Food tourism is a growing trend, with new generations of travellers looking for unique and memorable food and beverage experiences. New Zealand’s primary sectors are diverse, innovative, and high-performing, not only in the range of food and beverage products we produce but also in how we produce them.
Plan Your TourNew Zealand's cuisine has been described as Pacific Rim, drawing inspiration from Europe, Asia, and Polynesia. This blend of influences has created a mouth-watering range of flavours and food in cafes and restaurants nationwide.
Trying the local cuisine is part of the travelling parcel, so why not try some of the famous New Zealand food while exploring Aotearoa?
Admittedly, New Zealand isn't world-famous for its culinary delights, but there are some meals, snacks, desserts, and even drinks that Kiwis are incredibly proud to claim as their own. As a country with around 15,000 km (9,320 mi) of coastline, it is no surprise that seafood is a staple of the Kiwi diet. Food or "kai" has also been a significant part of the Indigenous for centuries, producing must-try traditional meals, whether hāngī, fried bread or kawakawa tea.
For dishes that have a distinctly New Zealand style, there's lamb, pork, venison, salmon, crayfish (lobster), Bluff oysters, paua (abalone), mussels, scallops, pipis, and tuatua (both are types of New Zealand shellfish), kumara (sweet potato), kiwifruit, tamarillo and pavlova, the national dessert. Its distinctiveness is more in how New Zealanders eat, generally preferring to be as relaxed and unaffected as possible, keeping with the laidback Kiwi psyche.
New Zealand is celebrated for its diverse and exquisite culinary landscape, featuring iconic dishes such as the traditional Māori hangi, succulent lamb renowned worldwide for its quality, fresh seafood like green-lipped mussels and Bluff oysters, the unique Kiwi pavlova dessert, and the savoury meat pie that's a staple in local cuisine. Our comprehensive list below delves into these beloved New Zealand foods, providing insights into their cultural significance, origins, and where to find the best examples of these culinary delights across the country. Stay tuned as we explore the rich flavours that make New Zealand's food scene genuinely remarkable.
The food scene in New Zealand is a vibrant fusion of traditional flavours, international influences, and fresh, high-quality ingredients that celebrate the country's rich agricultural and maritime heritage. From the hearty and comforting Māori hangi, cooked underground over hot stones, to world-class lamb and beef, seafood like the distinctive green-lipped mussels and succulent Bluff oysters, and innovative takes on global cuisines, New Zealand offers a culinary journey that's as diverse as its landscapes. Not to forget the sweet satisfaction of a Kiwi pavlova or the convenience of a savoury meat pie, showcasing the range of flavours that New Zealanders love.
