Small long-necked turtles, snakes, goannas and fish are also cooked this way and are quickly cooked through. Meats of snakes, goannas and turtles are well done, whereas kangaroos are more commonly eaten rare because of their size and the hunger of the hunters. When combined with slow cooking in the coals, the roasting method produces very juicy cooked meats which have a hard skin. The flesh of the game stays chewy - considered by Aboriginal gourmets as a reason for their excellent teeth. All types of dampers, seeds, nuts and root vegetables are cooked in the hot ashes.
Acacias are safe and fast burning.
In Arnhem Land, ground ovens are the preferred method of cooking large game. The oven is prepared close to where the catch has been made. A pit up to sixty centimetres deep is dug and the fire is set balancing over the hole, stones are placed on top of the fire. As the fire burns, the red-hot stones fall into the pit, along with ash and coals. The ash and coals are quickly swept out, leaving as far as possible, a clean bed of hot stones lining the pit.