What do you mean you've never heard of the ‘New Zealand food culture’? I'm just kidding.
That's probably because there isn't one renowned, unified cuisine called "New Zealand" or "Kiwi" the way we have our 'Indian' food or how there's 'Chinese' food. There is Māori food, but even though Māori cuisine has existed for centuries and remains an important part of the country's culinary identity, modern New Zealand food is rather a fascinating amalgam of Māori traditions, British influences and flavours from across the Pacific and Asia.
And since New Zealand has a whole bunch of international restaurants now, it can get genuinely tricky to work out what the traditional foods in New Zealand actually are, or which must try foods in New Zealand you simply won't find anywhere else. So in this blog, I'll walk you through exactly that.
1. Ika Mata
Let's begin with something in the Cook Islands, by way of New Zealand's Pacific communities. Ika Meta is traditionally made with tuna diced small, steeped in coconut milk and citrus, then folded through with chopped cucumber, red pepper and purple onion…
There’s no cooking required for this one, which makes it forgiving for amateur cooks, though a careful hand with the salt should always be there. From street stalls to polished brunch spots, its quality stays very consistent, which is more than what can be said for most raw fish dishes attempted outside their home turf!
2. Paua Fritter
Here's your first genuine fork in the road: love it or leave it. Paua is a large mollusc, known elsewhere as abalone, that gets minced into a patty, battered and fried until golden. The trouble, for some though, is entirely visual.
Paua meat has a distinctive black hue that can be a touch off-putting before the first bite. Push past the colour, though, and you're confronted with something very umami and genuinely singular, unlike anything you'd find washed up on a menu back home.
3. Fish & Chips?
Imported by Scottish settlers and thoroughly naturalised ever since, fish & chips (or 'fush & chups', in the local drawl) remains a cornerstone of Kiwi eating. Traditionally parcelled in newsprint and doused in Wattie's Tomato Sauce, the fish itself varies by region and catch: tarakihi, hoki, red cod, blue warehou or even elephant shark all make the cut, and most chip shops will happily let you pick your preference.
But the fryers here don't stop at fish. Keep an eye out for potato fritters (battered potato slices, sometimes called scallops), battered sausages posing as hotdogs, fried chicken, spring or curry rolls (a nod to New Zealand's multicultural palate), mussel patties, fried donuts, fried pineapple rings and kumara chips.
Planning your journey? Explore our New Zealand tour packages from India and discover a holiday where stunning landscapes and traditional food go hand in hand.
4. Eat pie. And if you can, in Geraldine
The good-old meat pie is about as Kiwi as it gets. Hearty fillings of meat and gravy, wrapped in pastry that flakes exactly as it should, make for the archetypal grab-and-go lunch. Mince and cheese remains the schoolyard classic, though pepper steak, steak and cheese, and butter chicken have plenty of grown-up devotees.
For those keen to pie-hop their way across the country, and especially for anyone hunting down food to try in Queenstown and its surrounding South Island towns, here are five worth the detour: the pepper steak pie from Parkside Dairy in Geraldine (South Island), the reigning favourite; the butter chicken pie from Cuba Street Bakehouse in Palmerston North (North Island); the bacon and egg pie from Rawene Food Mart in Northland (North Island); the steak, cheese and jalapeño pie from Ngapuna Bakery in Rotorua (North Island); and the venison and whisky relish pie from Sheffield Pies in Sheffield (South Island), quite the list isn't it?
Want to build your New Zealand holiday around the food as well? Our tailor-made tours let you take your time over the places, flavours and experiences you’re most curious about.
5. Ice Cream, Hokey Pokey and Beyond
There's a theory floating around, entirely unsubstantiated, that New Zealand's cows, which are fully grass-fed, are responsible for some of the best dairy on the planet. Whatever the science, the ice cream might make you a believer.
Some of the country's most talked-about scoop shops sit right in Queenstown, where an ice cream by the lake is one of the simplest pleasures after a day of exploring. Hokey pokey, vanilla ice cream studded with crunchy honeycomb-like toffee, gets most of the attention, but don't stop there. Banana split (a chocolate and banana swirl) and the artificially bright trio of orange, banana and mint choc chips both deserve a scoop. Top billing, though, goes to Goody Goody Gum Drop: a blue bubblegum-flavoured ice cream studded with actual gumdrops.
6. Peppermint Slice and the World of 'Slice'
Peppermint slice builds a base of chocolate, nuts and coconut, layers on a peppermint cream reminiscent of a York Peppermint Pattie, and seals the whole thing beneath a final coat of chocolate before it sets in the fridge and gets cut into neat squares.
"Slice," as a category, is New Zealand's tasty broad umbrella term for any dessert cut into squares, what the British might call a tray bake and Americans would lump under "bars." Brownies, blondies, lemon bars and crumble bars all fall under its reach. Walk into virtually any bakery and you'll find a cabinet devoted almost entirely to slice. There's no way to try them all on one trip. Do your best though, all the best.
7. Lollies and Local Chocolate
'Lollies' is Kiwi shorthand for candy, and New Zealand's dairies are stocked with enough of them to derail any diet of yours. Look out for chocolate fish, Pascall airplanes and other jelly sweets, like Moro bars, Jaffas, peanut slabs, Toastie Bars (something like a rocky road), Mackintosh's Toffees, Pineapple Lumps and the Pinky bar. All are pocket-money treats, easily picked up from any corner dairy.
Chocolate deserves its own mention, and here Whittaker's reigns supreme. Berry Forest, Berry and Biscuit and Hokey Pokey are standout blocks, though it's genuinely difficult to go wrong with any variety on the shelf.
Looking for experiences beyond the food? Explore our guide to the best things to do in New Zealand.
8. Lemon & Paeroa
Every country has its own beloved fizzy drink, like we have our Campa Cola, remember? New Zealand's is Lemon & Paeroa, proudly billed as 'World Famous in New Zealand.' Made using spring water sourced from the town of Paeroa and a distinctive lemon flavour, it's now distributed nationwide by Coca-Cola. Foxton Fizz and Creaming Soda are worth a try too, if you're building out your own soft drink tour.
New Zealand also has a curious fondness for oversized roadside statues of otherwise ordinary objects, not unlike America's love of giant roadside attractions. Fittingly, the town of Paeroa is home to a giant L&P bottle, a genuinely fun photo stop for anyone tracing the drink back to its source.
Will Vegetarian Food Be Available in New Zealand?
Yes, without much difficulty. While plenty of New Zealand's signature dishes lean towards meat and seafood, vegetarian travellers are well catered for, particularly in cities like Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Bakeries and cafés brim with pastries, slices and sweet treats that require no meat at all, and dairies are stocked with vegetarian-friendly lollies and chocolate for those craving something sweet on the go. Self-catering is also straightforward, with supermarkets well stocked for longer stays.
Feeling a little confused? Connect with our experts and we'll help plan the New Zealand holiday that suits you best.
