I collected these beautiful Australian bush tuckers along my driveway while trimming and tidying the hedge,this morning. I have planted these evergreen shrubs from seedlings five years ago and they have grown into a beautiful hedge along the driveway. They were chosen because of their attractive glossy foliage and most important they produce an edible fruit like our jumbu in Singapore
It is commonly known as Lilly Pilly. There are about 60 species in Australia, and a few produce edible fruit that can be eaten fresh or used in jams and jellies. I usually add them to my rojak (Singaporean fruits and vegetable salads with spicy prawn paste (hae koe) dressing.
Ever since working in the forest of Papua New Guinea, I am always interested in bush tuckers and marvelled at the jungle survival skills of the people of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
Botanically, this plant belongs to the syzygium species of the myrtle family. Not only it is related to our jumbu tree in Singapore, it also a close relative to the clove tree of Indonesia.
