dishes in New zealand

Food of New Zealand: Famous Dishes of New Zealand

3 years ago

New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries on this earth having a rich and diversified culture. . Like culture and history, New Zealand cuisine is also diverse and provides different tastes because the country has both tribal and modern communities living together. Maori are the tribal people who are living in New Zealand for thousands of years and now they are a part of the population.

When travel to a new location, one should always try local food. It is a must thing to do for having an inside peek in that place tradition & history.  Although New Zealand is famous for its all food delights some dishes of New Zealand are more liked than the rest. In NZ culture, Maori has a special place for thousands of years so when trying local food of New Zealand, it is advisable to include some Maori dishes on the menu.

Here are 10 local dishes of New Zealand  that are most adored and famous in the country are:

 Let’s feel the flavor of exquisite dishes

FISH & CHIPS

food of New Zealand
food of New Zealand

Kiwis (New Zealand people) claim that the best fish & chips in the world are found in New Zealand but the British may not agree with that. With coastline extended to thousands of kilometers some of the tasty fish from the pacific are found here. Some kiwis claim that fish & chips are introduced to them before the 1st world war by some British settlers. It is mostly served on newspaper and enjoyed with beer. It can be found commonly on beaches and local eat-outs. Common fishes you can found are tarahiki, Hoki, red cad, etc.

JAFFAS

Dish in New Zealand
Dish in New Zealand

This is a sweet roll dish of New Zealand which is also common in Australia. It is so much liked in NZ that there is an annual race in Dunedin on the steepest residential street “Baldwin Street” where sometimes these balls attain a speed of 100km/h that’s why numbers of sports groups in New Zealand and Australia used Jaffa’s as their team name.  Jaffas are chocolate balls covered with sugar-coated red color and got its name from Jaffa’s orange.  It can be found in any confectionary or local store.

WHITEBAIT FRITTERS

Dish in New Zealand
Dish in New Zealand

This dish of New Zealand is quite different from that found in the rest of the world. Ingredients of this dish are quite common flour, eggs, and translucent fried fish which is generally 2 inches or 4cms long.  The batter is made of flour & eggs and after that fish is added. South Island is famous for this dish to the extent that they considered it a sin if you don’t try it. Fritters season is from August to September when it is easily available in most of the restaurants.

PAVLOVA

Dish in New Zealand
Dish in New Zealand

A dessert packed with a sweetness that will surely bring happiness to your mood and face. Both Australia & New Zealand claim that they were the ones to invent this delicacy and when you ask an Oz about it, he will swear for the same. There are some researches that show that it’s first prepared in the 1920s. The first printed recipe of Pavlova was seen in 1926. Its base is prepared in a way you prepare any meringue. It is served with whipped cream, kiwis, and seasonal fruits like passion fruit and strawberries. Pavlova is a prized possession of the finest restaurants at the time of Christmas and other occasions but it is available all year round.    

CRAYFISH

Dish in New Zealand
Dish in New Zealand

New Zealanders are very fond of fishing so it is no big secret that seafood is the basic food of New Zealand. Crayfish are also known as lobster and is the traditional food of New Zealand. Fishermen in New Zealand takes pride in catching their own lobsters.  It is not exactly a cheap item but you should definitely grab a chance if the opportunity presents itself. It is present in abundant quantity and can be eaten raw after you have taken its edible parts out or you can have it deep-fried in a pan. If you are wondering about the best place to have it you can take a boat to Bay of Islands. Only after having this dish of New Zealand, you will understand why it is so popular.

LAMB

Dish in New Zealand
Dish in New Zealand

The Lamb of New Zealand is famous in the whole world and also exported to many major countries. It is very juicy, tender, and generally preferred roasted with garlic and some hint of pepper. You can try it when you want to relax or to enjoy Sunday afternoon. Lamb is cheap but is a great source of protein. It is so common that even Mcdonald’s has a lamb burger on its menu in NZ. There are many different dishes in New Zealand that can be made with lamb meat like chops, steaks, or lamb racks. Lamb is available easily in the whole country as the population of sheep is more than the people living in this country.

HOKEY POKEY ICE CREAM

Dish in New Zealand
Dish in New Zealand

Ice cream is very much loved in New Zealand and is considered a divine blessing in the hotness of summers. Kiwis had invented some flavors of their own and Hokey pokey is one of them. You can have your own unique flavor by adding caster sugar, egg, cream, or golden syrup to it. No ice cream machine is needed for it, household beaters and freezer will do the job but if you want to save some time just go to the nearest superstore and grab a piece. Every year five million liters of hokey pokey ice cream are devoured in New Zealand country. This popular dish of New Zealand can also be tried with fish for the unique flavor.

MANUKA HONEY

Dish in New Zealand
Dish in New Zealand

If you are on your trip to NZ, you should definitely take a bottle of Manuka honey with you. Honey is a classic food of New Zealand and is in high demand internationally due to its widely acclaimed medicinal properties. Purer the Manuka component more costly will be the honey. It is made with the Manuka tree pollen which is abundantly present in the whole country. It is different than honey made from other flowers as it has a distinct smell and heavy flavor. Locals trust that this honey can cure sore throats, digestive illness. For a novel bottle, you can visit a local health food stores or much better directly visit a farm.  

KIWI BURGER

Dish in New Zealand
Dish in New Zealand

Including a burger in the list of most common and favorite food can be considered wise or weird both based on your interest in the burger. Kiwi Burger- a special food of New Zealand that has beetroot in it is different from the normal burgers.  Like ice creams, it is also liked and is almost a part of kiwi’s daily diet. There are many variants of the kiwi burger and you can also add eggs, bacon, lettuce, and anything you add to the burger. The most common variant has a beef patty, cheese eggs, onions, beetroot, lettuce, and ketchup (mustard and tomato). All famous burger joint in the country has Kiwi burger on their menu that’s why you don’t have t search for it. Don’t remove it from your food list till you try it.

HANGI

Dish in New Zealand
Dish in New Zealand

The last dish on our menu is a Maori dish in New Zealand. Hangi is one of the finest Maori dishes. Various types of meats like pork, beef, lamb with root vegetables like potatoes, and others are wrapped in leaves and put in an underground hole to cook under steam. This is a common food making practice in New Zealand for thousands of years but nowadays it is used only for the special occasion. Only a handful of quality restaurants has this dish on their menu as preparing it is a laborious process.

Shekhar Bhatia

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