Tanmata or bush onions are found near creek beds on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in the remote northwest of SA. Anangu bake the small bulbs in hot ashes and then remove the outer papery covering (nyir) before eating them.
Until comparatively recently, bush foods were the primary source of sustenance for Anangu Pitjantjatjara. Many bush foods are still gathered regularly, almost exclusively by women, and they therefore feature strongly in women's mark making.
Women learn the art of gathering each of the foods from a young age and much inma (ceremony) relates to these practices and the maintenance of supply.