Dinner the way we like it. Photo: Euro Bar & Restaurant
New Zealand has gained a lot of media attention for its culinary offering lately. The dining scene has been growing significantly over the past years, and the whole world is watching.
What makes NZ a great food destination is the combination of fresh ingredients, influences from different parts of the world, and the level of innovation, resulting in exciting fusions and a paradise for foodies.
The options of what to eat are so good that it’s hard to pick, even for professional food critics.
We’ve summarized a few typical Kiwi treats (and our favourite places to enjoy them) that will have you coming back for more.
Whitebait Fritters
Whitebait Fritter at SPQR. Photo: Tripadvisor
If you visit the West Coast of the South Island without trying whitebait fritters, some foodies would claim that you haven’t really been there.
The whitebait, which is eaten whole and often prepared in no time, has become a local must-try. The fritter consists of a mix of egg and raw whitebait pan-fried until golden brown. The locals usually enjoy it with white bread and butter. I also like to add some salt and lemon to mine.
The Whitebait is about 1-2 inches long and you’ll find the largest volume in the rivers of the South Island’s West Coast. The main season for catching Whitebait runs between September to Mid/End of November. We have written about Whitebait and places to enjoy them previously.
Where to indulge: Queenstown and Wellington have several restaurants that serve amazing Whitebait, such as White Bait (yes, the name suits them), the 2015 winner of Cuisine’s “Good Food” Best New Restaurant in New Zealand, and winner of 1 Hat in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Soul ,Harbourside, Euro and SPQR are a few of my other favourites serving this tasty dish.
Crayfish
Crayfish at Nin’s Bin in Kaikoura. Photo:Tripadvisor
With a beautiful coastline of more than 14,000 kilometers, you will be in paradise in New Zealand. If you’re a seafood lover like me, it’s possible to enjoy fresh seafood all-year-around. Crayfish (koura in Māori) is one of my personal favourites.
Often prepared in a similar way as lobster, crayfish is best enjoyed freshly boiled served with gourmet truffle mayo, or just as it is. If you’re more into stronger flavours, you can order it cooked with a spicy sauce. A crayfish adventure where you get to try to catch your own can also be arranged as part of your NZ luxury itinerary.
Where to indulge: Kaikoura, which means ‘to eat crayfish’ in Māori, is the crayfish mecca of New Zealand. A crayfish meal in Kaikoura was voted one of the top food experiences in the world by Lonely Planet this year, and we couldn’t agree more. Ranked no 7 out of 500 delicious experiences in the world, it’s a reason alone to visit NZ.
Nin’s Bin is a well-established, family-run restaurant and a favourite with the locals. With delicious crayfish straight from the sea and beautiful views of the surrounding area, the only risk is that you may not want to leave.
Hāngi
Gourmet Hāngi during Auckland’s Matariki festival. Photo: The Grounds.
The Māori Hāngi (pronounced as hung-ee in Māori) is one of the most traditional cooking methods in New Zealand. The Māori people have prepared food in a hāngi (a pit oven dug under the ground heated with rocks) for thousands of years.
According to the traditions, a hāngi was usually prepared using starchy fruits when it was first introduced. Over time, the alternatives have become more diverse with ingredients ranging from pumpkin and chicken to cabbage, lamb, pork and vegetables. Each ingredient was perceived as a gift from Tane Mahuta (the God of the Forest) and Tangaroa (the God of the Sea). It takes many hours to prepare, but the vegetables and the meat are so tasty and tender with an incomparable smokiness to the flavour that will leave you thinking about it afterwards.
It’s easy to prepare a hāngi, which made it a popular choice for large family gatherings and celebrations back in the days. It still plays an important part in the NZ culinary scene and trying one during your visit is a great way to get closer to NZ’s culture and history. The hāngi served today often include the typical ingredients of a traditional New Zealand roast meal: potato, pork, lamb, chicken, kumara, pumpkin, peas, and carrots
Where to indulge: Rotorua and Bay of Plenty are your go-to areas for a traditional hāngi. A great way to experience it would be during a cultural encounter hosted by a local Māori community. The Matariki Gourmet Hāngi event, which takes place during Auckland’s Matariki festival (usually in July), is another heaven for foodies not to miss. This is where some of NZ’s best chefs from the finest restaurants prepare their own gourmet version of a hāngi with a modern twist.
If you would like to learn more about what an authentic Māori experience could be like, I recently wrote a guest post for the luxury travel blog I Will Not Back Back where I bring you along on a unique experience.
Fish and Chips
Kaiaua Fish and Chips. Photo: Sandy Austin / Flickr
Fish and chips might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about delicious food. Fair enough.
There is a big difference between fish and chips and fish and chips though.
New Zealanders share the same passion for fish and chips as the English. The quality is so good that you might end up with cravings you didn’t know were possible. Compare it with having the best burger in the States or cheese in the Normandy’s Pays d’Auge region in France.
The options these days range from a classic (but so delicious) fish and chips from the local takeaway or on the beach, to gourmet options at luxury resorts and top restaurants. Freshly-caught snapper, hoki and terakihi are the most common types of fish used. Many Kiwis will tell you that they taste best on a Friday night straight out of their newspaper wrapping, but there are many alternatives for all tastes.
Where to indulge: The competition of the best fish and chips is fierce. You will be able to sample tasty options everywhere in NZ; all the way from Dunedin and Christchurch, across to the East Coast and Auckland. My personal favourite is Grey Lynn Fish Shop, which serves the freshest snapper cooked in the classic crispy beer batter with crispy golden chips. This is my local takeaway, and I think they make the best fish and chips in Auckland.
Other favourites with locals are Marsic Brothers and Kaiaua Fish and Chips Shop. Kaiaua is located an hour’s drive South out of Auckland but well worth the journey. Note that these are simple fish shops, but the food is nonetheless delicious.
Hokey Pokey Ice Cream
Hokey Pokey at Mrs Fergs. Photo: Miso Peckish
Think about vanilla ice cream with just the right amount of creaminess. Now, add delicious pieces of caramelized honeycomb toffee, with the perfect touch of sweet and crunchiness. The result? Hokey pokey, our most iconic ice cream flavour. It has been named one of the best flavours in the country in the annual New Zealand Ice Cream Awards more than once.
On a summer day, there are not many things that are better than a delicious Hokey Pokey ice cream while you watch the world go by. Maybe a glass of Savournet, but that’s me, and luckily you don’t have to choose.
Where to indulge: You will be able to find Hokey Pokey in ice cream in most parts of the country. Rush Munro (New Zealand’s oldest ice cream maker, you’ll find them throughout the country), Patagonia Chocolates (Queenstown, Wanaka, Arrowtown) and Mrs Ferg Gelateria (Queenstown), are a few great options. Any suburban dairy throughout NZ also serves ice creams in cones, which is the traditional, most iconic place to buy an ice cream like a local.
Pavlova
Brown sugar Pavlova at Floriditas. Photo: Tripadvisor
The Pavlova (also called ‘the Pav’) is a delicious dessert named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Made with meringue, topped with whipped cream, and fresh fruit, it has become a favourite for both locals and tourists alike. Once you’ve tried it, and know how well its perfectly crisp crust comes together with its soft marshmallow center, it’s easy to understand why.
For many years, there has been a debate going on whether the Pavlova is from New Zealand or Australia, which recently was settled by the Oxford English Dictionary’s online edition which recognized the Pavlova as a Kiwi invention.
The Pavlova is a standard at the NZ Christmas table, but you’ll luckily find many places that serve it throughout the year.
Where to indulge: You can find Pavlova everywhere in NZ. Mikano Restaurant and Bar (Auckland) and Floriditas (Wellington) are two charming places that serve dangerously delicious Pavlova. A few of my other personal favourites are:
- Miann – An out of this world dessert bar
- Masu – Modern contemporary Japanese to die for (see Good Food awards)
- Mikano – Best views and right next door to Auckland’s metro heliport (INFLITE Charters)
- Euro – An Auckland institution with fantastic food and views, situated along the harbourside
- Winona Forever – Modern, innovative and downright amazing cafe
Bluff Oysters
Oysters at the Bluff Festival. Photo: nzmessengers.co.nz
Bluff oysters have been described as the best oysters in the world several times.The species can be found in Foveaux strait at the very bottom of NZ.
In New Zealand, they are a prized delicacy, and harvested from March to August from the Foveaux Strait oyster fishery, which centres on the town of Bluff (hence the local name).
The Bluff season takes place in March. It’s my, and many others, favourite time of the year since we get to enjoy endless amounts of freshly shucked Bluff Oysters. Often in combination with bubbles, and a huge variety of other seafood delicacies, such as paua (abalone), salmon, blue cod and whitebait.
Where to indulge: At the Bluff Oyster Festival in Bluff. The next festival takes place 25/5 2019. Tickets always sell out, so you better make up your mind sooner rather than later (you will never regret coming here). Contact us for information about a customized itinerary during this time.
Soul’s famous all-you-can-eat Oyster event also sells out year after year. They get the first oysters off the first boat flown straight up to this Auckland restaurant to herald the start of the Bluffie season.
BBQ
A traditional Kiwi BBQ. Photo: webernz.co.nz
The BBQ (or barbie) might not be a dish as such, but NZ is famous for its meat, lamb in particular. In the summertime, we love our BBQs. Many restaurants serve meat (as well as seafood) prepared on the grill.
The BBQ is an important and classic part of our Kiwi culture and ending your day with one is a perfect way to relax like a true New Zealander. Sausages are always on the BBQ menu. Sausage sizzles (Barbecued sausages and onion served wrapped in a slice of fresh white bread with tomato sauce and mustard for a gold coin donation) are in fact embedded into the fabric of NZ society when it comes to fundraising in the community. Pork or roast lamb with rosemary and veggies are also common favourites, but the options are many.
Where to indulge: All over the country in the summertime. For a more secluded experience, a gourmet BBQ with your own chef at your luxury lodge or an off the beaten track location can be arranged. Obviously, matched with the best local wines.
Other special NZ dishes and snacks
Fried Kumara ready to be enjoyed. Photo: sweethillfarms.co.nz
- Kina: Kina is a sea urchin where you need to crack open the shell and scoop the roe out with a spoon. It has been a New Zealand delicacy and a traditional treat in New Zealand for years, especially loved by the Māori people.
- Jaffas: Orange-flavoured, small sugar-coated chocolate balls. Many Kiwis grew up eating these. We even celebrate this unique Kiwi treat each year when thousands of Jaffas are raced down Dunedin’s Baldwin St, the steepest street in the world, as part of the annual Cadbury Chocolate Carnival.
- Kiwi/NZ burger: What makes a Kiwi burger different from what you’ve had before is that it’s served with a fried egg and beetroot, in addition to standard fillings such as beef, salad, and cheese.
- The Pineapple Lump: A square-shaped pineapple candy covered in chocolate which has been loved by Kiwis for close to 100 years.
- Cheese and wine: New Zealand offers a great selection of award-winning wines and cheeses. Kapiti, Whitestone and Puhoi Valley are some of the top brands to look out for. You might also want to check out our insiders’ guide to the best wineries at Waiheke Island.
- Manuka Honey: The Manuka tree only grows in New Zealand. Researchers and doctors have found that Manuka honey has bioactive healing properties. It has been found to be effective at boosting the body’s immune system, healing wounds, treating skin infections, sore throats, and digestive problems among other things.
- Kumara: A delicious sweet potato brought to New Zealand by the early Māori settlers A staple ingredient in a hāngi (details about that hāngi above).
- Kiwifruit: The kiwifruit is one of our major horticultural exports. The Bay of Plenty on the east coast of the North Island is Kiwifruit country and the best place to take a tour of a Kiwifruit Orchard.
A Customized Food Itinerary?
Would you like to experience the best of NZ’s gastronomy? We offer customized itineraries that let you wine and dine at the best places. Contact me to learn more about the options.