Good day everyone, welcome to another edition of Mangarri Man. More aptly for the part of Australia I'm visiting maybe it should read Womma Man
I'm taking you to my old hometown of Mullewa, located on the western edge of Badimaya country, which extends northeast towards Cue and then in a southerly direction down to Carnamah and Lake Moore. The Badimaya are part of the greater Yamatji (or Yamaji) Nation which extend north into the Pilbara.
Mullewa is in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia and the first autumn rains have fallen. These first rains of the season are a time of excitement as it signals not only that the emus are laying, and it will soon be egg collecting time but also that the Bimba is ready to harvest. That means all hands-on deck or someone is going to beat you to this (usually) once a year treat.
Bimba also known as Sugarbrother, is a sweet gum that is excreted from holes in the stem and branches of Acacia coolgardiensis. These holes are a result of burrowing moth larvae, a type of bardi grub. If you get out straight after the first rain you not only beat everyone else to the prize, but the gum is soft, easy to collect and easy to chew. As it ages, it crystalizes into a hard toffee and although still perfectly edible is a little tougher on the jaws and teeth.
Over the centuries many a mother has warned their children that care does need to be taken when consuming this sweet treat because eating too much Bimba can give you a sore guts resulting in the runs. However, a by-product of the upset stomach is that medicinally it gives your innards a good clean out. So maybe being greedy (just once a year) is a good thing.
Acacia coolgardiensis extends across a large area of the drier parts of Western Australia from the coast around Shark Bay in the north, south to Lake Grace and across to Kalgoorlie and Menzies in the east. Close relatives of the Sugarbrother tree, Acacia effusifolia and Acacia latior also produce Bimba, although reputably not as sweet and tasty.
Acacia coolgardiensis grows to five metres but is often shorter, it has fine flat grey green leaves and a smooth sometimes fissured trunk. Flowering occurs around May/June when the shrub puts on an amazing display of golden blooms. For those wanting to grow this medium to large shrub in their garden, seed can be collected late in the year between October and December as the daytime temperatures start to rise. The plant produces long thin pods containing numerous small seeds which are easily germinated after soaking in hot water overnight.
Anyone wanting to learn a little more about edible plants and animals of this region should look in their local library for "Wajarri Wisdom" written by Estelle Leyland and published by the Yamaji Language Centre.
