Commercially-made Anzac Biscuits © Denzil Green Anzac Biscuits are dry, crunchy, chewy coconut oatmeal cookies. Though they are flat, they start out as drop cookies which melt out on the cookie sheet. They are made from oatmeal, shredded coconut, flour, golden syrup and butter. Some recipe versions add Macadamia nuts. Anzac Biscuits are good for…
New Zealand Food
Anzac Day
April 25th is Anzac Day, a solemn day jointly shared by Australia and New Zealand. Anzac is short for Australian (and) New Zealand Army Corps.
Copha
Copha is a vegetable-based solid cooking fat that will stay solid at room temperature. It comes in blocks or a cube wrapped like butter or dripping. It is white, but goes clear when melted. It is basically coconut butter that has been hydrogenated to make it even more stable until deliberately melted, and to make it…
Freyberg Apples
Freyberg is a small apple with yellowish-green skin. The white flesh inside is crisp and sweet, with a hint of pear flavour Some apple connoisseurs aren’t crazy about this apple, but suggest it is fine for kid’s lunches. Storage Hints Stores well. History Notes Developed by J.H. Kidd in New Zealand in the 1930s from…
Gala Apples
Gala apples largely come from “down under”: from April to August, there is an endless convoy of container ships hauling Gala apples from New Zealand & Australia to North America and the UK. The skin has reddish-orange stripes or swatches with patches of cream-coloured yellow at times. The white flesh is crisp, with a balanced…
Gem Cakes (New Zealand)
Gem cakes are light, spicy, small cakes made in New Zealand, traditionally in a small loaf shape. Making them small helps speed the baking time. From start of opening recipe book to mixing to baking to table, you only need about 30 minutes. They are served warm with butter, or with jam and cream, or…
Hokey Pokey Ice Cream
In New Zealand, Butter Brickle Ice Cream is called “Hokey Pokey Ice cream.” The brickle is made by simmering 1 part golden syrup with 2 parts white sugar until it turns a dark brown, then stirring in a small amount of baking soda, then spreading it out on a surface to let it harden, then…
Horned Melons
Horned Melons © Denzil Green Horned Melons have little horns growing out of bright yellow skin with a bit of orange on it . They are about 3 to 5 inches long (7.5 to 13 cm) and average 2 inches wide (5 cm.) They will weigh anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds (1/2 a kilo…
Karaka Black Berries
Karaka Black berry bushes have thorns, but produce high yields of easy to reach and pick fruit. The fruit ripens over a 6 to 8 week period, making it good for pick your own operations. The berries are large, about 1/3 oz (10 g) in weight. The longish, glossy black berries are firm with a…
Kidd’s Orange Red Apples
Kidd’s Orange Red Apple was developed from a cross between Cox’s Orange Pippin and Red Delicious apples. As the apple ripens, its skin will sometimes have a pink blush that disappears. When ripe, the skin will be yellow, with an orangey or reddy blush to it, and often some russet patches. Inside, the cream coloured…
Koreke Quail
Koreke Quail is an extinct quail. It was indigenous to New Zealand until after British settlement. Koreke Quail had mottled brown plumage. They were hunted to extinction because they were considered very good eating and very good hunting sport. At the same time, the grasslands where they lived were burnt. They were abundant in 1848,…
Maru Blueberries
Maru are very large-sized, medium to dark-blue coloured blueberries. They have a mild flavour that improves if they are left on the bush for 7 to 10 days after they ripen to blue. The texture is somewhat gritty. The upright bush can produce too many blueberries (diminishing the overall flavour) if not pruned each year…
New Zealand Wartime Food (WWII)
New Zealand (NZ) introduced rationing during the Second War World, largely in order to create a surplus of food that it could use to feed its British and American allies. It was in a way the mirror image of British wartime rationing: in Britain, the rationing was to deal with shortages. In New Zealand, the…
Nui Blueberries
Nui are firm, light-blue coloured blueberries. They are three times the size of other blueberries, almost the size of a grape, about 3/4 inch (16 to 20 mm) wide. The bush takes a while to establish itself. It will spread, but still be a relatively compact plant. The fruit tends to grow inside the bush….
Oca
Oca is a root vegetable. Above ground, the plant (which is actually an herb) is a very small perennial, only growing about 8 to 12 inches high (20 to 30 cm.) Its stems can be yellow and green or purplish. It is propagated by replanting its tubers. The edible tubers that grow underground look like…
Puru Blueberries
Puru are light-blue, 12 to 18 mm wide blueberries that have very good flavour and aroma. The upright bush sometimes produces a second crop in the autumn, Puru Blueberries are being grown in New Zealand, and are popular in Japan. History Notes Puru Blueberries were developed by the Ruakura Research Centre from a cross between…
Queen Scallops (New Zealand)
What Queen Scallops are depends on where in the world you are. What New Zealand calls Queen Scallops are very similar to European Queen Scallops. They will be sexually mature at 4 to 5 years of age; the target harvesting size is around 8 years old, and up to 2 1/2 to 3 inches (6…
Rahi Blueberries
Rahi are firm, very light blue berries that grow in loose clusters. Rahi blueberries deliver a late harvest and are very good for fresh market. Storage Hints Rahi blueberries can be stored professionally after harvest for up to 4 to 6 weeks before sale to fresh market. History Notes Rahi blueberries were developed by Ruakura…
Ranui Berries
Ranui berries are the same as Boysenberries, but firmer. They ripen to dark red. Their sweet flavour is good even if picked a bit early, but the fullness of flavour doesn’t always survive commercial processing. The Ranui berry bush, which has thorns, starts to produce good yields by its second year. History Notes Ranui berries…
Reka Blueberries
Reka are firm, dark-blue, medium-sized blueberries with good flavour that grow in large, loose clusters. They have only a small scar after picking. The bush grows upright and gives high yields. TReka Blueberries can be grown for fresh market and for processing and can be machine harvested. History Notes Reka Blueberries were developed by Ruakura…
Splendour Apples
Splendour are medium to large-sized apples. Their thin skin is a dull, pinkish-red, with occasional russetting. Inside, they have crisp, firm pale yellowish flesh with a mild, sweet taste, but not much balancing tartness. The tree is a reliable heavy bearer. Cooking Tips For fresh-eating. Storage Hints Stores very well. History Notes Splendour Apples were…
Waimate Berries
Waimate berries resemble loganberries. They are large, long berries with dark red skin and a tart taste. They can be hard to pick because they are so soft. The thornless bushes are high yielders. Commercially, Waimate berries are considered good to grow for processing and for pick your own operations. Cooking Tips Waimate berries freeze…