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Australia’s premier Indigenous food and cultural festival, Taste of Kakadu is back in 2022 with a tantalising program of events and activities to delight the senses.

Running for 10 days from 20-29 May, the Taste of Kakadu food and cultural festival will take you on an amazing taste, sound and visual journey to discover the foods, stories and customs that have sustained the world’s oldest living culture for more than 65,000 years.

“The Taste of Kakadu festival is the perfect opportunity to visit Kakadu and indulge in traditional Indigenous food, culture and local art, and craft, music, and entertainment – while visiting the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage-listed National Park,” said Kakadu’s Acting Tourism and Visitor Services Manager, Adrian Buman.

Highlights from this year’s program include:

• A Bush Tucker Experience - Anme Garri-ginj-ye means ‘let’s cook food’ - Join the Murumburr family group to enjoy a range of tasty seasonal bush tucker including, fish, yams, water lilies and more in the beautiful surrounds of the Patonga Homestead community at the edge of the Jim Jim River system with magnificent birdlife. Discover the local knowledge of the Bininj/Mungguy seasonal foods and gain insight into the history, culture and rich bush food heritage of this remarkable place. As the sun sets on the edge of the Murdudjurl Billabong, Paul “Yoda” Iskov from Fervor will serve appetizing canapes accompanied by a delightful acoustic music performance by Dr Shellie Morris.
• Kakadu Dreaming - Dinner Under the Stars - Dine under the stars at Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre, this exclusive one-off event and experience includes a succulent three-course Indigenous local menu like no other, with Kakadu plum flakes, crocodile popcorn, local barramundi and more! Pre-dinner drinks, canapes and three-hour beverage package to be enjoyed throughout the night. Chef Paul Garreffa and Ben Tyler from Kakadu Kitchen will prepare food in a traditional ground oven and use local ingredients to create the best flavours from the Northern Territory and Kakadu.
• Indigenous Guided Bush Tucker Walk - Join a local Indigenous guide for a bush tucker walk in Mamukala through Kakadu’s magnificent wetlands and woodlands. Your local guide will share their intimate knowledge of the area’s edible plants and animals, explaining their stories, their many uses and the ways they are affected by the seasons.
• Yellow Water Canapé Cruise - Take a late-afternoon cruise on Yellow Water with flavoursome food and drinks. Your host will prepare a delectable array of native-inspired canapés accompanied by a glass of sparkling wine while cruising one of the park’s most spectacular wetland ecosystems, with dramatic scenery including saltwater crocs, and a range of incredible birdlife and wildlife.
• Indigenous Ground Oven Class - Sample local meats and in-season flavourings and see how a traditional ground oven is prepared. The next generation of Bininj leaders, Krystle Dalton and Lewis Ah Fat, will prepare local ingredients to create mouth-watering flavours at Cooinda.
• Indigenous Cooking Classes - Join Chef Paul Garreffa for a modern twist to local Indigenous cooking. Learn new recipes and enjoy the food that sustained Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. Both classes are inclusive of three course dinner and drinks post class in Mimi’s Restaurant at Cooinda Lodge.
• Festival favourites including the Festival Hub at Bowali Visitor Centre will also return and more events will be announced soon.

For more information on Taste of Kakadu and to book tickets visit www.kakadu.gov.au/taste

Media contact: Phone 0439 582 686 or Email parksmedia@environment.gov.au