10 FOODS YOU HAVE TO TRY IN NEW ZEALAND
Retrieved from https://www.backpackerguide.nz/new-zealand-food/
THE NEW ZEALAND FOOD YOU HAVE TO TRY.
Trying the local cuisine is part of the parcel that is travelling! Everyone has got to eat, so why not try some of the famous New Zealand food while you’re here?
Ok, so admittedly, New Zealand is world-famous for it’s culinary delights, but there are certainly some meals, snacks, desserts and even drinks that Kiwi are extremely proud to claim as their own. As a country with around 14,000km of coastline, it comes as no surprise that seafood is especially a favourite among Kiwis with a wealth of shellfish and fish. Food, or “kai”, has been a significant part of the Maori culture for thousands of years so it’s a must to try a traditional Maori dish, whether it’s hangi, fried bread or kawakawa tea!
Although there are many more New Zealand food we could add to this list, here are the foods you can’t miss in New Zealand!
1. HANGI
Let’s start with the traditional Maori hangi! This is involves meat and vegetables slow-cooked in an underground oven. Although it was a common cooking method for thousands of years in New Zealand, today a hangi is saved for more special occasions (mainly because it takes all day to prepare!) Prepare to be overfed but extremely satisfied at hangi meals as part of Maori cultural experiences.
Find out more in 10 Places to Experience Maori Culture in New Zealand
2. CRAYFISH
Crayfish, also known as lobster, is a Kiwi favourite mostly because it something many fishermen and divers pride on catching themselves. Known to cost NZ$80 for a full crayfish, it’s not exactly the most affordable food, but it’s definitely worth a try when the opportunity presents itself! Then you’ll understand why Kiwis go cray cray for crayfish!
Try some crayfish in Kaikoura!
3. KINA
Ok, New Zealanders love their seafood so we’ll just hop straight onto another foodie delight from the ocean. Kina is the local name for a type of sea urchin with a hard spiky outer shell and thin fleshy (and edible) insides. It has been a New Zealand delicacy for centuries!
The best place to try kina is out on a boating trip in the Bay of Islands.
4. KIWI BURGER
You’ll either think it’s weird or it’s genius! What makes a “Kiwi burger” Kiwi is the fact it has beetroot and fried egg along with your standard burger patties and whatever else between two burger buns. Don’t knock it until you try it!
Don’t worry, you won’t find it difficult to find a Kiwi burger in New Zealand.
5. JAFFAS
Rolling onto the sweet stuff, Jaffas are a confectionery favourite among New Zealanders. So much so that they race them! Jaffas are small sugar-coated chocolate balls with an orange flavour to them. Once a year, you can enter a “Jaffa Race” in Dunedin where the candy is rolled down the steepest residential street in the world, Baldwin Street. Otherwise, you can pick up Jaffas at any supermarket or dairy (convenience store).
Find out more about this Jaffa Race in 5 Winter Festivals in New Zealand.
6. PAVLOVA
Ask an Australian and they will swear that Oz invented the pavlova. Ask a Kiwi and they will tell you different. Either way, pavlova is a much-loved desert in New Zealand made with meringue, whipped cream and fruit. Try making some yourself for Christmas in New Zealand! We have the recipe in our 5 Traditional New Zealand Recipes.
7. L&P
We’ll sneak a beverage on this list just because it’s very proudly Kiwi. L&P stands for “Lemon & Paeroa” named after the North Island town it was invented in. It is as common as any soft drink in New Zealand, tasting a bit more lemony and sweet than Sprite.
You can pick up L&P from any supermarket, dairy or fast food joint, but nothing matches the full experience of posing in front of the giant L&P bottle in Paeroa, Waikato.
8. WHITEBAIT FRITTERS
Don’t visit the West Coast of the South Island without trying whitebait fritters. It’s considered a sin in New Zealand! Whitebait is a collective term for immature fish, usually around one to two inches long. You’ll see heaps of keen “whitebaiters” setting up temporary shacks and jetties along the river mouths of the West Coast, catching fish for the local eateries to make whitebait fritters. Think of them as a fishy omelette.
Find out more about the West Coast in West Coast – Guide for Backpackers
9. MANUKA HONEY
A highly sought-after honey on the international markets, manuka honey is acclaimed for its medicinal purposes. The more pure the manuka component of the honey is, the healthy (and more expensive) it is. There are plenty of opportunities to try this sweet treat around New Zealand, from supermarkets to dedicated honey shops.
It also makes a great souvenir for family back home.
10. KUMARA
Kumara isn’t just a sweet potato; it is an epic sweet potato. Kumara were brought to New Zealand by the early Maori settlers and still remain a favourite vegetable in New Zealand. The best way to try kumara is in a hangi (see above), but there are heaps of ways you can incorporate kumara into your own cooking in your hostel kitchen.
We’ll make it easy for you. Check out Why Every Backpacker in New Zealand Should Cook With Kumara.
11 (BONUS). PAUA
A final seafood delicacy that we just couldn’t ignore, paua is the local name for a large sea snail. You can eat paua in a variety of ways from plain old raw to curries to paua fritters. What’s more, paua shells are the national choice of ash tray for all you smokers out there! Alternatively, paua shells are often used in New Zealand jewellery and other decorative souvenirs.
BACKPACKERGUIDE.NZ. 10 FOODS YOU HAVE TO TRY IN NEW ZEALAND Retrieved from https://www.backpackerguide.nz/new-zealand-food/