Fantastic Food To Try in New Zealand Aotearoa

Kia ora! And welcome to my list of fantastic food to try in New Zealand Aotearoa. From fish and chips on the beach, to exceptional coffee, and the elevation of the humble meat pie, New Zealand has a quaint and delicious attitude to food. I have included a section dedicated to my favourite New Zealand wines, liquors and drinks too.

If you are visiting New Zealand soon, bookmark this list and join in my travel food bingo game!

Food you must try in New Zealand

Fish & Chips

Brought to Aotearoa by Scottish immigrants, fish & chips, or ‘fush & chups’ as we say, are a mainstay of New Zealand cuisine. Wrapped in newsprint and with so much more to try than just the standard fish and chips, they are served with Wattie’s Tomato Sauce. The fish used is usually tarahiki, hoki, red cod, blue warehou, or elephant shark. I like Loki and red cod personally – usually fish and chip shops will give you the option to choose from what they have.

Other fried delights (not mentioned below) include: potato fritters / scallops (a slice of potato battered), hotdogs (a battered sausage), fried chicken (yes, many fish and chip shops do fried chicken too), spring or curry rolls (a nod to the diversity in NZ), mussel patty, fried donut, fried pineapple rings, kumara chips.

On our recent long visit in NZ, we did 2 x 3-week road trips of each island, and got into a habit of having fish and chips at least twice a week. Albeit not the healthiest habit, it was really good value. In a country where food can be very expensive, it can be an affordable and filling dinner.

Sausage Sizzle

Sausage sizzles are a great Antipodean tradition, where clubs and schools sell barbecued sausages in bread to raise money. Usually, these are outside supermarkets or hardware stores on weekend day mornings. The BBQ is supplied by the supermarket or store, and often they will donate the sausages, bread or condiments too. Fried onions, tomato sauce and mustard are the standard toppings, and the sausage is served on white bread.

In the 1980s/90s, a sausage with onions, sauce and bread cost $1 nzd. Nowadays it’s $3 per sausage or two for $5 – but they are still a yummy snack after shopping, and a great way raise money for local clubs.

I had the pleasure of introducing my husband to the joy of a sausage sizzle on Boxing Day. We were at The Warehouse (a budget store similar to Walmart) for the Boxing Day sales and the local netball club were fundraising outside with a sausage sizzle to raise money for their league. It was just as tasty as I remembered!

Paua Fritter

Now, this is the first love it or hate it food on the menu. Paua is a large mollusc (sea snail), known as abalone in other parts of the world. Chopped and turned into a meat patty, battered and fried, it is an acquired taste. It’s kind of off-putting because of the black colour of the paua, but if you can get past that, it is a rich and umami experience.

Eat cheese (in Akaroa)

New Zealand farms a lot of cows, sheep and goats, so you’ve got lots of nice dairy products to make delicious cheese. While it’s not as prolific or as serious as France and their cheese, NZ still gives good cheese game!

We enjoyed Barrys Bay Traditional Cheese in Akaroa (one of the lesser-visited gems in NZ), and Drunken Nanny goats cheese in the Wairarapa.

Lemon & Paeroa

Most countries have their own local soda, of ‘fizzy drink’ as we say in NZ. Lemon & Paeroa is our ‘World Famous in New Zealand’ flavour. With spring water from Paeroa and lemon flavour, this famous pop is now distributed within NZ by Coca Cola.

Other fun local soft drinks include ‘Foxton Fizz’ and ‘Creaming Soda’.

Speaking of Lemon & Paeroa, New Zealand does this fun thing of making giant statues of random objects. A little like the random roadside attractions in the USA, the giant L&P bottle in Paeroa is a fun stop!

Pavlova

Pavlova, is it Australian or New Zealand? Well, according to research, it was the Kiwis who invented this delicious meringue-based dessert with cream and fruit. So I am claiming it! A summer delight, you’ll find this on many NZ Christmas tables.

RēwEna parāoa (Bread)

Sometimes referred to as Māori Bread, it is leavened with a sourdough starter (called a ‘bug’) made from fermented potato or kumara (sweet potato). I have fond memories of making this in home economics class as a kid. It has that robust texture, and is delicious fresh out of the oven, or the next day, toasted.

Eat a pie (in Geraldine)

The humble meat pie is taken to a whole new level in New Zealand. Generous portions of meat, gravy and the perfectly flaky pastry are in handheld parcels, perfect for eating on the go. A national favourite, every bakery has pies, and they are a regular working lunch.

We used to have pie deliveries at school, with mince and cheese being the kid favourite. These days, pepper steak, steak & cheese, and butter chicken are my preferred options.

Here are the top 5 pies we ate in NZ:

1. The winner – the pepper steak pie from the Parkside Dairy in Geraldine, South Island.
2. The runner up was the butter chicken pie from Cuba Street Bakehouse in Palmerston North, North Island
3. The bacon and egg pie from the Rawene Food Mart, Northland, North Island
4. The steak, cheese and jalapeño pie from the Ngapuna Bakery in Rotorua, North Island
5. The venison and whisky relish pie from Sheffield Pies in Sheffield, South Island

Bluff Oysters

Found in the waters around Bluff, a town at the southern tip of the South Island, and known for their unique flavour and creamy texture, Bluff Oysters are a sought-after delicacy. They are harvested from the cold, clean waters of Foveaux Strait during the annual season, from March to August each year. If you are visiting during this time, don’t miss the chance if you see them on the menu.

Discover the Joys of a Kiwi ‘Dairy’

The corner store game in New Zealand is strong. These roadside shops are unassuming, often a little rough around the edges, and full of useful groceries. But their main function is usually to be a supplier of lunch foods – pies, hot chips (fries), burgers, fish & chips and more. A perfect pitstop on your way to your next appointment, and usually positioned along busy thoroughfares, the Kiwi ‘dairy’ is a national treasure.

New Zealand Lamb

New Zealand lamb is renowned world wide for its flavour. Amusingly, the price of it within the country can often be high as a result. Fresh NZ lamb, without frozen export, is delicious. Tuck into some local lamb and produce while you are in the country.

Green-Lipped Mussels in Havelock

Greenshell mussels are indigenous to New Zealand and are readily available at restaurants in New Zealand. The main areas of Mussel growing are in Marlborough, Golden Bay/Tasman Bay, Coromandel and Stewart Island. Havelock has a great reputation for green-lipped mussels, so try them in a restaurant there for freshness.

Try some lollies

‘Lollies’ are candy / sweets, and Aotearoa has some fun lollies to try. Our chocolate bar game is good too. I’ve got a separate section dedicated to chocolate below, but I’ve included some chocolate bars in this section too, as they are all treats you can pick up from the local dairy!

Here are some of my favourites:

• Chocolate fish
• Pascall airplanes (and other jelly-type sweets)
• Moro bar
• Jaffas
• Peanut slab
• Toastie Bar (like rocky road)
• Mayceys Crocodiles
• Mayceys Sour Feijoas
• Mackintosh’s Toffees
• Pineapple Lumps
• Pinky bar

Whitebait Fritters in Hokitika

Whitebait are the baby fish (of many species) that can be found swimming along coastlines, in river-mouths, estuaries and rivers. Made into a fritter in New Zealand, these are a delicacy of the South Island. Made into a fritter and served with fresh lemon, they are a somewhat acquired taste!

Kumara

A sweet potato varietal brought to New Zealand over 1000 years ago with the early Māori settlers, it thrives in the verdant soil. Kumara chips are now a staple on cafe menus, and the sweetness and crunch is addicting. Smaller and with a greyish flesh instead of the orange of the larger European varietals, kumara is a true taste of Aotearoa.

Scoff a Sausage Roll (or Hot dog)

New Zealand sausage rolls are made with beef mince and sausage meat, and usually an array of other sassy ingredients. Onions, carrots, peas, cheese, or chilli jam can also be included. The Kiwis are a creative bunch, so don’t be surprised to see some sexy combinations.

Hot dogs are a battered pork sausage on a stick, served in the hot food counter at dairies, or at fish and chip shops. Served with slatherings of Wattie’s tomato sauce, they are a scrummy hand-held snack.

Lamingtons

A lamington is a square of sponge, dunked in chocolate or raspberry sweet syrup, and then rolled in coconut. Sometimes they are filled with cream too. You will find them at bakeries New Zealand-wide, and they are a melty, crumbly, messy and bloody awesome! They were my favourite treat as a child.

Hāngī Food

A hāngī is a traditional underground oven (similar to an imu in Hawaii, or umu in Samoa). Meat and vegetables are steamed under hot rocks and they come out smoky and moist. Nowadays, you can buy hāngī steamers, which stop the need for digging a giant hole (great for catering).

During our latest visit, we noted a few drive-thru hāngī operations, one in Whakatāne – a town in between Tauranga and Ōpōtiki in the Bay of Plenty.

Mānuka Honey

You may have seen Mānuka honey on sale in your country. This special honey is made in New Zealand by bees who predominantly gather pollen from the mānuka bush (leptospermum scoparium). This native plant creates a honey rich in antioxidants and antimicrobials – making it an expensive, but amazing store cupboard staple.

Beware of fake mānuka honeys on the market!

Fruju popsicle

As a kid, I have so many sensory memories of eating a cold popsicle on a hot day – the crack of the ice, the crunch and zing of biting into it. My dad and I used to love the grapefruit flavoured Fruju, but alas they are no longer made. My second favourite flavour was the orange, but that is now only available in a multi-pack for your freezer – perhaps that’s a good thing, as the food colouring is pretty intense!

Fun fact: In NZ, a popsicle is referred to as an ‘ice block’. An amusing, but completely rational name, in my humble opinion!

FEIJOAS

Feijoas aren’t native to New Zealand (they hail from South America), but they are somewhat of a national treasure in New Zealand. The trees grow well in the NZ climate, and their place in the backyards and hearts of Kiwis is cemented and strong. Cut in half and scooped out with a teaspoon… or just broken open and sucked out, the feijoa is a weird obsession for us.

I didn’t even particularly like them as a kid, but have since hunted two feijoa trees down here in France and planted them, in hopes of one day growing my own!

Bakery Beauties

Bakeries are plentiful and prolific in NZ. With treats such as Lolly Cake (malt biscuits, butter and soft pillowy sweets mixed to form a tray dessert, then sliced), lamingtons, custard squares, custard pies, and fruit scones will tempt you from glass cabinets.

Indulge, it would be rude not to.

Ice Cream (Hokey Pokey + More)

I have a theory about New Zealand ice-cream – I think it’s because the cows are grass-fed and produce lovely milk. This is based on zero evidence, but dairy products in NZ hit different.

Hokey pokey is the most talked-about flavour – vanilla ice cream with crunchy hokey pokey (cinder toffee, honeycomb) balls. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great, but my favourites are:

• Banana Split – a chocolate and banana swirled number
• Orange / Banana / Mint Choc Chip – the cannon of choc chip flavours that are highly coloured and artificially flavoured, but still yummy!
• My absolute favourite is Goody Goody Gum Drop – a blue bubble gum flavour ice cream, with gum drops throughout. It’s absolutely epic.

Brunch

With New Zealand’s café culture comes awesome brunch options. We had so many amazing breakfasts / brunches, wonderfully woke avocado toasts (especially around Katikati in avocado season – where you can buy a whole bag for $5!), and even vegan breakfasts that would rival bacon any day. Don’t skip the occasional brunch in NZ.

NZ Chocolate (Whittaker’s)

Oh Whittaker’s, where for art thou? I don’t miss much living in France – we have great chocolate – but Whittaker’s is another level of delicious. Berry Forest, Berry and Biscuit and Hokey Pokey are my winners, but you can’t really go wrong whatever you choose.

Other delights are the Queen Anne chocolate fish, Scorched Almonds, and the marshmallow eggs available around Easter. Luckily for us, the easter treats came out in early February while we were in NZ, so we could stock up!

Onion Dip

Ask any Kiwi about onion dip and they’ll tell of fond memories of parties and get-togethers where a humble packet of powdered onion soup and some reduced cream (with a dash of lemon juice of vinegar) combine to make a delicious dip. Combine with Bluebird chips (not crisps) for full effect.

Biscuits

Every country has its own style of biscuit (or cookie). I didn’t realise how much I enjoyed the NZ classics until I left and realised that not every cookie is created equal. I love Cameo Creams, Squiggle Tops, Mallow Puffs, Peanut Brownies, and Belgian Cremes.

New Zealand Drinks to try

Small Batch Distilleries

Being an industrious nation, it’s no surprise small batch distilleries are everywhere in Aotearoa. From whisky in Otago (Lammermoor Distillery), to gin out of farms in the Waikato (Holland Road Gin), if you have a chance to try some small batch treasures, you won’t be disappointed.

Marlborough SAUVIGNON Blanc & Pinot Gris

Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs are famous the world over – with notes of pear, gooseberry and grass on a spring day, it is the ultimate summer tipple.

The fuller bodied Pinot Gris has smoky undertones yet a light and jubilant honeysuckle top end.

Don’t miss a wine tasting or five in Renwick in Marlborough.

Pinot Noir in Otago

Otago is a cooler climate, which lends itself to delicious Pinot Noirs. I can’t drink a lot of red wine, but I still dream of Otago Pinots. Choose something from the Bannockburn, Bendigo and Cromwell Basin for a delectable taste of what Otago has to offer.

Try ‘the Longest Drink in Town’ Milkshake

Back to the dairy products for just a minute, and this one is pure nostalgia – milkshakes are very popular in NZ. The giraffe cup with ‘The Longest Drink in Town’ written on the front is a classic. A weird fake lime flavour is by far my favourite. It does not at all taste like lime, but dang it’s good.

Coffee Culture

COFFEE. IS. LIFE. New Zealand takes its coffee game very seriously, with the flat white being the favourite type. A double espresso with steamed milk and a velvety top – it has less milk than a latte, but more and less fluff than a cappuccino. It is a great coffee for those wanting a strong concentrated coffee kick but in a milky delight of a drink!

Artisan roasters and very serious baristas abound in Aotearoa – so if you’re a coffee drinker, tuck in!

Food & Drinks you’ll want to try in New Zealand

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All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhone.