New Zealand is known for its unique culture, stunning landscapes and delicious food. One of the most famous foods in New Zealand is the Māori Hangi.
It is a traditional Maori cooking method used to cook meats and vegetables in an underground oven. The hangi is a type of earth oven, consisting of a pit dug in the ground which is then filled with stones and heated with wood fire. The food to be cooked is placed in baskets which are then lowered into the pit, covered with wet cloths and earth, and left to cook for several hours.
Hangi is usually served as part of a larger meal with other dishes such as steamed kumara (sweet potato), cabbage, carrots, pork and stuffing. The hangi creates a unique flavour due to the combination of smokey wood flavours, steam and slow cooking over hot stones.
Another popular dish in New Zealand is the national dessert – Pavlova. This light meringue-based dessert was created by a New Zealand chef in honour of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova when she visited New Zealand in 1926. The pavlova consists of a base made from beaten egg whites, sugar and corn flour, topped with cream and fresh fruit such as strawberries or kiwifruit.
The third famous food from New Zealand that has become popular around the world is Hokey Pokey ice cream. Hokey Pokey ice cream consists of vanilla ice cream filled with chunks of crunchy honeycomb toffee. It was first created by an Italian-New Zealander living in Auckland during World War II who wanted to create something unique for his family’s Sunday dessert.
New Zealand’s most famous food must be Hangi as it has been around for centuries as part of traditional Maori culture, whilst Hokey Pokey ice cream and Pavlova are relatively newer creations that have gained international fame in recent years.
Conclusion:
New Zealand’s most famous food has to be Hangi – it has been around for centuries as part of traditional Maori culture whilst Hokey Pokey ice cream and Pavlova are relatively newer creations that have gained international fame.