New Zealand…home to Lord of the Rings, rugby and more sheep than people. And while most travellers come to explore the incredible scenery and outdoor activities, we would say you haven’t experienced New Zealand until you’ve tried some the food. It wasn’t until we got back and started remembering all of the food we had missed during our two years abroad that we decided to come up with a list to share. The list kept growing considerably but we’ve narrowed it down to our absolute favourite Kiwi foods you must try!
Fish and chips
There’s nothing like the classic kiwi fish and chips (“fush n chups”) and we have a couple of requirements when it comes to this greasy goodness. Firstly, they need to come from a local takeaway fish and chip shop and takeaway is key: it doesn’t count if you’re spending $30 on a plate of fancy fish and chips at a restaurant. Secondly, you need to be sitting on the beach, lakeside, or somewhere else memorable for you. If you make it to the beach then chances are you’ll soon be surrounded by seagulls, its frustrating but it’s all part of the experience. Thirdly, they should be accompanied with tomato sauce (ketchup). Grab a bottle of Wattie’s while you’re at the supermarket and while you’re at it get a loaf of bread. Which is where number four comes in…chip butties. Bread, chips, sauce….delicious! It’s one of those meals you always regret straight after finishing because you always eat more than you need, but it’s definitely something you need to do at least once during your stay.
Savoury Pie
Not a sweet dessert pie that you may be thinking of when you usually see the word “pie”, but a classic meat and pastry pie, found in any bakery no matter where in the country you are. New Zealand is famous for their meat pies, we even have national awards for the best pies around the country. Our favourite is usually a steak and mushroom…if you happen to be in the country and don’t know where to look then flick us a message and we’ll let you know our favourite spots!
Onion Dip
Chips and dip are one of our country’s favourite snacks. And while we’ve embraced fancy dips, pesto and hummus over the years, our tried and true is the famous onion dip. No, you don’t buy it from the refrigerated section, but head to the soup aisle and pick up a sachet of onion soup…yes we’re serious. Next, head to the baking section and pick up a can of reduced cream (in most supermarkets these will be strategically placed together). Mix together, refrigerate for a few hours and you’re good to go!
Seafood
If you love seafood then you’ve come to the right country. We’re a small island surrounded by ocean and a trip to New Zealand isn’t complete until you’ve tried someone of our fresh seafood, including:
- Oysters – New Zealand is an oyster-lovers dream and Bluff oysters are the way to go. If you’re nowhere near Bluff you can usually find these in any decent seafood restaurant.
- Crayfish – Brendon’s favourite spot for these is Kaikoura. You can buy these freshly caught, wrapped whole in a newspaper.
- Mussels – after experiencing mussels in Europe, we realised we had taken mussels in New Zealand for granted. Still the largest mussels we’ve tried, you can pick these up by the kilo from the supermarket, but if you’re near the Coromandel region, go check out the mussel farm and pick some up fresh.
- Fish! Whitebait patties, Akaroa Salmon, Trout, Blue Cod, the list goes on!
Vogels
If you’re standing lost in the bread section of the supermarket wondering what loaf of bread to buy, then go straight to Vogels. While New Zealand doesn’t do fresh bread like Europe does, they can do mixed grain and it’s even better toasted. Top it with avocado and seasoned with salt and pepper, it’s definitely a national favourite for an easy breakfast or lunch. If you haven’t realised already, dinner is usually the main meal of the day so breakfast and lunch are usually lighter options (this was quite the adjustment after living in Switzerland where the main meal of the day is lunch at 11.30am on the dot). If the avocados aren’t ripe or if they’re ridiculously expensive which is quite likely, then grab a jar of Marmite instead. A yeast spread that’s often rivalled with Vegemite. It’s not everyone’s favourite, but we love it on toast, so much so a jar made it’s way into our suitcase when we moved to Switzerland (along with a loaf of Vogels of course…)
Stone Fruit
Areas around New Zealand are known for their orchards and unlike the produce that you’ll find in the supermarkets, the produce from an orchard is usually fresh and top quality. In fact, a lot of the best produce in New Zealand gets exported overseas and what you often find in the supermarkets are cheaper fruits from other countries. Some of our favourite orchards are in Cromwell, selling apricots, peaches, nectarines and berries. In fact, if you’re driving through the South Island then make sure you stop here to stock up (oh and get a real fruit icecream while you’re at it!)
Flat White
Dairy is New Zealand’s largest export and for a good reason! We see so much of our milk being sold overseas but it’s amazing how much we took it for granted when travelling through Asia. Particularly Vietnam where the only milk you can find is condensed milk and something we just couldn’t get used to in our coffee. It’s no wonder that our favourite coffee is a “flat white”. Australia & New Zealand are known for their milk-based coffees (flat white, latte, cappuccino etc.) so it’s definitely a must try. New Zealand has such a big coffee culture that you can find a decent cup just about anywhere! It doesn’t matter if you’re lactose intolerant or vegan, most cafe’s make delicious lactose-free, almond-milk or soy-milk coffees!
Bakery Treats
Kiwi’s love their home-cooked baking and as mentioned you can find bakeries almost everywhere. But it’s not all about meat pies here, you will also find your share of bakery treats! If you’re ever passing a bakery and in need of a treat, then pop in and make sure you try a Custard Square and Lamington, two of our favourites! Oh, and if you’re in the south of the South Island then keep a look out for Southland cheese rolls: so simple but so delicious!
Wine
New Zealand’s climate is ideal for wine growing, so it’s no wonder we’re known for our wines, most famously the Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough Region. If you love wine then we highly recommend wine tasting! Most wineries have a great cellar door with wine tastings available at little or no cost, and some even do lunch as well. Whether it’s Central Otago, Waipara, Marlborough, Nelson, Hawkes Bay or Waiheke, go and taste some wine!
Beer
Beer is New Zealand’s favourite alcoholic drink, and while we may be more well-known for our wineries, we also love our local beer so if you’re travelling around then it’s worth a stop off at a local or microbrewery. Some breweries include Monteiths on the West Coast, Mac’s, Wanaka Beerworks and of course Speights in Dunedin.
Other favourites
Some of our other favourites include Pineapple Lumps, Chocolate Fish, Pavlova, Hokey Pokey Ice Cream, Weetbix, L&P and if you’re looking for your chocolate fix then grab a block of Whittakers.
Enjoy! Now it’s time to go and grab something to eat…writing this has made us hungry!