WHADJUK - BOYA NGURA SHADOW ARBOUR

Digging for Yams

Warrine (aka. Warran, Ijjecka, Dtjokoh, Warrany) is an edible native yam, harvested during the Noongar season of Kambarang (Oct – Nov). Traditionally, this species was grown extensively from Perth’s southern coasts all the way up to Shark Bay, with single yam fields often covering several square kilometers. After digging up the long tubers for food, Noongar farmers would replant its above-ground climbing stems for a subsequent crop.

Warrine tubers are long, thin and white. They can be eaten raw, but taste much better lightly roasted with butter or a pinch of salt. This native vegetable is a great ingredient in a variety of savoury and sweet dishes, like stews, pies, curries, tarts, dumplings and cakes.

Yellow flowers bloom in Makuru (May–July), producing triangular fruits that mature in  Kambarang (October). Harvest Warrine by digging up the tubers in late Winter, just after the flowers turn to fruit. Like sweet potatoes, sections of tubers can be used to grow more plants — with careful timing, you can grow up to three crops each year.