We have carefully curated a menu that represents our culture, home, pride, and healing. Culture has and continues to play an important part in our lives, so here at Blak Cede, not only can you see culture, but you can taste it in our food. Our menu isn’t just food, though; it’s a way for us proud Blak people to connect with our ancestors, as these ingredients have been eaten and used for over 65,000 years. Our people use native herbs and spices for food, nourishment, and medicinal purposes and at Blak Cede, we honour those ingredients in every dish and drink on the menu.
Composing the menu has been a collaborative effort. The Blak Cede team, under the mentorship of Angie Prendergast-Sceats, owner of Angie’s Food in Kangaroo Valley, designed and engineered the initial menu that privileges Aboriginal knowledge systems. This process involved contributing ingredient ideas, continuous tasting, and trialling plating techniques to refine a menu we were all proud of. For a long time, we have been working with staff at our Kareela Ngura traditional garden to include ingredients we cultivate ourselves, and we plan to grow as much as we possibly can as our operation expands. Also, we are supporting other Aboriginal-owned businesses by using suppliers such as Native Foodways and Yaru.
Every detail of the menu is intentional, and everything has meaning. For example, the Johnny cakes served with our soups and curries tell the story of when our people were forced to live on missions and were given rations of food such as flour, water and salt. With those limited ingredients, women would make Johnny cakes as a tummy filler to feed their big families. Nowadays, Johnny cakes are a staple in most Blak households, and therefore, we will proudly serve them at Blak Cede. As well, we have black seeds on the Decol Roll, to represent Blak Cede.
You may also notice we don’t have any dishes that include beef as an ingredient. We do this to pay our respects to our ancestors, who endured generations of abuse on australian cattle stations. Furthermore, we limit the use of sugar in our cafe as a response to the detrimental impact sugar has had on our communities since its introduction, such as diabetes and heart disease, among so many other health issues. No sugar will be placed on the tables, and the sugar used at the barista station will be hidden from the public. We are not a sugar-free cafe, but we are very strict with how it is moderated. Ultimately, Blak Cede prides itself on having a delicious and nutritious menu.
