Monday 6 April 2015
The Culinary Side of New Zealand
Like me, if you enjoy travelling, then I’m sure that food is one of the major reasons why you travel. This is one aspect of travelling that never fails to amaze me. You can tell a lot about a country by sampling its food.
Food is also something that we New Zealanders take pride in. As a lot of my friends abroad wanted to know about the country, I thought, “What better way to help them understand more about New Zealand than talking about the local delicacies?”
Food of New Zealand
New Zealand has a wonderful mix of Maori and European cuisines. Add to it the continual growth of Asian cuisine, and delicacies from the Pacific islands, and you have a smorgasbord of sights, aromas, and tastes. However, I would like to talk about some dishes and styles of cooking that are quintessentially Kiwi.
• Seafood: With a coastline of 14,000 kilometres, seafood is an essential part of New Zealand cuisine. A local speciality here is green lipped mussels, a shellfish dish that can be cooked with parmesan cheese or Thai red curry. Another local dish is bluff oysters. These are grown in the waters of the Foveaux Strait. We even have a Bluff oyster festival in May to commemorate this dish.
Other seafood delicacies include deep fried whitebait, which are caught during springtime. Scallops are also a favourite as they are found in abundance here. Like the bluff oyster, we hold a scallop festival every September.
• Maori Hangi: The term ‘Hangi’ stands for ‘earth oven.’ This is a traditional Maori cooking method, however, it is only used for special occasions now. The hangi can be used to cook savoury as well as sweet dishes. Simple dishes include chicken or seafood, steamed or slow cooked along with vegetables. If you have a craving for something sweet, you can check out some traditional hangi steamed pudding.
• Desserts: Kiwis are known for their sweet tooth, and ice cream is a passion for us. A favourite is Hokey Pokey – vanilla ice cream with honeycomb. Another local favorite is Pavlova – a meringue type dish, which is served with fresh fruit and cream. This dish is particularly popular during the Christmas season. If this does not entice your taste buds, the simplest side treat can be a bowl of kiwifruit, which is known for its taste and health benefits.
There is so much more that I can tell you about the culinary side New Zealand. However, simply writing about it won’t be enough. You will have to come here and experience it.
Food is also something that we New Zealanders take pride in. As a lot of my friends abroad wanted to know about the country, I thought, “What better way to help them understand more about New Zealand than talking about the local delicacies?”
Food of New Zealand
New Zealand has a wonderful mix of Maori and European cuisines. Add to it the continual growth of Asian cuisine, and delicacies from the Pacific islands, and you have a smorgasbord of sights, aromas, and tastes. However, I would like to talk about some dishes and styles of cooking that are quintessentially Kiwi.
• Seafood: With a coastline of 14,000 kilometres, seafood is an essential part of New Zealand cuisine. A local speciality here is green lipped mussels, a shellfish dish that can be cooked with parmesan cheese or Thai red curry. Another local dish is bluff oysters. These are grown in the waters of the Foveaux Strait. We even have a Bluff oyster festival in May to commemorate this dish.
Other seafood delicacies include deep fried whitebait, which are caught during springtime. Scallops are also a favourite as they are found in abundance here. Like the bluff oyster, we hold a scallop festival every September.
• Maori Hangi: The term ‘Hangi’ stands for ‘earth oven.’ This is a traditional Maori cooking method, however, it is only used for special occasions now. The hangi can be used to cook savoury as well as sweet dishes. Simple dishes include chicken or seafood, steamed or slow cooked along with vegetables. If you have a craving for something sweet, you can check out some traditional hangi steamed pudding.
• Desserts: Kiwis are known for their sweet tooth, and ice cream is a passion for us. A favourite is Hokey Pokey – vanilla ice cream with honeycomb. Another local favorite is Pavlova – a meringue type dish, which is served with fresh fruit and cream. This dish is particularly popular during the Christmas season. If this does not entice your taste buds, the simplest side treat can be a bowl of kiwifruit, which is known for its taste and health benefits.
There is so much more that I can tell you about the culinary side New Zealand. However, simply writing about it won’t be enough. You will have to come here and experience it.
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