{"id":875639,"date":"2022-06-14T00:00:42","date_gmt":"2022-06-13T23:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/real-word\/?p=875639"},"modified":"2025-11-18T22:17:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T21:17:16","slug":"traditional-food-in-new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/","title":{"rendered":"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
\r\n

NEW ZEALAND TRADITIONAL FOOD<\/h2>\r\n

THERE’S no doubt Anthony Bourdain was a little rough around the edges, and possessed a pretentious predisposition to preach at his audience, but he sure knew how to inspire travel.<\/p>\r\n

“If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can,” he said while wandering the world to make programs that blurred the line between reality television and documentary by blending food, travel and philosophy.<\/p>\r\n

“The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes, or at least eat their food, is a plus for everybody. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.”<\/p>\r\n

Bourdain’s travels took him to Aotearoa New Zealand, in the early years of this new century, and he was so taken with an encounter that combined Kiwi flavours and M\u0101ori culture with pure landscape and sincere characters that he commented it was an experience that could prompt him to burn his passport and never leave.<\/p>\r\n

During his time in the Land of the Long White Cloud \u2013 a destination that trusts the stories of two cultures to tell the tales of one country \u2013 he ventured to a remote beach to savour barbecued seafood and was welcomed into a marae to try a traditional M\u0101ori h\u0101ng\u012b with ancestors of the land’s first residents.<\/p>\r\n

And while Bourdain’s Aotearoa New Zealand experience was magical and memorable, it wasn’t unique or unattainable. This is a destination that values incorporating significant and sustainable M\u0101ori moments into each travel itinerary, making it easy for every visitor to eat the same traditional NZ fare as the star chef.<\/p>\r\n

Best of all, trying traditional food in this corner of the Pacific is not forced or artificial. Unlike in other parts of the planet, where traditional eating is something that’s recreated for tourists, M\u0101ori food is still on the regular menu with families preparing the same plates presented to visitors seeking the hospitality that so moved Bourdain.<\/p>\r\n

BUT FIRST, WHAT IS M\u0100ORI TRADITIONAL FOOD?<\/h3>\r\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\r\n

If we could only use three words to define traditional New Zealand cuisine it would be cultivated, hunted and gathered. The first people to call the landscape home, who arrived in seven canoes paddled across the Pacific from far-away Polynesia, relied on a diet of what grew naturally and what they brought with them during the long journey.<\/p>\r\n

“The ancestors of the M\u0101ori brought edible plants from their homeland, including kumara, yam and taro,” the\u00a0Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand<\/em><\/a>\u00a0explains.<\/p>\r\n

“In Aotearoa (New Zealand) the climate was colder than home and M\u0101ori used sophisticated cultivation techniques to adapt these crops to the new environment. Aotearoa was originally covered with dense native bush, and its wild ferns, vines, palms, fungi, berries, fruits and seeds became important foods. They hunted a wide range of birds, and seafood was vital to their diet.”<\/p>\r\n

Traditional foods included whitebait, the karengo variety of seaweed, huhu grubs, pikopiko fern shoots, plump citrus karaka berries, abalone, oysters and muscles.<\/p>\r\n

The conventional diet was augmented by new staples \u2013 carrots, cabbage, potato, pumpkin and sweet potato \u2013 when the first British settlers arrived in the late 18th century and the M\u0101ori also began to cultivate wheat and corn and reared sheep, pigs, goats and chickens.<\/p>\r\n

IT HAS TO BE A H\u0100NG\u012a<\/h3>\r\n

A M\u0101ori h\u0101ng\u012b is as Kiwi as the haka, with this ancient custom surviving the test of time to continue providing the culinary foundation for everything from a special occasion to a daily family dinner.<\/p>\r\n

Today those first core ingredients are wrapped in mutton cloth or placed in a wire basket, arranged on hot stones or smouldering coals that sit at the bottom of a shallow hole in the earth, and buried under a heavy layer of soil or sand to steam for several hours in an underground oven.<\/p>\r\n

That cooking time provides a chance for guests to sit and chat or wander through an untamed landscape, while today’s travellers are often invited to enjoy a cultural performance that features traditional singing and dancing before sharing the wholesome food.<\/p>\r\n

These days the most popular ingredients are sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin and cabbage with chicken, pork, lamb and sometimes seafood. The components are organic by default, because they are grown on family farms or by artisan producers practising eco-friendly agriculture, and the experience is sustainable with community groups engaged in offering these valuable insights into an authentic slice of Kiwi life.<\/p>\r\n

A H\u0100NG\u012a WITH INSPIRING JOURNEYS<\/h3>\r\n

The Inspiring Journeys<\/a> team believes a New Zealand tour<\/a> isn’t complete without experiencing the delights of a h\u0101ng\u012b, and a traditional earth-cooked feast is a feature of\u00a0The Long White Cloud<\/em><\/a> which is our epic 19-day adventure across both islands between Fiordland National Park and Auckland.<\/p>\r\n

Local dining experiences are an Inspiring Journeys’ signature \u2013 and a commitment to The Travel Corporation’s MAKE TRAVEL MATTER\u00ae<\/a> pledge that lets responsible tourists enjoy sustainable moments when they holiday \u2013 with a h\u0101ng\u012b the highlight of the two-night stop in Rotorua.<\/p>\r\n

Guests make an after-dark visit to Tamaki M\u0101ori Village, an enterprise owned and operated by a local group working to preserve their culture and pass it to future generations, and enjoy a customary welcome and cultural performance before dinner is served by hosts that learned this style of heartfelt hospitality from previous generations.<\/p>\r\n

Travellers with less time to explore can appreciate the Tamaki M\u0101ori Village h\u0101ng\u012b during\u00a0The Endless Shore<\/em><\/a>, a shorter eight-day outing across the North Island that also pauses in New Zealand’s geothermal heart for a two-night stay.<\/p>\r\n

THE BOIL UP IS M\u0100ORI FOR BROTH<\/h3>\r\n

The old Kiwi “boil up” \u2013 typically potato, pork and p\u016bh\u0101 \u2013 is not nearly as famous as the h\u0101ng\u012b but dates back to the days when the P\u0101keh\u0101, the first British settlers, brought new ingredients from their Northern Hemisphere homeland.<\/p>\r\n

The climate and rich volcanic soil provided the perfect conditions for potatoes to thrive, it didn’t take much to fatten a pig, and the native p\u016bh\u0101 sow thistle grew in abundance so it made sense the ingredients would make the base of the Kiwi diet in the 19th century.<\/p>\r\n

The plentiful components were thrown into a pot to make the famous “boil up” broth, with this comfort food still an occasional feature on menus celebrating Aotearoa New Zealand’s nostalgic one-pot favourite.<\/p>\r\n

A M\u0100ORI MENU NEEDS SEAFOOD<\/h3>\r\n

With the Tasman Sea crashing on the west coast, and rolling Pacific Ocean waves breaking against the wild and weather-beaten eastern shoreline, it’s no surprise the earliest residents turned to the sea for sustenance and included seafood in their daily diet.<\/p>\r\n

P\u0101ua is taonga \u2013 translated, abalone is considered a treasure and a gift from the god of the sea \u2013 with the creamy-white flesh a rare treat and the dazzling blue-green shell used in M\u0101ori carving.<\/p>\r\n

Tio is the prized Bluff oyster, now harvested by fishermen from families working on the deep for decades, with March until August the prime period to sample this delicacy.<\/p>\r\n

The M\u0101ori consider k\u016btai \u2013 or plump green-lipped mussels \u2013 to be traditional health food with the trademarked New Zealand Greenshell a vital source of protein, low in fat, agreeable for those counting calories, and a good source of omega-3.<\/p>\r\n

M\u0100ORI FOOD IS FRUITS FROM THE FOREST\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n

M\u0101ori mythology tells us that the creator of the first human also created the forests, with this understanding eternally connecting the two. The tale tells us guardian T\u0101ne Mahuta made the bush by separating his parents \u2013 his earth mother Papat\u016b\u0101nuku and sky father Ranginui \u2013 in a moment that let light into the world.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

It’s no surprise the spiritual M\u0101ori find so much nourishment in the forest with flaxseed oil providing antioxidants and fatty acids, m\u0101nuka honey used for its medicinal properties, and the seven edible varieties of pikopiko fern shoot known as bush asparagus.<\/p>\r\n

Kiwi watercress k\u014dwhitiwhiti grows on the edge of freshwater features and adds a mild mustard flavour to a dish when eaten raw or cooked, and p\u016bh\u0101 is a bitter-tasting thistle that’s served cooked beside pork.<\/p>\r\n

ICONIC KIWI TASTES THAT ARE HARD TO FIND<\/h3>\r\n

Muttonbird \u2013 or t\u012bt\u012b in M\u0101ori \u2013 and huhu grubs are two bygone delicacies that are now hard for locals and travellers alike to taste.<\/p>\r\n

Fossicking in the decaying logs of fallen trees may reveal a colony of wriggling huhu grubs that taste like peanut butter when consumed fresh or fried, while the short t\u012bt\u012b seasons mean these birds that are around the size of a small duck can only be purchased between April 1 and May 31 making them a rare delicacy to sample.<\/p>\r\n

UNIQUE NEW ZEALAND FOOD TO AVOID<\/h3>\r\n

The New Zealand government has issued a call to avoid some traditional M\u0101ori delicacies, especially those from the sea, because the way harvesting occurs is damaging the environment.<\/p>\r\n

Dredging is often employed to catch tipa queen scallops and kina sea urchins, with this unsustainable practice damaging the seabed, while whitebait was so popular with previous generations of Kiwis who loved it in fritters and chowder that four of the five indigenous species are now endangered.<\/p>\r\n

LOOKING BACK BY MOVING FORWARD<\/h3>\r\n

Aotearoa New Zealand is experiencing a culinary renaissance with an enthusiastic crop of contemporary chefs \u2013 hailing from the country’s many cultural groups \u2013 embracing the ideals and ingredients of M\u0101ori traditional food to make this a dynamic destination for discerning foodies.<\/p>\r\n

But reviving, reinvigorating and reinventing traditional food in New Zealand is part of a more significant movement that has seen a chunk of the population proudly adopting the most positive aspects of M\u0101ori culture since the 1970s.<\/p>\r\n

The government has a campaign to get 1 million Kiwis speaking te reo M\u0101ori by 2040, phrases like the iconic and lyrical kia ora greeting have already become part of the mainstream vernacular, and the haka is performed everywhere from school assemblies to international sporting arenas.<\/p>\r\n

Serving\u00a0t\u012bt\u012b in a fine five-star restaurant, putting sustainably-caught\u00a0k\u016btai on a trendy food truck menu, or inviting travellers to join locals for a h\u0101ng\u012b at a neighbourhood marae are just some of the more important moments needed to guarantee cuisine and cooking techniques will endure for future generations.<\/p>\r\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\r\n<\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEW ZEALAND TRADITIONAL FOOD THERE’S no doubt Anthony Bourdain was a little rough around the edges, and possessed a pretentious predisposition to preach at his audience, but he sure knew how to inspire travel. “If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can,” he said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":875640,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":null,"ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":null,"stick-header-meta":null,"header-above-stick-meta":null,"header-main-stick-meta":null,"header-below-stick-meta":null,"astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[22942],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-875639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do","regions-north-island","regions-south-island"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND - Inspiring Journeys<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore New Zealand\u2019s most unique and flavorful traditional foods, highlighting how central food is to Maori culture, from the hangi to seafood and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore New Zealand\u2019s most unique and flavorful traditional foods, highlighting how central food is to Maori culture, from the hangi to seafood and more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Inspiring Journeys\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-06-13T23:00:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-18T21:17:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1230\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Inspiring Journeys Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Inspiring Journeys Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Inspiring Journeys Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/c3df591fb54c01c69956ea7be785a693\"},\"headline\":\"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-06-13T23:00:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T21:17:16+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/\"},\"wordCount\":1741,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Things to Do\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/\",\"name\":\"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND - Inspiring Journeys\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-06-13T23:00:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T21:17:16+00:00\",\"description\":\"Explore New Zealand\u2019s most unique and flavorful traditional foods, highlighting how central food is to Maori culture, from the hangi to seafood and more.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg\",\"width\":2400,\"height\":1230},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/\",\"name\":\"Inspiring Journeys\",\"description\":\"Travel articles, insights and stories from Inspiring Journeys\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Inspiring Journeys\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cropped-Inspiring-Journeys-Logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cropped-Inspiring-Journeys-Logo.png\",\"width\":1331,\"height\":401,\"caption\":\"Inspiring Journeys\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/c3df591fb54c01c69956ea7be785a693\",\"name\":\"Inspiring Journeys Team\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/author\/trafalgarblog\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND - Inspiring Journeys","description":"Explore New Zealand\u2019s most unique and flavorful traditional foods, highlighting how central food is to Maori culture, from the hangi to seafood and more.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND","og_description":"Explore New Zealand\u2019s most unique and flavorful traditional foods, highlighting how central food is to Maori culture, from the hangi to seafood and more.","og_url":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/","og_site_name":"Inspiring Journeys","article_published_time":"2022-06-13T23:00:42+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-18T21:17:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2400,"height":1230,"url":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Inspiring Journeys Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Inspiring Journeys Team","Estimated reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/"},"author":{"name":"Inspiring Journeys Team","@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/c3df591fb54c01c69956ea7be785a693"},"headline":"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND","datePublished":"2022-06-13T23:00:42+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-18T21:17:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/"},"wordCount":1741,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg","articleSection":["Things to Do"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/","url":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/","name":"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND - Inspiring Journeys","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg","datePublished":"2022-06-13T23:00:42+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-18T21:17:16+00:00","description":"Explore New Zealand\u2019s most unique and flavorful traditional foods, highlighting how central food is to Maori culture, from the hangi to seafood and more.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg","width":2400,"height":1230},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/traditional-food-in-new-zealand\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"TRADITIONAL FOOD IN NEW ZEALAND"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#website","url":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/","name":"Inspiring Journeys","description":"Travel articles, insights and stories from Inspiring Journeys","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#organization","name":"Inspiring Journeys","url":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cropped-Inspiring-Journeys-Logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cropped-Inspiring-Journeys-Logo.png","width":1331,"height":401,"caption":"Inspiring Journeys"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/#\/schema\/person\/c3df591fb54c01c69956ea7be785a693","name":"Inspiring Journeys Team","sameAs":["https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/"],"url":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/author\/trafalgarblog\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/AAT-KINGS-NZ-DAY-1-16_07_18-0183-v2__FocusFillWyIwLjAwIiwiMC4wMCIsMjQwMCwxMjMwXQ.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/875639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=875639"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/875639\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/875640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=875639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=875639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inspiringjourneys.com\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=875639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}