25+ Fabulous New Zealand Foods To Explore Your Taste In 2022
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Loading... - Karen Summers
- 07 Mar 2022
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New Zealand foods are always present on the world culinary maps. Being an island country, New Zealand is famous for its fresh and delicious seafood, and you may have heard that the indigenous there always adore their sweet tooth.
But that’s not all; the oceanic climate also provides a wide range of culinary ingredients that the New Zealander is always proud of. And did you know that they called themself the “Kiwis” after the name of their national bird and fruit?
So now, let’s skip the chatting and get to see how those “Kiwis” enjoy their foods
It’s A Huge Shame Not To Try New Zealand Seafood Dishes
As mentioned above, New Zealand has a wide variety of seafood for being an island country. There are certain kinds of seafood that you can only enjoy properly in New Zealand. Therefore, always take your chance to try them when you get there.
1. Fish And Chips
Indeed the ‘“Fish and Chips” is a popular dish sprouted from England. However, it’s also a culinary tradition staple of the Kiwis. Most of the fish and chips restaurants or shops in New Zealand provide various options for the dish.
For the fish, snapper, tarakihi, and koh are the most common varieties. And you can choose the regular French fries or the traditional kumara fries for your meal. Enjoying this dish while resting on the beach is one of the habits of the Kiwis.
2. Whitebait Fritters
If you haven’t heard about this before, “whitebaits” is a term for immature or tiny types of fish. And whitebait fritter literally is a pancake with these fish present in many gastronomies, but the Kiwis version uses smaller whitebait than the regular ones.
Since most fritters are made of freshwater whitebait, this is a good option if you’re allergic to seafood. And you can easily find it at street food stalls, especially on the West coast of Southland.
However, due to the overfishing in New Zealand, this is also a controversial dish that you might want to think twice before purchasing.
See how the locals make fritters with their fresh-caught whitebait.
3. Kina
Kina is a very abundant sea urchin species across New Zealand. The indigenous have enjoyed this sea delicacy for centuries, but it’s only become commercialized since 1986.
Nowadays, you can find deep-fried Kina or Kina pie. However, the best way to enjoy this ocean snack is raw on a boat tour at the country bays. Once fried, its tender flesh will release a unique fragrance that you can never forget.
See how the locals enjoy their tasty sea urchin snack.
4. Green-Lipped Mussels
The dark green shell and the bright green lip have given this mussel its name. Nowadays, you can find Green-lipped Mussels in other regions of the earth, but it’s much more affordable in New Zealand since you can enjoy them freshly caught.
The locals also believed that Green-lipped Mussels could reduce asthma and arthritis. The Kiwis usually prepare this ocean delicacy steamed or grilled, but some restaurants also offer it in their chowders. Havelock is where you can easiest find those mussels.
5. PÄua
Paua is an abalone species with a vibrant shell mostly caught in New Zealand. It has become an aquaculture product back in the 1980s. You can now find it in the Kiwis jewelry, and it’s especially abundant in cultural souvenir stores.
It is also edible, and you can have Paua in many ways, raw with some lemon juice, steam, fried, or even fritters and soups. However, it’s believed that the best way to enjoy this abalone is to grill it.
See how Gordon Ramsay catches and tastes the paua.
6. Bluff Oyster
You may have tried many kinds of oysters before, but skipping this one and you’ll regret it. In fact, many Kiwis and even foreigners assume that this is the tastiest oyster in the world. Nowadays, Bluff oysters have been commercially cultivated on a large scale.
Therefore, they are available across the country, and you can enjoy Bluff oysters all year round. For further enlightenment, its season begins from March to August, and the peak season is May, with an oyster festival that you shouldn’t miss. Read More…
