Duchess Meghan Declined To Try Just One Thing During Traditional Aussie Lunch

While in Melbourne on Thursday, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, were given a behind the scenes experience at Charcoal Lane, a local restaurant that utilizes the best of Australia’s exotic ingredients in its cooking.

They were given a “touch, taste, and smell” opportunity when it came to some of the ingredients, but there was one thing the pregnant duchess decided she wasn’t prepared to try, according to Daily Mail.

Apprentice chef, 20-year-old Brooke Warr, led them through the kitchen, talking to the royal couple about the establishment’s native cuisine.

Although Meghan and Harry were happy to taste the ingredients, Warr confessed there was one thing on the menu that the duchess decided to skip: Finger limes.

“With the finger limes, they’re like little caviars. When you eat it in your mouth it pops and the flavor is beautiful. It was optional if they wanted to taste it. Harry did but Meghan didn’t. She was smelling it, but that’s understandable because she’s pregnant and being cautious.”

The fruit, which is predominantly used as a garnish on dishes, contains nutrients such as folate, potassium and vitamin E.

The Duke and Duchess join a cooking session alongside young people involved in the @charcoal_lane Mission Australia training programme for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. #RoyalVisitAustralia pic.twitter.com/9Z1SKPcIPb

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) October 18, 2018

While Meghan skipped the finger limes, Harry also opted to give one of the ingredients a miss when he was offered pepper leaf.

Program manager Troy Crellin expressed his understanding at this particular decision.

“Harry tried some [of the ingredients] but he wasn’t game to try the pepper leaf, which is what we tend to give to the naughty kids anyway. It’s a little bit hot.”

Pepper leaves are usually dried and milled, and used in a variety of different sauces like many other peppers. Their uses include being added in the creation of chutneys, meats, cheeses, pate, breads, dampers, and pastas.

After their kitchen experience, the couple sat down to a very Australian meal indeed enjoying an “entree of mushroom, quinoa nest, and char-grilled kangaroo, and main courses of wild boar, saffron risotto and barramundi.”

The kitchen specifically celebrates the Aboriginal history of Australia, and provides training programs for people who face difficulty in finding employment opportunities.

“At Charcoal Lane, we are passionate about celebrating Aboriginal history and providing students with a culturally safe space to express their individual identities and overcome any challenges they may face on their journey to employment,” Mission Australia CEO, James Toomey, said. “Our program not only provides training and real work for young locals, but also fosters a sense of cultural and community pride which we are proud to have shared with Their Royal Highnesses.”