Maori flavours bring new tastes to modern cuisine

A million-dollar research programme is underway looking at using traditional Maori foods in contemporary cuisine.

The programme, headed by Crop and Food in Palmerston North, aims to explore the flavours of native New Zealand plants, with the help of top Hawke’s Bay chefs.

Head of Maori research at Crop and Food in Palmerston North is Meto Leach says, ''we are looking at flavours known in traditional Maori cooking, and we might also come up with some new flavours.''

Traditional Maori cooking flavours, including horopito and kawakawa plants, are being increasingly snapped up by upmarket restaurants in New Zealand. An example, already in production is a combination of kawakawa, horopito, chilli and lime used to flavour mussels.

A tasting panel will be used as testers from key target markets. Flavours highlighted with a commercial potential will be grown in market gardens, instead of collecting ingredients from the wild.

The Eastern Institute of Technology in Hawke’s Bay is also playing a part in the programme. The programme coordinator for the institute’s Diploma of Professional Culinary Arts is liaising with Hawke’s Bay’s top chefs who are trying to incorporate new flavours into their dishes. Students at the Institute will also experiment with the new flavours in their cooking.

The four-year flavours programme has been funded from the Foundation for Research Science and Technology's inaugural Te Tipu o te Wananga portfolio.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Maori ingredients currently used by New Zealand chefs

Kawakawa
Kawakawa is a tree and is mostly found in coastal areas of New Zealand in damp bush. It grows up to seven metres in height and has heart shaped leaves. It is the leaves that are used in cooking, they are dried, ground and then used to season.

Horopito
Horopito is often referred to as the New Zealand pepper tree. There are three different varieties of horopito in New Zealand. The tree's leaves are green with red speckles.

Piko Piko fern tips
The fern shoot can be found growing in damp shady areas of New Zealand’s native bush. There are 312 different varieties, most are carcinogenic, and only seven types are edible. They are pale green in colour with brown speckles and are picked before the leaves unfold.

Koura
Koura are fresh water crayfish which are approximately the size a prawn.

Korengo
Korengo is seaweed which is either used in its raw state or dried and used to season various dishes.

Puha (Watercress)
Grows on the edge of fresh water rivers and creeks around New Zealand and can be eaten raw or cooked. It has a slight mustard taste.

Flaxseed oil
Cold pressed flaxseed oil is completely unrefined, nothing is added or removed. Flaxseed oil is a vegetarian source of Omega 3 and six essential fatty acids, Omega 9 antioxidants and vitamins.

Manuka
Manuka was named by Captain Cook and English Botanist Mr Banks as the tea tree when they were on an expedition at the mouth of the Purangi River at Mercury Bay in 1769. Manuka wood chips can be used to add flavour when smoking food.