The seeds are hard, glossy, and black, and grow in pods. They are not grown commercially; they are collected from the wild.
Not all Acacia trees produce edible seeds. Some have seeds suitable only for livestock. Some varieties in Australia can contain toxins that are best avoided by both humans and livestock. Out of over 1,000 varieties of Acacia, estimates of the number of varieties of that produce seeds safe for eating range from only to 20 to 50 of the varieties. The best varieties appear to be (going by their scientific names) Acacia victoriae (aka “Gundabluey”), Acacia murrayana, Acacia mulga, Acacia colei, Acacia longifolia, Acacia notabilis, Acacia retinodes, Acacia pycnantha, Acacia fimbriata, and Acacia difficilis.
Varieties that the aboriginals in Australia avoided include Acacia ligulata (rumoured to cause hair loss) and Acacia georginae (rumoured to contain the same compounds that are in poisons used to kill rodents.)
The seeds taste a bit like a combination between coffee, chocolate and hazelnuts. Detractors say the taste is like coffee alright — if you think of used coffee grounds.
The seeds can be dried, lightly toasted and ground into a flour for use as a flavouring ingredient in pastries and breads. A hot beverage can be made from whole dried seeds. Fresh, undried seeds (referred to as “green”) are best cooked first by boiling.
Acacia trees are being cultivated in Niger, Africa for both wood and seeds.
The seeds contain no gluten. Their protein content ranges from 17 to 27 percent.
“Wattle” is an old English word for “Acacia trees.”