Tjanmata / Bush Onions

Tjanmata or bush onion is eaten by baking the small bulbs in hot coals and then removing the papery outer layer.

Until comparatively recently, bush foods were the primary source of sustenance for Anangu Pitjantjatjara. Many bush foods are still gathered regularly, almost exclusively by women, and they therefore feature strongly in women’s mark making. Women learn the art of gathering each of the foods from a young age and much inma (ceremony) relates to these practices and the maintenance of supply.