Kai - indigenous Māori food ingredients
New Zealand chefs are increasingly using traditional Māori ingredients in their menus to create contemporary Kiwi cuisine. Here is a description of the more popular ingredients:
Flaxseed oil
Cold pressed flaxseed oil made from the native New Zealand flax is
an unrefined oil, nothing is added or removed. Flaxseed oil is a
vegetarian source of Omega 3 and six essential fatty acids, Omega 9
antioxidants and vitamins.
Horopito
Horopito, often referred to as the New Zealand pepper tree, can be used to replace conventional pepper in cooked dishes. There are three varieties of horopito. Horopito leaves are green with red speckles.The spicy citrus flavour has a sweet apple fragrance.
Kawakawa
Kawakawa trees are mostly found in coastal areas of New Zealand in
damp bush. The heart shaped leaves are dried, ground and then used to
season, adding a rich ripened forest aroma with a light minted flavour.
Korengo
Korengo is seaweed which is either used in its raw state, or dried and used to season various dishes.
Koura
Koura are fresh water crayfish closer in size to a king prawn than lobster.
Kowhitiwhiti / watercress
Kowhitiwhiti or watercress grows on the edge of fresh water rivers and creeks around New Zealand. Eaten raw or cooked, it has a mild mustard flavour and is used as an alternative to puha.
Kumara
Kumara originated in the Pacific Islands, and arrived in New Zealand with early Maori settlers over one thousand years ago. Known elsewhere as sweet potato, New Zealand kumara grows in the semi-tropical regions of the North Island. It is available in red, gold or orange varieties.
Manuka
Manuka was named 'tea tree' by Captain James Cook and English
botanist Joseph Banks when they found it in Mercury Bay in 1769. Manuka
wood chips can be used to add flavour when smoking food, but it is best
known as the source of manuka honey which is used to produce a growing list of products with
outstanding medicinal and antiseptic properties.
Pikopiko fern tips
Most of the wild fern varieties that grow in damp shady areas
of New Zealand’s native bush are carcinogenic - of 312 different
varieties, only seven varieties are edible. The edible fern fronds,
known as bush asparagus, are pale green with brown speckles. Picked
before the leaves unfold, the fronds add a unique 'forest' flavour to
dishes.
Puha
Puha, also known as sow thistle, is a green-dark green plant often found growing as a weed. The stem contains a milky coloured sap. Eaten raw, the stem and leaves have a bitter taste. Cooking does not remove the bitterness but it can be reduced by rubbing the puha plants together (vigourously) under running water. Puha is traditionally served cooked with pork.
More information
New Zealand chef: Charles Royal
Maori hangi
New Zealand's culinary culture
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