Food & Wine

Food & Wine

Pacific Rim cuisine

New Zealand's cuisine draws inspiration from Europe, Asia and Polynesia, and is often described as Pacific Rim.

Many New Zealand chefs infuse their foods with unique local herbs and plants that add traditional flavours to contemporary cuisine.

The distinctiveness is also in the way New Zealanders eat - generally preferring an environment that is as relaxed and unaffected as possible, in keeping with the laidback Kiwi psyche.

Summer usually means eating outdoors in cafés or at barbeques, where fare such as lamb, cervena / NZ venison, crayfish / lobster, fresh fish and shellfish is plentiful.

And, for a truly authentic experience, there’s the smoky flavour of Maori kai / food from a traditional hangi earth oven.

New Zealand cuisine - creating fine food art

Talented Kiwi chefs, innovative cuisine, top wines, and a growing list of high-end destinations and food events are helping New Zealand develop a reputation in the world of fine cuisine.

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New Zealand wine

Along with great cuisine, New Zealand offers diners a wide choice of world-class wines produced in the many vineyards and wineries of wine regions in both North and South Islands.

New Zealand is a premier new-world wine country, producing award-winning red and white wines that reflect clean air, sunshine and sustainable wine practice. Top quality wines are exported to cellars worldwide.

Many New Zealand vineyards have restaurants and cellar doors that are open to the public for tasting and sales. The Classic New Zealand Wine Trail is a self-drive tour of three wine regions, and regional operators also offer gourmet food and wine tours, and vineyard cycle tours.

Leading New Zealand wine regions include West Auckland, Gisborne, Martinborough and Hawke's Bay in the North Island and Marlborough, Central Otago and Canterbury in the South Island.

New Zealand food icons

Many Kiwi food icons are recognised the world over.

New Zealand dairy foods - especially butter and cheese - have been served around the world since refrigerated exports first left the Antipodes in the 19th century, and New Zealand continues to be a major player in the world’s dairy production.

Tasty cuts of New Zealand lamb and beef - increasingly produced using organic farming practices - find their way onto tables on every continent, along with Vitamin C-rich kiwifruit - green and gold - and apples.

The oceans also produce a bounty of seafood - green-lipped mussels, paua / NZ abalone, Bluff oysters, whitebait and some of the world's finest fish.

Hokey Pokey (honeycomb) ice cream, boysenberries, and L&P soft drink are staples for New Zealanders but offer new taste sensations for visitors.