Moreton Bay chestnut bean

[English] plural Moreton Bay chestnut beans

Blackbeans. These almost conker-like beans are found in the tropical rainforest of north eastern Australia, often found along creeks and rivers. When crushed the leaves smell almost like cucumber. The seeds, held in a generous pod, are poisonous in their raw state. However, as with many other things, the aboriginals found way to make use of these and found that, by baking them on hot coals, ground and then washed in continuously running fresh water for ten days or so, they could make an edible flour. These were formed into shapes and then baked. Not very appetising but good source of starch when you are scraping your sustenance from such a hostile environment. It is recommended that you don't attempt to eat these beans. Even the aboriginals did not eat them except in times of scarcity.

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