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The “Australiano” Coffee Recipe - Make It At Home

The McDonald’s “Australiano” Coffee! Unless you’ve been living under a rock and have never heard of McDonald's (I don’t know, you might have, kudos to you!) you will have heard that they’ve recently released their shiny new addition to the McCafe range. Designed to be a brew that Aussie coffee lovers can proudly put their name to, the all-new “Australiano” coffee is described as “a perfect blend of McCafé coffee mixed with Chai and Native Australian Wattleseed”. 

 

Although we’re ecstatic to see native Australian ingredients getting the much-deserved limelight, McDonald's is asking you to shell out up to $6.25 for their new concoction. What if we told you that you can make your own version at home that will taste 10X better? Well you can! But before we jump into the recipe, first let's delve a little deeper into exactly what Wattleseed is, and why it makes your coffee taste oh so good! Oh and feel free to skip to the end if you just want to make your morning coffee. We get it… mornings right?! 

WATTLESEED AND OUR HISTORY

 

First Nation History

 

Ah, Wattleseed… delicious edible seeds that grow from any of 120 species of Australian Acacia. Delighting senses with their nutty, roasted coffee aroma, with touches of sweet spice, raisins and chocolate, it has a savoury, nutty, wheat-biscuit flavour. It’s no spring chicken either… Wattleseed has been around the block a few times! Indigenous Peoples' have been utilising this native seed both as a food source and medicinally since they first arrived on these lands over 100,000 years ago. 


With its hard husk protecting the seed during long periods of dormancy on the ground, Wattleseed is able to survive extreme weather conditions. In fact the drier the conditions the heavier it can seed. Traditionally ground and used to make a type of flour, Aboriginal Women would collect the pods and parch the seeds with fire, before grinding them into this flour, mixing it with water and making it into a cake. These cakes would be baked in the coals of a fire and eaten immediately or stored for later use. 

 

 

European Colonisation History

 

Fast forward to the colonisation of Australia and the consumption of Wattleseed slowed right down. Although its uses had decreased it was not forgotten entirely. As early as 1814, Australian Acacia species were recognised for their tannin content and developed into plantation crops across the British Empire. 

 

 

Early Modern History

 

In 1899, Wattleseed had become less of a practical native plant and more of a symbol throughout Australia. The colours of the golden wattle (Acacia pycnantha) inspiring the green and gold colours of Australia. It wasn’t until 1988 that it was officially proclaimed as the national floral emblem. The date that this proclamation was made was rather unfortunate as it was in fact the day of the Australian Bicentenary, marking 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney in 1788. On the up side, this very same date saw more than 40,000 people, including Indigenous Australians from across the country, stage the largest march in Sydney since the early 1970s!

 

Today

 

Yay! We’ve made it to the present! In today’s day and age, Wattleseed has become increasingly popular. It has seen success commercially, often advertised as a superfood… thats right… Wattleseed might smell and taste delicious, but the real winner is what it can do for your body! This nifty native is filled with nutritional health benefits with analysis showing that Wattleseed contains potassium, calcium, iron and zinc in comparatively high concentrations as well as containing most vitamins except for C, B12 and riboflavin.  


When it comes to cooking, as you can probably guess, it’s most commonly dried and roasted in a similar way to coffee beans. The roasted seeds are then typically ground down to create a powder that's used in a variety of ways in the kitchen. 


Wattleseed powder is a versatile ingredient that can be incorporated into a range of sweet and savoury recipes such as cakes, biscuits, bread and damper; it can be used as flavour and thickener in casseroles and curries, and it is used in sauces and marinades! Oh, and of course, it can be used to make delicious coffee! The list goes on and on. 

MAKE YOUR OWN “AUSTRALIANO”  

If you’re still here, you’ve earned yourself a coffee my friend! Not just any coffee, but your very own homemade version of the “Australiano”. As promised here’s our recipe! Using our very own native spiced chai and Wattleseed powder, this aromatic coffee has the perfect balance of spice that’s not overpowering and allows for the nutty coffee like flavour of the Wattleseed to shine through. It’s the perfect cuppa to warm your soul this frosty season. We hope you love it as much as we do! 

2023 UPDATE: 

We have now replaced the ground Wattleseed with our delicious Wattleseed Syrup, one spoon away from hapiness.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon of our Bush Chai

1 tablespoon of our Wattleseed Syrup

150ml milk

1/2 teaspoon local honey (optional)

1 shot of espresso or 80ml strong coffee

 

Method

 

1 - You'll want to start by heating your milk up in the microwave on high for 1 minute, or steam to desired temperature using an espresso machine wand! Pro tip: We recommend pre-heating the cup, so that you don't need to burn the milk in order to enjoy it piping hot!


2 - After this, take your milk and pour it over your Chai, Wattleseed Syrup and Honey and leave it to steep for approximately 2 minutes. Make sure to give it enough time for the flavours to unlock for maximum taste.


3 - Finally, strain and pour over your coffee, sprinkle some Wattleseed (optional) on top & serve! Make sure not to over brew the drink or you'll end up with a bitter finished product!


Start making your own Australiano today!!

 

Shop our Australiano Bundle here

2 comments

  • Message #2
    Can you use pods from any WATTLE tree? Can the type of WATTLE be mixed? What is Bush chai?

    Mel on

  • Fantastic!

    Mel on

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