Kurrajong Seeds

The kurrajong is a medium-sized evergreen tree, up to about 20 metres, with a dense crown of glossy, variable leaves and a stout trunk that stores water. In spring it bears small, bell-shaped, cream flowers with pink or red speckled interiors. The fruit is a boat-shaped, woody, brown pod about 5 to 7 cm long, which splits to reveal 10 to 20 yellow, kernel-like seeds embedded in coarse, irritating hairs. The seeds are about 6 to 8 mm long, and have a nutty flavour, particularly after roasting. They are sold in small amounts by bush food suppliers and native seed merchants, often in the form of roasted seed or ground into a coffee substitute.

Brachychiton populneus is native to eastern Australia, ranging from Victoria through New South Wales into Queensland, where it grows in dry woodland and on rocky slopes. It has been widely planted as a shade and fodder tree in rural areas and as a street tree. The name kurrajong comes from an Aboriginal word, thought to be from the Dharug language, meaning fibre, as the bark was used to make string and fishing line. The genus name Brachychiton refers to a short tunic, describing the hairy seed covering, and populneus indicates leaves like those of poplar.

Aboriginal peoples across Australia used the kurrajong as a multipurpose resource for thousands of years. The seeds were collected, the irritating hairs were removed, and the kernels were eaten raw or roasted, or ground into a paste. The roots were eaten, and the gum and young shoots were consumed, while the bark fibre was woven into nets, bags and fishing lines. Early European settlers noted these uses and also found the tree valuable as drought fodder, because cattle and sheep eat the leaves when grass is scarce. Settlers roasted the seeds as a coffee substitute, particularly in difficult times. The tree became a symbol of rural Australia, planted around homesteads and in towns, and many places are named after it, such as Kurrajong in New South Wales. In recent decades, interest in native Australian foods has revived the culinary use of the seeds, with chefs and bush food companies promoting them, though the quantities produced remain small. Many old trees are still preserved as heritage landmarks.

Seeds are removed from the pods and cleaned of their hairs, then roasted and eaten as a snack, or ground and brewed as a caffeine-free coffee substitute. They can be added to breads, damper and biscuits for nutty flavour, or used as a topping on salads, in the same way as sesame seeds. The tree is also planted as stock fodder, shade and windbreak, and its fibre has been used for cordage, with wood used for light carving.

Traditional accounts describe the seeds as a nourishing, energy-rich food, containing protein and fat, and analyses of related species have reported useful amounts of protein and minerals. There is little published clinical research on the seeds of this species, so specific health claims cannot be made. As a roasted seed, it is mainly a flavoursome bush food in modest amounts.