Cover The sacred peaks of Mount Hikurangi in Gisborne embody the deep connection between the pristine landscape of New Zealand (Aotearoa) and its living culture
The sacred peaks of Mount Hikurangi in Gisborne embody the deep connection between the pristine landscape of New Zealand (Aotearoa) and its living culture
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Tourism New Zealand
A sensory journey through New Zealand’s stunning landscapes reveals a vibrant food culture shaped by seasonal abundance, indigenous roots and global influences
To land in New Zealand—or Aotearoa, the Māori name for this country meaning ‘the land of the long white cloud’— is to encounter an astonishingly pristine world that sharpens both the horizon and the palate. For decades, travellers spoke of this country’s scenery in hushed, reverent tones while remaining quietly polite about its food. But today, the landscape and the plate have become entirely inseparable. The geography dictates the menu, and the country’s chefs have unlocked a confidence that relies on the purity of their surroundings, yielding flavours that cannot be replicated anywhere else on earth.
Contemporary cooking here is a deeply felt conversation with the earth and sea. It is a unique culinary identity that balances the restless spirit of global innovation with ancient traditions of the Māori, New Zealand’s indigenous people. This heritage is anchored by kaitiakitanga, the sacred guardianship of nature, and whakapapa, a profound sense of ancestral lineage and connection to place. Far from being mere historical concepts, these values form the ethical backbone of modern restaurants across the country.
Above Greenshell mussels and fresh local seafood represent just a fraction of New Zealand’s vast oceanic bounty
Greenshell mussels and fresh local seafood represent just a fraction of New Zealand’s vast oceanic bounty
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The baseline of this culinary language is drawn directly from the pantry of wild, indigenous flora and distinctive produce, including horopito, a pepper tree shrub whose green leaves carry a fiery and slightly citrusy punch. There is also kawakawa, which imparts a vibrant herbaceous note reminiscent of clove and mint; wild pikopiko, the furled fronds of native ferns, are harvested before they uncoil, offering an earthy, nutty snap. The forest canopy yields further treasure in the form of mānuka wood, which offers aromatic smoke that infuses proteins with a sweet warmth, while its blossoms result in a rich honey celebrated worldwide. This blends with staple crops such as kūmara, the sweet potato brought over by early Polynesian voyagers. Along the coasts, the sweet, plump greenshell mussels and world-renowned Regal salmon reflect an oceanic bounty of unmatched clarity, while foraged wood-ear mushrooms and wild venison reflect the untamed high country.
In this landscape, British, European, Pacific and Asian influences dance in harmony with these signature flavours. It is fresh, seasonal, and so vividly connected to place that eating here feels like a map being drawn directly onto your palate.
Fire, stone and earth: the living history of the Hāngī
Above The unveiling of a steaming feast of slow-cooked meats and vegetables from a subterranean earth oven
The unveiling of a steaming feast of slow-cooked meats and vegetables from a subterranean earth oven
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This profound connection to place begins where the nation’s modern history did: the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in the North Island. Here, the traditional hāngī, the ancient Māori method of cooking food underground, and concert experience elevate earth-cooked kai (food) into a masterclass of elemental technique. The evening begins gently as you mix and mingle in the relaxing setting of the Whare Waka Café, a prelude to the drama that follows. Guests then face a traditional challenge before watching a high-energy cultural performance. The climax of the evening arrives when the hāngī chef unveils your dinner, lifting the earth to reveal a feast cooked entirely by subterranean thermal heat. What follows is a magnificent buffet meal featuring slow-cooked meats, earthy vegetables, fresh bread and salads. The finale is a rich, traditional steamed pudding for dessert. Enjoy an unpretentious, deeply moving reminder that the most profound flavours are often those coaxed directly out of the soil beneath your feet.
Waitangi Treaty Grounds
Address: 1 Tau Henare Drive, Waitangi, Bay of Islands 0293, New Zealand
Urban safaris: tasting the Pacific-Asian melting pot in Auckland
Above Discover artisan producers, hidden gems and award-winning restaurants during the Flavours of Our City tour
Discover artisan producers, hidden gems and award-winning restaurants during the Flavours of Our City tour
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Moving south into Auckland, where heritage is woven into the modern world, the city offers a melting pot of cultures. Here, discover the Flavours of Our City tour with The Big Foody Food Tours, widely celebrated as the city’s best guided food experience, which feels like diving headfirst into an afternoon walking safari. This is an organic, multicultural food scene born from diverse communities living and cooking side-by-side. Led by passionate local guides, these intimate, small-group journeys go through Auckland’s most exciting neighbourhoods, linking artisan producers, hidden gems and award-winning restaurants. Taste handcrafted cheeses and boutique coffee, followed by fresh seafood and world-class wines. The tour also offers behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive access to some of the city’s most celebrated chefs and hospitality leaders.
Tour pick-up site
Address: Isite 188 Quay Street, Auckland, New Zealand
Liquid geography: harvesting pristine waters in the Marlborough Sounds
Above Fresh seafood is served on board a premium catamaran cruising through Queen Charlotte Sound
Fresh seafood is served on board a premium catamaran cruising through Queen Charlotte Sound
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The water is never far away in New Zealand, and tasting its liquid geography is best done directly at the source. Departing from Picton in the South Island, the three-hour afternoon Seafood Odyssea Cruise offers a relaxed, half-day journey aboard a premium catamaran into the calm waters of Queen Charlotte Sound or Tōtaranui. As you navigate through the deep, bush-fringed waterways, the direct relationship between the environment and the local aquaculture becomes clear. The cold, nutrient-rich currents are ideal for farming, which is why the local salmon and greenshell mussels served on board carry a distinct clarity of flavour. While the knowledgeable crew explains the mechanics of this sustainable maritime industry, guests can look out for local wildlife along the shoreline, including seals, dolphins and coastal birds.
Picton Town Wharf
Address: Picton Foreshore, Auckland Street, Picton 7220, New Zealand
High-country alchemy: foraging the deep wilderness of Retaruke
Above A meal here features wild high-country ingredients, served overlooking the rugged, forested landscape at Blue Duck Station (Photo: Blue Duck Station)
A meal here features wild high-country ingredients, served overlooking the rugged, forested landscape at Blue Duck Station (Photo: Blue Duck Station)
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Further inland, the landscape shifts into the rugged, prehistoric beauty of the King Country. At The Chef’s Table experience at Blue Duck Station in Retaruke, North Island, the kitchen acts as a laboratory for the wild, presenting high-country innovation and experimentation at its most thrilling. Surrounded by dense native bush and earnest eco-conservation efforts, the chefs work with an uncompromising commitment to wild, hyper-local ingredients. Foraged wood-ear mushrooms, wild venison and ancient berries find their way onto a curated tasting menu that feels deliberately rebellious yet refined. It is cooking that refuses to play it safe, demanding instead that you engage with the untamed, unpredictable flavours of the New Zealand wilderness.
Blue Duck Station
Address: 4265 Oio Road, Retaruke 3990, New Zealand
Surf and salt air: the unadorned perfection of roadside crayfish
Above Fresh, wild-harvested crayfish sizzling with garlic butter is served at the iconic Nins Bin roadside caravan in Kaikōura
Fresh, wild-harvested crayfish sizzling with garlic butter is served at the iconic Nins Bin roadside caravan in Kaikōura
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Yet, for all the technical brilliance found in the high country, the ultimate expression of New Zealand’s food identity might just be a simple roadside caravan perched on the edge of the South Island. Nins Bin in Kaikōura is a family-run institution that has stood as a proud beacon of coastal bounty for decades. Making use of a simple counter, the magnificent roar of the surf and wild-harvested, freshly caught crayfish, Nins Bin’s preparation is blissfully minimalist: split in half, kissed with garlic butter and thrown onto a hot grill. Eat this roadside delicacy with your fingers on a wooden bench while watching the seals play on the rocks nearby. It cleanly encapsulates the heart of New Zealand’s modern food scene—an abundance of world-class ingredients treated with an unpretentious respect that simply lets the land and sea do the talking.
Nins Bin
Address: State Highway 1, Half Moon Bay, Kaikōura 7400, New Zealand
(Located approximately 20 minutes north of the Kaikōura township, on the waterfront)
Read more at newzealand.com
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