New Zealand Food and Drink

In the tradition of the earliest inhabitants’ dinners of roast moa and kumara (sweet potato), New Zealanders still maintain a largely meat-and-potatoes diet. While vegetarian and vegan options are becoming trendy (kosher fare is still rare), traditional New Zealand food tends to be meaty. The national dish is hot meat pie loaded with lamb or beef and gravy in flaky pastry. Seafood is always an abundant alternative; fresh fish, prawns, crayfish, shellfish, and more overrun coastal towns. Fruit-flavored ice cream with chunks of fruit is consumed in vast quantities, though hokey pokey (vanilla ice cream loaded with bits of toffee) is a national favorite. Not only does New Zealand proudly produce the most ice cream per capita in the world, it also rivals the US for most ice cream consumed per capita.

In small towns, the tendency toward the basic can be seen in the Main St. triumvirate of fish ’n chip dives, cafes, and ever-present Chinese restaurants—all serving fried, greasy goodies. Ethnic restaurants, such as Thai, Malaysian, and Indian, are no longer few and far between. Middle Eastern kebab joints, usually a good deal, have proliferated recently. Keep in mind that ordering an entree will often get you an appetizer or starter in New Zealand; main courses are listed as mains.

While Kiwis serve excellent beer, with various national lagers and draughts (e.g., Steinlager, Speights, and Tui), it’s the wine that takes the cake. The wines of the Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay regions are world-famous, particularly the Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir varieties. New Zealand white wines are already challenging the French hold on the market, and red wines are improving annually. For non-alcoholic refreshment, try Lemon and Paeroa (L&P), a popular carbonated lemon drink that is “world-famous in New Zealand.” For a more refined thirst-quencher, you can enjoy a British-style Devonshire tea. The late afternoon meal traditionally consists of tea, scones with Devonshire cream or jam, crumpets, and other delectables. A lighter Kiwi treat, often served for dessert, is the pavlova, a tribute to egg whites and kiwifruit. New Zealand offers a range of exotic fruits and veggies, including feijoas, nashi, persimmons, and of course kiwifruit. In 2000, the golden kiwifruit, a yellow, sweeter version of the traditional kiwi, was engineered for worldwide consumption.