bℓσωηG Posted November 20, 2010 Hey yall, so ....far out i've been taking the kids to the same beach regularly for seven years and never before have i noticed this plant , QUONDONG! No excuses... just never noticed it, always just passed it off as another Acacia cyclops, but when i saw them laden with fruit last month I was like WOW! .Munched a couple of fruits straight away, my son loved picking them but not so much the tart flavour of the flesh lol. I looked it up in my bushfood book, and read the the nut inside the hard shell is the go, and wow! Tasted weird like ive had that before, kinda like almonds, but that flavour , sooo familiar... still cant think what it is.... QUONDONG ( Santalum acuminatum ) ___________________________________________________________________________________ Family Santalaceae, the sandalwoods This tree has attractive round, succulent fruits that turn bright red when ripe and make a tasty snack.They have red outer skin, like an orange peel,surrounding a hard outer kernal, which can be cracked to reveal the nut. The nuts are delicious roasted.The outer part of the fruits can be made into jams or jellies.Quondong is a close relative of sandalwood, and it too parasitises other plants through its roots. Description: This small tree has an upright growth habit and grows no higher than five metres. It forms clumps in dunes by means of underground suckers. The yellowish green leaves are quite leathery and slightly sickle shaped. Around Perth, the small fragrant green and brown flowers appear from February to March.The fruits are two to four centimetres wide and have a single seed. Other names: Dumbari, jawirli, native peach, Vasse apple, walku, wanga, wayanu, wongil. Where it grows: Quondong is found in all Australian states, but in WA it grows from Canarvon south, and into inland areas. In metropolitan Perth it is largely a plant of coastal dunes and limestone areas, but also grows in the Darling Scarp. Collection: The fruits are ripe and ready to eat in September and October in the bushland near Perth. The best tasting kernals can be picked out of emu dung or collected from under a quondong tree. Other uses: Pounded quondong leaves were reportedly used by some aboriginal people to treat diseases introduced by European settlers. The seed contains a large amount of oil, which can be use as a moisturiser for the skin. Children may use the stones as beads or marbles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rabaelthazar Posted November 20, 2010 Not wanting to take away from the fruit itself (or the thread for that matter [sorry Blowng]), but every time I think of Quondong I think of Haigh's Chocolates. They do a dark chocolate Quondong which is just mouth wateringly delicious. At about $1.20 for a single chocolate it's not an everyday snack, but... fuck I love chocolate!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
psili sausage Posted November 20, 2010 I've eaten plenty of blue quandong (Elaeocarpus angustifolius) during my childhood in north queensland. I remember a kid coming to the aboriginal guide on school camp asking what these round rocks he'd found were... "That's cassowary shit," he said. "Full of blue quandong seeds." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bℓσωηG Posted November 20, 2010 mmm...chocolate breakfast of champions, are you talking choc coated quondongs Rabaelthazar? I just tried some quondong nuts roasted heaps nice! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rabaelthazar Posted November 20, 2010 mmm...chocolate breakfast of champions, are you talking choc coated quondongs Rabaelthazar? I just tried some quondong nuts roasted heaps nice! Yeah, choc coated quondong rind. Hand on, I'll see if there's a link.... http://haighschocolates.com.au/our_chocolates/hand-made_chocolates/dark_chocolates.html Fourth section.... jeez, I shouldn't have looked at that. I seriously want some chocolate now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bℓσωηG Posted November 21, 2010 Yuum! Lilly pilly jelly and lemon myrtle too,what a great idea incorporating native ingrediants into their choc. It is probably the tropical quondong though which Psili sausage mentioned (Elaeocarpus angustifolias)which i have never tried...I wonder where the the word quondong comes from and how both these different trees were named it. Emu poo sure is interesting to look through full of big seeds and stones... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mr b.caapi Posted November 21, 2010 Very nice find there Blown ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted December 7, 2010 Beautiful. Have plans to grow it? The best tasting kernalscan be picked out of emu dung Reminds me of the coffee beans civets shit out that are so highly regarded. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bℓσωηG Posted December 7, 2010 Hi tripsis good to see you made it back! I have potted up a few ,the shell is as thick as the nut inside, so i wasnt sure what treatment if any i should have done. I was left with more empty shells than nut after cracking about 50 with a hammer, but theyre really tasty after a light roasting in the oven which also makes the texture more nut like too! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tripsis Posted December 7, 2010 Cheers mate, it's good to be back, especially for summer. Good luck with the seeds, hope you get some up. It's a root parasite of other trees though, so you'll need to find a host for them to parasitise. The shells make pretty popular beads too. I love how they look like little brains. I remember finding a quandong species outside the tourist info centre in Batemans Bay earlier this year, or late last year. Looking into it I suppose it was Elaeocarpus angustifolius, as it had blue fruits with green flesh. They were pretty unpleasant to eat (no flesh on them anyway). 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Palma Posted July 12, 2012 This santalum acuminatum is just sooo great! Little water, fruits, nuts, smelling wood... And he loves the acacias!!!! Up for this plant! Anyone has seeds? Or know where to buy, I just found nothing on the net. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heretic Posted October 10, 2012 Nindethana have 3 varieties in their 2010 catalogue - but not sure about current stock . They are a most excellent source for Oz natives . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mud Posted October 10, 2012 Would anyone elaborate on rumour about smoking quandong leaves? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Micromegas Posted October 25, 2012 Took me four and a half years roughly from a 6-inch nursery purchased seedling on Myoporum parvifolium (long dead), now growing on A.schlerophylla and A. microcarpa and probably many others including Trichocereus sp. Three fruits only (set of two pictured). No bugs inside, as can occur in the wild. Tart, very tasty. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catch Posted October 28, 2012 Hey yall, so ....far out i've been taking the kids to the same beach regularly for seven years and never before have i noticed this plant , QUONDONG! No excuses... just never noticed it, always just passed it off as another Acacia cyclops, but when i saw them laden with fruit last month I was like WOW! .Munched a couple of fruits straight away, my son loved picking them but not so much the tart flavour of the flesh lol. I looked it up in my bushfood book, and read the the nut inside the hard shell is the go, and wow! Tasted weird like ive had that before, kinda like almonds, but that flavour , sooo familiar... still cant think what it is.... where abouts is this tree mate ,thats a good one Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wameron36 Posted October 30, 2012 I didn't realise the seeds of these were similar to the blue quandongs (Elaeocarpus) too. Is the reason for the common name sharing? Either way the seeds are very cool, have a bunch on my necklaces I've made. Would love to taste these guys! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
