“Native 9-Spice” is a tangy spice mix of 100% Lutruwita / Tasmanian native ingredients
Photo: Guests at Palawa Kipli’s Native 9-Spice launch at Piyura Kitina / Risdon Cove
NIPALUNA / HOBART: Tangy, zesty, salty – and 100% Tassie, Tasmanian Aboriginal food business Palawa Kipli has launched its first-ever retail product.
Native 9-Spice, a collaboration between Palawa Kipli and Zea Gourmet, combines nine native Tasmanian ingredients into a delicious spice formulation that elevates meat, fish or veggies to a uniquely Tasmanian taste experience.
The nine ingredients, echoing the nine original nations of Lutruwita / Tasmania, are
- tinputina / kunzea
- tapu / pepperberry
- wurayni / wattleseed
- taytina / salt bush
- rikawa / Lutruwita kelp
- Lutruwita sea salt
- river mint
- sea parsley
- round-leaf mint bush
“We believe that this is the first time in Lutruwita / Tasmania where a 100% Aboriginal owned business is selling bush foods (native edible plants) as a retail product for the first time,” said Palawa woman and Palawa Kipli Business Manager, Kitana Mansell.
“This is Palawa Kipli’s first retail product, allowing people to take a piece of our story home, cook with it, share it around their table and continue conversations about our culture wherever they are. It is a significant milestone in our food sovereignty journey as Palawa people.
“As a proud Palawa woman, it is an honour to launch Palawa Kipli’s first retail product during NAIDOC Week. Native 9-Spice isn’t just about cooking with native ingredients; it also tells the truthful history of our Country. It celebrates who we are, where we come from and the strength of our people,” said Ms Mansell.
“Native 9-Spice is a special project for us because it represents the kind of partnership we believe business should create: one built on trust, shared learning and genuine respect. Palawa Kipli has led this product with culture, story and connection to Country, while Zea has been proud to stand
alongside them with the practical support needed to bring their first packaged retail product to life,” said Jade McKenzie, Co-Founder, Zea.
“Our role has not simply been about helping develop one product. It has been about sharing the processes and practical experience that can support Palawa Kipli to create many more products in the future, build their own commercial capability and grow sustainable revenue streams on their terms. We know Native 9-Spice will be the first of many opportunities that allow their culture, creativity and community impact to reach more people,” said Ms McKenzie.
Every purchase of Native 9-Spice supports Palawa Kipli, with all profits reinvested into the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre to strengthen Aboriginal-led initiatives that benefit community. Every jar also helps advance Palawa food sovereignty, protect native ingredients, cultural knowledge, and create opportunities for future generations.
Ms Mansell said the launch marks an important step in strengthening Palawa food sovereignty.
“Aboriginal food sovereignty is the inherent rights of Aboriginal people to determine their own traditional food systems. It goes beyond basic food security by reclaiming control over ancestral lands, waterways, and knowledge to hunt, gather, and share culturally significant foods.
“Our natural pantry includes every tree, plant, berry, seed and shrub that grows on our Country, providing food, medicine, fibre and materials for craft, just as it has for our people for thousands of years. Every purchase is an investment in protecting our landscapes, preserving our cultural knowledge and ensuring our native food practices continue to thrive for generations to come.”
Before invasion, Lutruwita was home to nine thriving Palawa Nations, each with its own language, knowledge and deep connection to Country. At the heart of Native 9-Spice are nine native ingredients, each chosen to honour the richness and diversity of the nine Palawa Nations of Lutruwita while also capturing the flavours of bush, coast and Country. Native 9-Spice is more than a seasoning, it is a celebration of Country, Sea, culture and the enduring connection Palawa people have maintained with the land for thousands of generations.
Looking ahead, Ms Mansell said Native 9-Spice is just the beginning.
“Our vision is to see Palawa Kipli become one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal food businesses, with products that proudly represent Palawa peoples from Lutruwita across Australia and, one day, the world.”
