Key points:

- Burdekin Plum is native to northern Australia

- Antioxidant activity five times higher than blueberries

- Available only in limited seasonal quantities

An native fruit enjoyed by First Nations peoples for thousands of years and packing five times the antioxidant power of blueberries is making a limited seasonal comeback.

Most Australians have never heard of Burdekin plum, yet researchers have found the little-known native fruit has almost five times the antioxidant activity of blueberries, one of the world's most celebrated superfoods.

Following a limited seasonal harvest, the Burdekin Plum is now being introduced to chefs, food producers and consumers, shining a spotlight on an ancient bush food which has sustained Indigenous Australians for thousands of years.

Native to northern Australia, Burdekin plum (Pleiogynium timoriense) grows naturally across tropical regions of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Despite its rich history, remarkable nutritional profile and distinctive sweet-tart flavour, it has remained absent from mainstream Australian diets.

Cooee Native Superfoods CEO, Terri-Anne Daniel, said the Burdekin plum was one of Australia's most overlooked food treasures.

"Australians know blueberries, raspberries and imported superfoods from around the world, yet many have never heard of Burdekin plum, despite it growing here and being enjoyed for thousands of years," she said.

"It's one of the most exciting Native ingredients to work with.

"The flavour is incredible, the colour is extraordinary and the science is helping shine a light on what Indigenous communities have known for generations: that this is a remarkable fruit."

Native foods deserve attention

Australia is home to more than 6,000 edible Native plant species, yet only a small fraction have entered mainstream food culture.

Ms Daniel said Native ingredients like the Burdekin Plum was an opportunity to celebrate unique Australian flavours, while supporting Indigenous knowledge, harvesting practices and supply chains.

"If we want a truly Australian food culture, we need to embrace more of the ingredients that have been growing here for thousands of years," she said.

"Every Native ingredient carries a story. They connect us to Country, culture and some of the oldest food traditions on Earth."

Interest in the Burdekin Plum has been growing among chefs seeking distinct local ingredients that offer both flavour and provenance.

"Burdekin plum is one of those ingredients that immediately captures peoples' attention," Ms Daniel said.

"The colour is extraordinary, the flavour has a beautiful sweet-tart complexity, and it allows us to create dishes that are distinctly Australian."

She said chefs were always looking for ingredients that tell a story.

"Burdekin Plum connects us to thousands of years of Indigenous knowledge while delivering something genuinely unique on the plate," Ms Daniel said.

"When people learn Burdekin Plum contains almost five times the antioxidant activity of blueberries, they're usually amazed they've never heard of it."

Fruits such as the Burdekin and Kakadu plum have been eaten for thousands of years by the First Australians.

"The more Australians discover native ingredients like Burdekin Plum, the more we begin to understand the richness of the food culture that's always existed here," Ms Daniel said.

The current seasonal release was aided by naturalist, adventurer and Venture North Safaris head tour guide, David McMahon, who spent years exploring and documenting native foods throughout northern Australia.

Filmed beneath a towering Burdekin plum tree on Kuku Yalanji Country in Far North Queensland, Mr McMahon said the fruit deserved far greater recognition.

"These beautiful bush fruits should be part of our cultural heritage of this country," Mr McMahon said.

"We should be eating far more of them."

Recent scientific research identified Burdekin plum as having exceptionally high antioxidant activity, driven by naturally occurring anthocyanins and polyphenols.

The fruit was also a source of dietary fibre and vitamin C.

Burdekin Plum is available in limited quantities as a freeze-dried powder and can be used in desserts, pastries, sauces, glazes, cocktails, smoothies and contemporary Native-inspired dishes.

With supply dependent on seasonal conditions and wild harvest availability, the current release was expected to be extremely limited.