Indigenous Australian peoples traditionally classified food sources in a methodical way. Below are a few examples.

Central Australia

In Central Australia

Central Australia

Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...

, people used innovative means to obtain a balanced diet.

The food categories, and their Arrernte

Arrernte people

The Arrernte people , known in English as the Aranda or Arunta, are those Indigenous Australians who are the original custodians of Arrernte lands in the central area of Australia around Mparntwe or Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Arrernte tribe has lived there for more than 20,000 years...

 names are:

Arrernte name	Foods	Examples
Kere	food from animals; meat Meat Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal... , fat, offal Offal Offal , also called, especially in the United States, variety meats or organ meats, refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but includes most internal organs other than... , blood, eggs	Kere arlewatyerre (goanna Goanna Goanna is the name used to refer to any number of Australian monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast Asia.There are around 30 species of goanna, 25 of which are found in Australia... ), Kere ulkerte (perentie Perentie The Perentie is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia, and fourth largest lizard on earth, after the Komodo Dragon, crocodile monitor and the water monitor... ), Kere arntetherrke (carpet snake Carpet snake Carpet snake may refer to:* Morelia spilota variegata, a.k.a. the Northwestern carpet python, a harmless subspecies found in New Guinea and Australia.* Pituophis melanoleucus, a.k.a. the pine snake, a harmless colubrid species found in North America.... ), Kere aherre (kangaroo Kangaroo A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country... ), Kere antenhe (possum Possum A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails... ), Kere inape (echidna Echidna Echidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. There are four extant species, which, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs... ), Kere ankerre (emu Emu The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. There are three subspecies of Emus in Australia... ).
Merne	food from plants; fruit Fruit In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,... , vegetables	Merne atwakeye (wild orange Wild orange Wild orange refers to plants bearing fruit reminiscent of oranges. They are not necessarily related to family Rutaceae however:* Capparis mitchellii - family Capparaceae, from Australia... ), Merne arrutnenge (wild passionfruit), Merne pmerlpe (quandong Quandong Quandong, quandang or quondong, is a common name for the species Santalum acuminatum , especially its edible fruit, but may also refer to* Aceratium concinnum... ), Merne mwanyeme (bush tomato Bush tomato The term bush tomato refers to the fruit or entire plants of certain nightshade species native to the more arid parts of Australia. While they are quite closely related to tomatoes , they might be even closer relatives of the eggplant , which they resemble in many details... ), Merne arnweketye (conkerberry), Merne alangkwe (bush banana), Merne arlatyeye (pencil yam).
Ntange (Merne ntange)	edible seeds	Merne ntange ulyawe (Pigweed Pigweed Pigweed can mean any of a number of weedy plants which may be used as pig fodder:* Amaranthus species** Amaranthus palmeri, the 'pigweed' resistant to glyphosate in the US southeast.* Chenopodium album * Portulaca species...  seed), Merne ntange arlepe (Prickly wattle seed), Merne ntange artetye (Mulga Mulga Acacia aneura, commonly known as Mulga or True Mulga, is a shrub or small tree native to arid outback Australia of areas such as the Western Australian Mulga shrublands.-Description:...  seed), Merne ntange arlketyerre (Dead finish seed). (See also: seedcakes)
Tyape	edible grubs and insects; witchetties Witchetty grub The witchetty grub is a term used in Australia for the large, white, wood-eating larvae of several moths... , cicada Cicada A cicada is an insect of the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha , in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings. There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the world, and many of them remain unclassified... s,	Tyape atnyematye (Witchetty grub Witchetty grub The witchetty grub is a term used in Australia for the large, white, wood-eating larvae of several moths... ), Tyape ahernenge (River red gum River Red Gum The River Red Gum is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. It is one of around 800 in the genus. It is a plantation species in many parts of the world, but is native to Australia, where it is widespread, especially beside inland water courses...  grub), Tyape ankerrutne (Coolibah tree grub), Tyape tyerraye (Cicada Cicada A cicada is an insect of the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha , in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings. There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the world, and many of them remain unclassified... s), Tyape ayepe-arenye (Tar vine caterpillar Caterpillar Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture... s). Tyape atnyematye (Witchetty grub Witchetty grub The witchetty grub is a term used in Australia for the large, white, wood-eating larvae of several moths... ) find cracks in the ground underneath a Witchetty bush (Acacia kempeana Acacia kempeana Acacia kempeana , commonly known as wanderrie wattle, witchetty bush or granite wattle, is a shrub in subfamily Mimosoideae of family Fabaceae... )and dig there lever up swollen root where the grubs are located eat grubs raw or cooked in hot earth squash guts of the grubs onto sores
Ngkwarle Australian Aboriginal sweet foods Australian Aborigines had many ways to source sweet foods. The four main types of sweet foods gathered – apart from ripe fruit – were:* honey from ants and bees * leaf scale * tree sap* flower nectar...	honey-like foods; nectar, wild honey Stingless bee Stingless bees, sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees, comprising the tribe Meliponini . They belong in the family Apidae, and are closely related to common honey bees, carpenter bees, orchid bees and bumblebees... , lerp Lerp (biology) In biology, a lerp is a structure of crystallized honeydew produced by larvae of psyllid insects as a protective cover.-Host plants:Some of the host plants on which lerp is often found include:* Eucalyptus dumosa... s, gum	Ngkwarle athenge arlperle (Ironwood Acacia estrophiolata Acacia estrophiolata, commonly known as the Ironwood or Southern Ironwood, is a tree native to Central Australia.It is a graceful, pendulous shade tree, which grows from about 4-16 m tall and has a trunk with a diameter of up to about 0.45 m. Young plants are spiky leaved...  tree gum), Ngkwarle alkerampwe (Mulga Mulga Acacia aneura, commonly known as Mulga or True Mulga, is a shrub or small tree native to arid outback Australia of areas such as the Western Australian Mulga shrublands.-Description:...  tree gum, Ngkwarle arlperrampwe (Whitewood Whitewood Whitewood can be:*The wood of spruce trees.*A species of Seagrape, Coccoloba krugii*An endemic tree from the island of St Helena, Petrobium*An Australian rainforest tree, Elaeocarpus kirtonii*An Australian rainforest tree, Elaeocarpus obovatus...  tree gum, Ngkwarle atnyerampwe (Supplejack Supplejack Supplejack may refer to:* Alabama supplejack or Berchemia scandens a species of climbing plant* Supplejack tree, a tree native to Northern and Central Australia* Supplejack the scandens vine in New Zealand...  tree gum), Ngkwarle akikarre (Witchetty bush gum), Ngkwarle aperarnte (River Red gum River Red Gum The River Red Gum is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. It is one of around 800 in the genus. It is a plantation species in many parts of the world, but is native to Australia, where it is widespread, especially beside inland water courses...  honeydew, Ngkwarle yerrampe, (Honeyant), Ngkwarle arwengalkere (Native bee honey Stingless bee Stingless bees, sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees, comprising the tribe Meliponini . They belong in the family Apidae, and are closely related to common honey bees, carpenter bees, orchid bees and bumblebees... ), Ngkwarle untyeyampe (Corkwood Corkwood Corkwood is a common name of a number of plants:*Annona glabra in the West Indies*Duboisia species in Australia*Endiandra sieberi a Corkwood from Australia in the laurel family...  flower nectar).

Some other category words from Arrernte

Arrernte people

The Arrernte people , known in English as the Aranda or Arunta, are those Indigenous Australians who are the original custodians of Arrernte lands in the central area of Australia around Mparntwe or Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Arrernte tribe has lived there for more than 20,000 years...

 that are used in relation to food include:

• Thipe fleshy flying creatures; birds (not emus), bats
• Kwatye water in any form, sources of water; water, rain, clouds
• Arne trees, shrubs, bushes, woody plants, some grasses
• Ure fire, things to do with fire.

Top End

In the Top End

Top End

The Top End of northern Australia is the second northernmost point on the continent. It covers a rather vaguely-defined area of perhaps 400,000 square kilometres behind the northern coast from the Northern Territory capital of Darwin across to Arnhem Land with the Indian Ocean on the west, the...

, seafood plays an important part in the diet. The food groups and their Yolngu

Yolngu

The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...

 names are:

MARANHU (foods)

Yolŋu name	Foods
Murnyaŋ' (plant or vegetable food) Alternative names: Dhäkadatj; Ŋayaŋay', Buku-bira'	Gonyil (meat, shellfish, eggs) Alternative names: Matha-yal, Merrpal'Matha-bira, Ŋänarr-yal
1. Borum— fruits	1. Warrakan'— land animals and birds
2. Guku— bee products	2. Miyapunu— marine mammals
3. Ŋatha— root foods	3. Maranydjalk— rays and shark Shark Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago.... s
4. Manutji Ŋatha— seeds	4. Guya— fish Fish Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
5. Mudhuŋay— cycad Cycad Cycads are seed plants typically characterized by a stout and woody trunk with a crown of large, hard and stiff, evergreen leaves. They usually have pinnate leaves. The individual plants are either all male or all female . Cycads vary in size from having a trunk that is only a few centimeters...  foodstuffs	5. Maypal— shellfish Shellfish Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater... , crabs
	6. Mapu— eggs

The old people would talk about the need to eat from both murŋyan and gonyil food groups and the need to supplement their diet with gapu (fresh water). While this balance was maintained, the people knew they were eating correctly.

When the men would come back from the magpie goose hunt, they would be craving murnyaŋ foods after having eaten so much meat and eggs. Meanwhile, the women, children and old people back in the camps would be looking forward to gonyil, magpie goose meat and eggs, after eating so much murnyaŋ.