New Zealand Food

Anzac Biscuits

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…

Anzac Day

Anzac Day is a solemn holiday jointly shared by Australia and New Zealand. Anzac is short for “Australian (and) New Zealand Army Corps.” There are military parades and remembrance ceremonies and a minute’s silence. It commemorates 25 April 1915, during World War One (1914-1918), when Australian and New Zealand soldiers landed at Gallipoli in Turkey….

Tagged With: Australian Food, Military Food, New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: Australian Food, Coconuts, New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Apples, New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Apples, New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Apples, New Zealand Food

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,…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: Military Food, New Zealand, New Zealand Food

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….

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: Latin American, Latin American Food, New Zealand, New Zealand Food, Oxalic Acid, Root Vegetables

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Apples, New Zealand Food

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…

Tagged With: New Zealand Food

New Zealand Food

Footer