Australia's native peach — a small, bright red fruit with tart, tangy flesh and a large deeply ridged stone; a staple of Aboriginal Australian diet for thousands of years, now increasingly used in Australian native cuisine and bush food products.
Aboriginal staple
Quandong was a critical food source for Aboriginal Australians in arid inland Australia — one of the most reliable plant foods in regions with sparse vegetation. Both the fruit and the nut inside the stone (eaten raw or roasted) were consumed. The tree is hemiparasitic — it draws water and nutrients from other plants’ root systems — allowing it to survive where other fruit trees cannot.
The Santalum connection
Quandong belongs to the same genus as sandalwood (Santalum album) — the fragrant wood used in incense and perfumery. The quandong tree’s wood also has a faint sandalwood fragrance. The genus is semi-parasitic, attaching haustoria (feeding roots) to the roots of neighbouring plants.
Flavour profile
Fresh quandong flesh has a complex flavour combining tartness, slight bitterness, and a peach-apricot character. The dried fruit resembles dried apricot in appearance and texture with a more concentrated, tangier flavour. Chefs working in Australian native cuisine use quandong for its striking colour (intense red), tartness, and cultural significance.
Commercial development
Until the late 20th century, quandong was foraged wild. From the 1980s onwards, commercial cultivation in South Australia began developing, producing consistent quality fruit for food manufacturers. Quandong jam, sauce, and dried fruit are now available commercially and exported as premium Australian bush food products.
Find more fruits by letter
Quandong starts with Q and ends with G. Browse other fruits along the same letter.
Fruits that contain a letter from "Quandong":