Photo: Contiki
Table of Contents
Discover the best traditional New Zealand dishes, including fish and chips, Kiwi burgers, and pavlova, as well as Mãori cuisine that you simply must try!
New Zealand’s culinary reputation is not often likened to the intricate, delicate, technical creations of the French, nor the rich, heavy Italian dishes renowned worldwide. We have incredible French and Italian restaurants, yes, but it’s not what you come here to eat. What New Zealand food offers is an abundance of high-quality fresh produce, meat, and seafood. When handled with care and appropriately teased out, our culinary delights can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world.
We have a strong farm-to-table approach in Aotearoa, with proud hunting and fishing traditions emphasising an in-depth understanding of freshness and quality, reinforced by knowledge around where our food comes from and the fragile ecosystems on which we rely. The critical matter of sustainable eating and balance, particularly concerning our oceans and waterways, is often at the forefront of national conversation. How we can protect, regenerate, and ensure the ongoing health of our natural environment is a concern a lot of Kiwis share, and is a large part of why we have such high-quality Kai (food)!
What is a traditional Māori food?
Aotearoa is a nation of mixed influences. We have traditional Mãori cuisine, such as the fresh seafood collected and enjoyed for generations, or the Kumara that has been cultivated here for centuries. And you may have heard of the Hāngī, a cooking process involving burying food over coals and letting it cook slowly, utilising earth as the ultimate oven! Traditional Mãori food is centred around simple, fresh, local food done well.
Traditional cuisine often sits separately from the British influences that came with colonisation, and often morphed into distinct local delicacies. Traditions around tea, scones, cakes, and biscuits arrived with the Brits and took on a life of their own. In some cases, we now do British dishes better than they do (in my humble opinion)!
True to British style, spice isn’t much of a thing in traditional Mãori or English dishes. However, decades of immigration from all over Asia have brought a beautiful array of spicy foods for all to enjoy. We truly are a cultural melting pot of people, cuisines, and influences, which really does make things magical!
Image source:Contiki
What’s the most iconic New Zealand food?
Iconic New Zealand food? Our most iconic dish has to be the humble pavlova, followed closely by the meat pie.
What is a New Zealand breakfast like?
What do we eat for breakfast? That depends largely on the individual and season, but oats and fruit are common, perhaps with a weekend fry up of bacon and eggs in the mix.
Mains
1. Fish & Chips (Pronounced Fush & Chups)
To come to New Zealand and forego fish & chips in some form would be truly unforgivable. It is an undeniable Kiwi classic, best eaten at the beach during a summer sunset or in front of the fire on a cold, rainy winter’s eve. Contiki’s Northern Choice tour and Sun and Steam will take you through Paihia where you can experience this yourself!
Crispy, crunchy, fatty, and salty, this is not an everyday kind of meal. Be prepared for some element of self-reflection afterwards, and schedule in some salads and exercise over the following days.
Here in New Zealand, we eat it with tomato sauce (ketchup), and you can often get different varieties of fish to choose from. Chips are sold in scoops (½ scoop is probably enough for one), and it all comes wrapped in a newspaper or butcher’s paper parcel of delight. Add a fritter (whitebait, pāua, mussel, pineapple or potato are common varieties), a sausage, and some buttered bread to turn it into a platter of beige and brown deep-fried deliciousness.
Image source:Contiki
2. Whitebait Fritters
What the heck is whitebait? It’s not a single type of fish but rather the juvenile fish of five different native freshwater species. These juvenile fish are caught with a net as they migrate upstream, during a short period in the spring. Whitebait was a traditional food of the Māori people, and was once plentiful, enjoyed by European settlers throughout the 19th century as well. It is now a rare delicacy, highly prized and becomes the most expensive fish on the market when available.
Due to dwindling numbers of the fish and their habitat, whitebaiting is now strictly controlled in the interests of species survival. The season is limited to 1st September to 30th October, and comes with a series of rules to adhere to.
The most popular way of eating whitebait in New Zealand is in a whitebait fritter, which is essentially an omelette with the delectable little critters combined with the egg mixture. Garnish with nothing more than salt, pepper, and lemon wedges! Some people slap it between two slices of white bread, but I’ll leave that ball in your court.
3. Crayfish
Aotearoa is home to several crayfish and lobster species. When talking about New Zealand food, reference is likely being made to the Marine rock lobster, which is caught, eaten, and enjoyed across the country. As a highly-prized delicacy, they don’t come cheap (unlike these seafood delights), but if you are looking to splash out and indulge, there are worse places than Kaikōura to do it. Kaikōura is a well-known seafood mecca in the South Island, which you conveniently pass through on the New Zealand Panorama Tour!
If you’re an avid diver (free or scuba), why not have a crack at catching one yourself? Just adhere to laws around minimum size and you’ll save yourself a fair bit of cash!
Eat it with butter and potatoes, in a bread roll, with pasta, barbequed, any which way you like! Lemon, spices, garlic, butter, and chives are all common accoutrements, but it’s hard to go wrong with freshly caught NZ cray.
Image source:Contiki
4. Bluff Oysters
Native only in Chile and Aotearoa, the Bluff (or Dredge) oyster is renowned as being one of the best in the world, famed for its meaty flavour and large size. They are found and farmed near Bluff (hence the name) at the very bottom of the South Island in the Foveaux Strait. For the freshest oysters money can buy, head on down and enjoy them raw from the shell, or deep fried with chips if that’s your thing!
Note that due to a recent spate of viruses and diseases causing a decline in the size and quality of the oysters, certain fisheries have suspended harvesting in the interest of sustainable oyster management to allow species to recover. You may or may not get Bluff oysters, but rest assured, there are plenty of seafood options for you to get your aphrodisiac fill (winky face).
5. Green Lipped Mussels
Another native New Zealand seafood (there’s a theme here), the green lipped mussel is quickly becoming a sustainable superstar in Aotearoa. With a higher protein yield per hectare than land-based farming, these mussels have been named one of the top two most sustainable seafoods in the world by the Blue Ocean Institute. They are also praised for their health benefits, reducing inflammation and arthritis in that broken little body of yours. Anyone want to crowd-fund a mussel farm with me?
Mussels are widely available in New Zealand, from fishmongers to supermarkets to the ocean itself. Steam them in white wine and garlic, smoke them, or try them in a pie. A friend of mine does the most incredible Mānuka smoked mussels. If I were you I would have a crack at doing the same. The world is your oyster/mussel!
6. Parāoa Parai/Fry Bread
Parāoa parai is the Mãori take on fried bread, which is enjoyed in cuisines all over the world. If you’ve ever tried Hungarian L]langos or Dutch oliebol, you’re on the right track. It’s a traditional Mãori food often served at feasts, festivals, and celebrations. You can eat it sweet or savoury, but it’s undeniably best served warm.
Parāoa parai tells an interesting story of Mãori and European fusion, as it wasn’t a part of the Mãori diet before colonisation and the introduction of wheat, making it a fairly new dish (19th century) in the long history of Mãori culture. Nevertheless, it has formed a significant (and delicious) part of Mãori cuisine today!
7. Meat Pies
I feel confident in saying that New Zealand pies are globally unmatched in quality, taste, experience, and availability. Head into any local bakery, petrol station, or supermarket for a vast selection of warm, filling, flaky pastries. The Bay of Plenty is home to Patrick’s Pies, winner of many national pie awards, whilst the deep south has Jimmy’s Pies out of Roxburgh, an institution and creator of a lamb shank pie that my mother still praises to this day! In Queenstown? Head straight to Fergbaker for your fix.
Tantalise your tastebuds with the classic steak and cheese, or opt for the more modern butter chicken or chicken, cranberry, and brie. You could eat a pie every day for a month in New Zealand and not eat the same one twice. Brits and French people may have started the modern pie party, but we Kiwis are definitely keeping it going.
8. Roast Lamb
Sheep farming has a long and storied history in Aotearoa, beginning in the late 18th century with early settlers establishing populations of sheep imported from Australia. Our reputation as having some of the best lamb in the world took off with the advent of refrigeration and ability to freeze meat for export in the mid-late 19th century. Britain started gobbling it up like there was no tomorrow, and the legend was born. As mentioned at the start of the article, it’s the high quality and freshness of our produce that sets it apart, so don’t overlook Kiwi lamb because you might have eaten some manky old sheep that your mum burnt when you were a child.
One of the best ways to enjoy lamb is as a Sunday roast, lamb leg being a favoured cut. Supermarkets and butchers around the country will have a few lamb legs to throw at you, so it isn’t hard to find. Stuff it with garlic and rosemary, rub it down (tenderly) with some salt and you’ll be away! Roast potatoes, vegetables, and mint sauce are the traditional side dishes, but feel free to spice it up with a North African or Mediterranean influence!
9. Boil up
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the name alludes to pretty much what a boil up is. A pork meat and bone broth, combined with vegetables such as cabbage, watercress, potatoes and kūmara boiled together. Flour dumplings called ‘doughboys’ are often added as well, depending on personal preference. It’s a moreish comfort food, perfect for a cold winter evening.
Boil up has origins in Polynesian cooking techniques, in which food was boiled in wooden bowls heated by a red hot stone in the middle. Mãori carried this tradition to Aotearoa and adapted it with the introduction of iron pots and cauldrons. It is traditionally only seasoned with salt, but feel free to get adventurous and garnish it how you please!
10. Hāngī
Another traditional Mãori cooking method, A Hāngī is often now reserved for ceremonies and special occasions. It is the act of cooking food in a dug pit called an umu, in which stones are placed and heated with the burning of wood, with food wrapped in flax or foil on top, which is then buried and left to cook for up to 4 hours. The modern Hāngī can include an array of meats and vegetables, often lamb, pork, or seafood, with vegetables such as kūmara, potato, yam and cabbage. The resulting food is tender, earthy and smoky.
Wondering how you’ll get to try such a meal? Look no further than the Rotorua leg of the Real New Zealand trip! You will be immersed in the cultural experience of a lifetime, with a marae visit and traditional welcome, followed by more food than you’ll know what to do with.
11. Kina
The humble sea urchin, known in New Zealand by its Mãori name, Kina. It’s spiky, has no eyes, sits in the same place all day, and is somewhat polarising, just like your grandparents. Some love its creamy, briny, seafood flavour, often eating them raw straight from the rocks. Others find the taste revolting, reporting a bitter or metallic flavour. You can dive for Kina yourself, or find a friend who likes playing mermaids.
PSA – You don’t have to eat them raw, you can fry or batter them too!
12. BBQ / Sausage sizzle
Ah, the Kiwi BBQ. There are few things better in this world than a hot summer day at the beach, wrapped up with a sunny afternoon Barbeque and a few cold beers. You can tailor a Barbeque to whatever flavours you like! Snags (sausages), fresh NZ steak, chicken kebabs and lamb ribs are all common, accompanied by veggie skewers, refreshing salads and bread.
One of the most beautiful things about a BBQ is accessibility. Do it at home, at the beach (with a permit), parks and playgrounds often have public ones too. You could BBQ on top of a mountain if you really wanted to! It’s as much about the atmosphere, view and company as it is the food itself. Here on a summer adventure? Stay fuelled with a few cheeky BBQs and you’ll be away laughing.
It’s worth mentioning that the quality of your BBQ experience can depend on the meat that you buy. Personally, I prefer to spend more at the butchers for good steak and high quality sausages (albeit I BBQ far less often), whereas some are more than satisfied with supermarket pre-cooked sausages and frozen beef patties. There’s no right or wrong with a BBQ, just do what feels right to you.
13. Kiwiburger
The Kiwiburger is often associated with the geographically specific McDonalds item added to the New Zealand menu in 1970s. It is to Aotearoa what the McRib is to the Americans. It’s essentially a normal hamburger, with the addition of a fried egg and beetroot. Why beetroot, you ask?
Given New Zealand’s rich agricultural heritage, it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that beetroot is an abundant and readily available cash crop, and has been added to burgers in Kiwi households as early as the 1930s. Back in those days nothing went to waste, and the Kiwiburger was born. The egg? Nothing wrong with some extra protein.
I don’t believe it is currently on the McDonald’s menu, but you can make one at home with ease, or try local chains like Burgerfuel or Reburger for your Kiwiburger fill. Use fresh beets or canned, generally sliced or grated in with the salad layers.
14. Cheese rolls
Cheese rolls, also known as Southland sushi, are not the most sophisticated of New Zealand foods, but I dare you to name something more satisfying to eat with soup after a freezing day in Dunedin. They hold a special place in my heart. Coming home from school in the dark during the depths of winter with numb hands and a red nose, sitting by the fire and tucking into a few of these was pure heaven.
A cheese roll is a mixture of cheese (surprise!), onion, garlic, onion soup powder, and milk heated together then slathered on a slice of white bread. It is then rolled and baked in the oven until the bread is crispy and the cheesy inner is gooey.
You can buy these at many southern cafes, but also try a market or school fundraiser for prepackaged ones. I would recommend making these yourself however, and storing in the freezer to save for a rainy day.
Side dishes and desserts
1. Feijoas
Feijoas are a funny little fruit. Green, similar in size and shape to a chicken egg, with a tart, juicy pale flesh inner. They have a very short season, and as a result don’t tend to be exported widely. Feijoas aren’t native to New Zealand, hailing from the highlands of Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina! Since introduction in the early 1900s we have become one of the most widespread cultivators of the fruit, frequently found in gardens around the country. They are somewhat polarising, some loving the sweet and sour flavour, others likening it to soap (a bit like coriander!).
Autumn marks the beginning of the Feijoa season, just as things start to cool down and get cosy. Enjoy them fresh, with cereal and yoghurt for breakfast, or (my personal favourite) make a feijoa and apple crumble!
2. Coffee
New Zealand knows a thing or two when it comes to brown lightning. We invented the Flat White, invented freeze-dried instant coffee, and make it much better than the Australians (in my opinion). Double shot is standard (Aussies do single), enjoyed bold and flavourful. Alternative milks are easy to come by, from oat and coconut right through to macadamia milk.
Accompany it with a cheese or date scone (we love a scone here) to round out your Kiwi brunch experience. Sausage rolls, lamingtons and other British-influenced foods are also popular, although wider influences are coming to the fore, such as Matcha and healthy slices. All that’s left to do is sit in the outside area with your sunglasses on and people watch.
3. Sweets
At this point you’re probably thinking “Ok, New Zealand has incredible seafood, meat, and produce, but what about the sweet stuff?” Not to worry, we do that too.
Be sure to try the famed pineapple lumps, chocolatey, chewy, addictive. Eat them frozen or at room temp! Jaffas are another sweet treat, an orange flavoured sphere with a hard shell and chocolate inner. Dunedin was home to a Cadbury factory until recently, hosting an annual Jaffa race where 75,000 of the chocolates were flung down Baldwin Street (the world’s steepest street). You can find both of these delights at any supermarket or dairy.
Chances are, when you go hunting for that famous meat pie you’ll enter a bakery. Typically they tease you by placing the pies near the register and making you walk past all the slices and desserts first. Cream buns, donuts, caramel slice, Portuguese tarts, all the standard fare. What you won’t find anywhere else in the world is a little something called lolly cake. Deceptively simple, it’s made from butter, condensed milk, malt biscuits and soft lollies (like fruity marshmallows) then rolled in coconut. It’s been a staple at birthday parties and hungover sunday pie runs since the 1940s, and is well worth a try!
PSA – Our Whittakers chocolate blocks have to be some of the finest quality in the world, be sure to pick up a few flavours!
4. Pavlova
Somewhat contentious, this summer and Christmas dessert is loved by both Kiwis and Aussies who have both laid claim to its origins. Named after the famed ballerina Anna Pavlova who toured Australia and NZ in the 1920s, its origins remain murky, so we’ll agree to share it.
In essence, it’s a meringue-like cake with a hard, crispy outer and soft, airy inner. Garnished with fresh fruits such as strawberries and blueberries, drizzled with berry coulis and finished with whipped cream or ice cream, it truly is a delight to the tastebuds. As with a lot of foods, the best pavlova is a homemade one, so have a go! It’s considered our national dish so please just don’t butcher it (I’m sure you won’t, full faith).
As you can see, Aotearoa is a land of bona fide culinary delight! Unmatched freshness and quality can be found in abundance across all varieties of produce for you to enjoy. Eating your way through a New Zealand tour is by no means a bad way to explore our great little nation, so tuck in!
