Taste Trail - Good food and good vibes!

There’s nothing better for your tastebuds, and your community, than using local produce. Maple Street Co-op is a successful result of this ethos with their local, member-owned wholefood store, filled with good food and good (ethical) vibes!

We are very happy to partner with them bi-monthly and share details of some of the delicious local produce on offer in the store.

Marydown’s Honey

Joe Herron of Marydown’s Honey says, “I’m an old fella who’s lived at Conondale all my life and love it. Originally a dairy and pig farmer, I wasn’t prepared to continue after the dairy marketing arrangements were deregulated.

“I tried growing flowers and didn’t like it. Tried growing red claw crayfish but found it more demanding than dairying. Then my son bought a hive of bees and I helped him with them. 

“As time went by it seemed that I had to do the work because he had too much other stuff to do. Somehow or another one hive grew to 40 and now I seem to have lots of honey.

“I grow more than we can eat. I find the Co-op an excellent avenue to shed my excess, such as pumpkins and watermelons. I love growing my own food.”

Joe’s Marydown’s Honey is available in bulk behind the counter, along with jars, honeycomb and creamed honey when in season.

Skye Chai 

A perennial best-seller at the Co-op, Skye Chai has been hand-ground and created by Annie for decades.

"The chai is pretty much the same recipe from when the original Chai Tent team created it back in the 80s at the Maleny Folk Festival, now the Woodford Folk Festival" Annie shares. It was named after Skye who travelled internationally, coming home every year to work the Chai Tent. The distinctive blue packaging has stayed the same with minor tweaks. 

"I love making it" says Annie. "and getting the grind just right for each spice. Every spice has its own level in the brew, from the base of bay leaf, the punch of cinnamon and ginger with the star anise sitting quietly among the rest. Start the brew with cold water, perhaps adding some fresh ginger and bring to a rolling boil then switch off. It's important not to over boil to keep the delicate flavours.”

Pepa's Black Garlic

Pepa Demasson is a long-time Co-op member from Maleny and is now producing a new local delicacy. "I have been creating black garlic for a while now and have also made black garlic salt to use in my kitchen. Then I thought, why not share it? Here it is…at Maple Street Co-op! Your tastebuds will go crazy for this umami, salty explosion!"

Black garlic was of East Asian origin, made by placing garlic in a warm, moist, controlled environment over the course of several weeks, a process that ages the cloves to a deep brownish-black. A blend of premium quality Australian sea salt and organic black garlic is made into a powder you can use to pep up any meal. 

Black garlic is used in a wide variety of culinary applications and is also high in antioxidants. 

"It could quickly become your go-to seasoning," Pepa enthuses, "it creates a truly wowing flavour experience!"

The Maple Street Co-op (maplestreet.coop) will be open for the Maleny Christmas Street Party on December 13, 2024.