Food and Wine

When you think of New Zealand food, the first thing that probably comes to mind is roast lamb – and rightly so, as New Zealand lamb is universally regarded as the best in the world. Today, New Zealand offers a modern, international range of cuisines with a rich mix of influences, but it hasn’t always been like that.

Traditional Maori cooking, like that of many Polynesian islands, often involved roasting in earth-built ovens, known in New Zealand as hangis. Sweet potatoes were a main staple some 2000 years ago but over the years, particularly with the arrival of Europeans in the late 18th century, different cooking methods and ingredients, including potatoes and pork, were introduced.

The Maori culture is regularly celebrated and when it is you can often find meals cooked in Hangis. The Matariki festival marks the Maori New Year and if you’re there during the month-long event, beginning at the end of June, a popular hangi dish of pork, potatoes and dumplings is readily available and shouldn’t be missed.

In more recent history New Zealand cuisine, or Kwisine Kiwiana, began to emerge, with its roots in traditional Maori cooking styles but with notable influences introduced over the years by visitors from Europe and, in particular, Britain. Similar in many regards to nearby Australia, favourite Kwisine Kiwiana dishes include meat pies and pavlova.

And then there’s the seafood. With almost 15,000km of coastline, the variety and quality of seafood in New Zealand is exceptional. Oysters, mussels and whitebait are particularly renowned and should make an appearance on any visitor’s plate. What’s more, if you’re visiting in September, you should try to find time to take in the famous Whitianga scallop festival, which is hosted annually and is just two and a half hours from Auckland.

Auckland is home to many of the country’s best rest restaurants, but you can find a great place to eat wherever you are. Clooney, The Grove and Sidart deliver excellent fine-dining experiences in Auckland, while Wellington’s Logan Brown is also exquisite.

Pedro’s House of Lamb is a Christchurch favourite, the Ortega Fish Shack should be paid a visit of you find yourself in Wellington, and Fergbaker in Queenstown cooks delicious giant burgers that will satisfy even the largest of appetites.

Excellent cheese is also produced in New Zealand, with blue and soft cheeses earning international recognition. And no drink goes better with cheese than wine. Many critics describe New Zealand wine as second to none and delicious Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are all locally produced. There are ten major wine growing regions in the country, the most notable being Marlborough where the world’s very best Sauvignon Blanc is bottled.