Don’t try this at home

Black Swan with cygnets, Canberra

Black Swans are a familiar sight throughout much of Australia. They can be found on artificial lakes and ponds, rivers and swamps, wetlands and reservoirs and estuarine waters. These graceful birds are delightful to see when accompanied by a small family of cygnets, as in the photo above.

Recently however, my wife was reading through a very old recipe book handed down to her from my mother. There was no publication date but could well have been bought in the 1930s. It has many tried, tested and recommended recipes from the rural communities of Australia in that era.

My wife was amused to read in this book that one native swan egg was considered the equivalent of three hen eggs.

Mmmm – don’t try that at home – or anywhere else for that matter. The early settlers and pioneers – as well as the indigenous people of Australia would have used swan eggs for survival. These days, of course, all native birds, their nests and eggs are highly protected by law. Taking swan eggs from a nest risks a hefty fine, so don’t even think about it.