We’ve carefully selected the Australian Super Food Co Vitamin C Booster (with Kakadu Plum) for many of our Quokka Boxes, as Vitamin C is critical for our immune health, and Kakadu plum is richest known source of vitamin.
Kakadu Plum is native to Australia, but many would likely not have heard of it, until now.
History
Considered a gift of the Dreamtime, the Kakadu Plum (also known as Gubinge, Billygoat Plum, Murunga, Terminalia Ferdinandiana) is Australia’s star superfood performer. Kakadu Plum has exceptional nutritional and antiseptic properties and has been an important food and medicine in Northern Australia for millennia. From March to June, the local people harvest and consume this energizing, thirst-quenching fruit. Throughout the rest of the year, the tree sap is consumed to treat joint inflammation, whilst the bark is applied to the body to treat burns, rashes and infections.
Health Benefits
- The Kakadu plum has the highest recorded levels of Vitamin C of any fruit in the world, measuring up to 100 times the Vitamin C content found in an orange.
- Due to its extreme potency, you only need 1g of freeze-dried Kakadu plum powder to match the Vitamin C content found in an entire orange.
- The Kakadu plum exhibits outstanding antioxidant capacity, being 5.2 times more potent than the blueberry.
- Due to its exceptional antioxidant composition, it is believed that Kakadu plum could provide the most powerful Alzheimer’s treatment to date.
- The Kakadu plum is celebrated for its medicinal properties and is a known antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral agent.
- The fruit contains 6.1mg of lutein per 100g which is the highest amount compared to other native fruits. In comparison, a Western plum contains 0.82mg of lutein per 100 g, which is also the highest value for the Western fruits. Lutein is a carotenoid vitamin that plays an important role in eye health, improving symptoms in atrophic age-related macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of vision loss in aging Western societies. Lutein protects the retina from damage by inhibiting inflammation.
- A vegetarian source of iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, calcium, copper, phosphorus, Vitamin E and contains 110μg of folate per 100g – the same amount found in broccoli.
- The fruit has a high potassium:sodium ratio, which may assist in reducing the risk of hypertension
- Kakadu plum is high in dietary fibre and low in calories.
Food Uses
We absolutely love the Vitamin C Booster with Kakadu Plum mixed with warm water, first thing in the morning, but there are many ways to enjoy Kakadu Plum.
Kakadu plum fruit is perfect for use in fruit jams, chutneys, sauces, marinades, juices, ice cream and as a general flavour enhancer. It is also often used in cosmetics and natural pharmaceuticals. It has the highest recorded levels of Vitamin C of any fruit in the world, measuring up to 100 times the Vitamin C content found in an orange.
Try adding some to a green smoothie or smoothie bowl for an extra boost of Vitamin C. Or use our Vitamin C Nutrient Booster, which features Kakadu plum as a key ingredient.
The tart and intense fruity flavour of Kakadu plum lends itself to a range of sweet and savoury dishes, including cakes, jams, mayonnaise, sweet and savoury sauces, yoghurt and ice cream.
Use Kakadu plum native fruit powder in your cooking to impart a delicious, tangy, citrus-like flavour. It’s a great ingredient for almost any cream and fruit-based dessert, and works well with white chocolate, cheese and cheesecake, sponge cake, biscuits, creme brulee, ice cream and sorbet. Kakadu plus is a perfect complement for a variety of fruit, in particular apple, pear, citrus, tropical (banana, mango, papaya, pineapple), stone fruit and coconut.
Try adding a little to home-made hummus, nut cheese, mild curries and slow-cooked tagines. The fruit complements most root vegetables, such as sweet potato, pumpkin, beetroot, carrot, turnip, parsnip. Combine Kakadu plum with olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs (such as rosemary, oregano and thyme) and sea salt. Rub into fish before pan-frying and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or mix a little with butter, garlic and sea salt and smear over corn on the cob.
Kakadu plum pairs well with dairy products, oil and vinegar-based marinades, salad dressings, meat-based jus and egg-based condiments.
The fruit complements white fish, chicken and pork, particularly when used in a marinade, sauce or jus; it also works well with lamb and other red meat. Perfect combined with oil, dijon mustard, white wine vinegar and garlic for a simple, but delicious salad dressing.