Warrigal greens (Tetragonia tetragonoides), also called New Zealand spinach or Botany Bay greens, are a succulent leafy green native to Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the Pacific. They were among the first Australian plants collected by Joseph Banks during Cook's 1770 voyage (hence "Botany Bay greens"). Aboriginal communities ate them as a vegetable. The leaves are thick, succulent, diamond-shaped, and contain oxalic acid — which must be reduced by blanching before use (identical in principle to European spinach, which also contains oxalates).
A creeping, ground-covering plant with thick, triangular, slightly fuzzy leaves. Raw leaves have a pleasant spinach-like flavour with a mineral, slightly salty character from the oxalates. After blanching (30 seconds in boiling water, then ice bath), the oxalic acid is reduced and the green is safe for regular consumption.
- **Blanch before eating raw in quantity.** The oxalic acid content can cause kidney stress if consumed raw in large amounts over time. Brief blanching removes the majority of the oxalates while preserving colour and texture. - **After blanching, use exactly as you would spinach.** Sautéed with native pepper and macadamia oil. Wilted under seared barramundi. Stirred through pasta. In omelettes and frittata. As a bed for grilled kangaroo. - **The texture is meatier than European spinach.** The succulent quality means warrigal greens hold up better to heat and don't collapse to nothing the way baby spinach does. They are structurally closer to silverbeet/chard.
AUSTRALIAN BUSHTUCKER — WAVE 3: THE COMPLETE PICTURE