Taranaki's spectacular conical mountain gives this area its name, and much of its special character.

	Cone-shaped Mount Taranaki looks over fertile Taranaki farmland, famous for its excellent dairy products.
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Dairy products

This is dairy country, a land of milk, cream, butter and cheese where the animals roam their paddocks freely and passionate local cheese-makers create champion cheeses. The New Zealand cheese industry as a whole has boomed over the past 15 years with boutique cheese-makers creating interesting new products including some very good goats and sheep milk cheeses. Of course when you're talking dairy you can't forget New Zealand's most famous dessert - the Pavlova which despite some Australian assertions was definitely created here. This moreish, delicious egg-white concoction is like a giant marshmallow, crunchy meringue on the outside with a sweet, chewy interior. It's served with lots of whipped cream and either kiwifruit, passionfruit or summer berries on top. Every Kiwi mother has her own version.

Tamarillos

Tamarillo, a fruit found growing in the region, has a special place in my kitchen. Sometimes known as tree tomatoes they are originally from South America and are an aromatic fruit which are quite tart and need a lot of sugar to bring out their flavour. As kids we would cut them in half, sprinkle with brown sugar and eat them with a spoon but they're also delicious poached with red wine and chilli.

Indigenous foods

For something completely new try pikopiko, a native fern frond.
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Maori herbs are an indigenous product being resurrected for modern cuisine through an innovative new company, Kinaki Wild Herbs, which harvests many of its native plants from a nearby region, Taumaranui. Two plants I've used in my cooking are pikopiko, much like the European and American fiddle head fern, and horopito, a peppery leaf which can be sprinkled on grilled fish or used in salad dressings. It's fantastic to see these indigenous products being used in New Zealand cuisine again.