Pigface (Carpobrotus glaucescens) fruit: Native seaside snacks

Pigface (Carpobrotus glaucescens) fruit

I foraged along the cliffs and rocky shores today, basically for the walk. And as I did I snacked on pigface (Carpobrotus glaucescens) fruits. A little burst of something between strawberry, cherry guava, stewed apple, fig and kiwifruit, but more gel-like and mixed through with a bit of salt. The salty taste in a fruit can catch you out at first, but once this oddity is past, they are one of the tastier Australian native fruits around (although frankly it is not a hugely competitive field).

Aboriginal people are reported to have typically eaten this on the spot, be it just a nibble or a gorging, and I tend to go the same way. When they aren’t all that sweet I might find myself thinking that they would benefit from a little toss around in a dollop of warm honey; but when I bothered to bring them home to do this it all seemed a bit fiddly. The flavour enhancement seemed about equally offset by losing the wonderful engaged feeling of being outdoors, snacking on foraged food along a stunningly beautiful shore. If you did come across a huge crop however, jams are reputed to be a good option (although I have never tried it).

Pigface fruit peeled to reveal its salty fruity heart

When you pluck them from the plant, a hole is generally made where it detaches. Holding the horn-like fleshy leaves above the fruit, the skin can usually be quite easily peeled back; either to reveal a fruit like a tiny kiwifruit, or at least get enough of an opening to then squeeze the pulp into your mouth.

When they are underripe they can be a bit bitter and when they are overripe they are shriveled and mean (but not useless). You will see a lot of pigface plants and a lot of not-quite-right fruit along the way for some pretty meagre returns most of the time. But you would usually just come across it incidentally and opportunistically, so there is no need for optimal foraging sums. They are also commonly planted because of their drought and salt hardiness and some of these varieties seem to produce no useful fruit at all. There are 2 main species prized for fruit in Australia, C. glaucescens on the east coast and C. rossi on the south, but some 25 species in the Carpobrotus genus all up, most from South Africa and some imported as ornamentals. Despite some of these (notably C. edulis) producing useful fruit, you will generally be better off sticking to the coast and the natives.

… they taste better than they look

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