Building on the success of her Chef-hatted Byron Bay restaurant Karkalla, Mindy Woods has launched ‘Karkalla on Country’ – an immersive culinary and cultural experience on Bundjalung Country.
The journey honours the land, ancestors and traditional wisdom through locally sourced native ingredients and aims to bridge the gap between the booming ‘bush food’ industry and its original knowledge holders.
On Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15, a three-hour event celebrates Moogerahmbu – Thunderstorm Season – a time when the wind moves between Northeast and South. Many birds begin hatching, bush turkeys are fat, pigeons and doves abundant and there are plenty of mungul (oysters), yugari (pipis), jubi (crab) and Mulan (prawns), along with flathead coming into season.
The first indigenous woman to be awarded an AGFG Chef Hat, Mindy will take you on a journey filled with culture, connection and extraordinary food, located just a 15-minute drive from Byron Bay.
The event includes a Welcome to Country, ceremonial smoking and cultural experience, a guided walk through the native food forest, interaction with native animals and a native-inspired set menu paired with beverage options.
To book your place, click here as the last event sold out very quickly.
Those looking for a unique Christmas gift can order Mindy’s ‘Karkalla at Home’ gift pack of a personally signed cookbook, spice bundle, organic cotton tea towel and native curry powder to experience the vibrant flavours of Bundjalung.
A must-have gift for every food lover, this is the perfect way to start embracing native ingredients at home as Mindy invites you to share her love of food, heritage and culture along with Australian native food. More than a cookbook, it is an invitation from her Elders and Bundjalung community to be part of the world’s oldest living civilisation.
Next year, Karkalla will expand its offering with a native food cooking school. This curated and intimate experience lets you connect with First Nations culture in an interactive, hands-on cooking and eating extravaganza hosted by Mindy.
Elevate your home cooking and learn how to integrate the world’s most ancient ingredients into some of our favourite recipes.
"Nothing lights up my heart (and belly) more than native food. First Nations food is important to me because it connects me with my Country, my culture and my ancestors,” Mindy says.
AGFG acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, to the Elders past, present and emerging.
