New Zealand cuisine is a cuisine influenced by the influence of immigrants: Asian, European, Polynesian gastronomic traditions are mixed in it.
National cuisine of New Zealand
Local dishes are prepared from natural ingredients that are mined in the ocean, forests, rivers. From meat dishes (lamb, pork, beef are used), stuffed roast beefs, stewed meat rolls, lamb shoulder stuffed with potatoes are held in high esteem. Fish and seafood (lobsters, oysters, various crustaceans) are in no less demand: fish is most often cooked on coals, and seafood is fried in batter, baked, stuffed, and omelets are made on their basis. Fish and meat are often accompanied by fried potatoes or its sweet variety - kumara. As for other vegetables, salads and complex side dishes are made from them.
Popular New Zealand dishes:
- Hangi (a dish of lamb, seafood, pumpkin, chicken, sweet potatoes and pork cooked in an earthen oven);
- “Roastkumara” (a dish in the form of fried sweet potatoes with sour cream);
- “Kuku” (pies with salmon or mussel stuffing with herbs);
- “Muttonbird” (this dish is made from chi poultry meat);
- “Pavlova” (dessert in the form of a cake made of whipped cream, meringues and various fruits).
Where to try New Zealand cuisine?
Today in New Zealand you can taste dishes of almost all famous cuisines, but most of them are Anglo-Saxon cuisine. For street food, try the fish and chips, which are wrapped in paper.
Would you like to taste the best homemade wines? Take a closer look at the restaurants “attached” to the vineyards.
It is recommended to leave a tip in restaurants in the amount of 10% of the bill, but it should be noted that in provincial food outlets, as a rule, waiters do not take tips.
To satisfy your hunger in Auckland, you should go to the Kermadec Ocean Fresh Restaurant (on the menu, visitors will find dishes of New Zealand and Pacific cuisines), in Wellington - to the Chameleon restaurant at the Inter Continental Wellington Hotel (guests are recommended to try grilled cougar fish, lamb or beef steak, fruit desserts, New Zealand beer).
Cooking classes in New Zealand
In Auckland, you should definitely visit the “Yellow Tree house” restaurant with 18 seats. In addition, cooking classes are sometimes held here (don't miss the opportunity). It is worth noting that gastronomic excursions are organized for foreign tourists, during which they are introduced to the delicacies not only of individual regions, but of the whole country.
A trip to New Zealand can be timed to coincide with the Hokitika Wildfoods culinary festival (Hokitika, March), where every year you can taste various exotic dishes (the menu already included bovine eggs, crocodile meat, locusts and others), the Wine and Sea Festival. cuisine (Nelson, March) or the “Wellingtonona Plate” festival (Wellington, August), which includes tasting of national dishes and the New Zealand Chocolate Festival.
