampe, (Honeyant), Ngkwarle arwengalkere (Native bee honey), Ngkwarle untyeyampe (Corkwood flower nectar).
Some other category words from Arrernte that are used in relation to food include:
- Thipe fleshy flying creatures; birds (not emus), bats
- Kwatye water in any form, sources of water; water, rain, clouds
- Arne trees, shrubs, bushes, woody plants, some grasses
- Ure fire, things to do with fire.
Read more about this topic: Indigenous Australian Food Groups
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