10 Appetizing Dishes To Try In New Zealand To Tantalize Your Taste Buds

When in New Zealand, travellers should definitely try some of the country’s quintessential and authentic dishes from seafood to dessert. Kiwis love their food. While you’re in New Zealand, seek out a couple of quintessential Kiwi foods. If you’re not sure where to begin, here are 10 appetizing dishes to try in New Zealand, to add to your taste list.

1. New Zealand pie

New Zealanders take their pies very seriously. To highlight their seriousness on this appetizing dish, there’s an annual competition held to find the very best in the country. The more traditional flavours include mince, steak and cheese, and egg, and potato top. All gourmet pies from cafés and bakeries are worth trying, vegetarian, and vegan options in some places can also be found.

2. The original flat white

Kiwi ingenuity brought the flat white to the coffee guzzling world. Make sure to visit your nearby café to get a taste of the real thing – it’ll be much better than the Starbucks version in every sense. Wellington is the top-notch preference when it comes to coffee, and Auckland for its great cafés. But any local coffee shop will give you the perfect brew experience. 

3. Fish and chips

New Zealand is home to some amazing seafood. From green-lipped mussels to oysters, it is like living in a seafood heaven. When you are in New Zealand don’t forget to head to the local chipper to buy some fish and chips, one of the must add ons to your taste list. Common fish options include snapper, tarakihi, and koi. You can usually order one scoop of normal potato chips or kumara (sweet potato) fries. Fish and chip shops will sell more than just those two must-try staples – you could also opt to buy some mussels, oysters, scallops, and squid rings, and can be accompanied with a beer.

4. Pavlova

The pavlova is a renowned dish in New Zealand. It’s a mainstream dish for Christmas feasts, dinner parties, and barbecue parties. Pavlovas are meringue-type desserts that are topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit – usually kiwifruit, but sometimes berries or strawberries are used as alternatives.

5. Hokey Pokey ice cream

Kiwis are passionate about good ice cream. Hokey Pokey ice cream is probably New Zealand’s best contribution to the ice cream industry. Hokey Pokey is a creamy vanilla ice cream with honeycomb toffee pieces. It is one of the most popular flavours around and its Tip Top, its primary manufacture has won the New Zealand Ice Cream’s Supreme Award for two years in a row.

6. Cheese and wine

Wine and cheese tasting tours are one of the most preferred activities and a must to do in your Zealand travel experience. If you’re after award-winning wines and cheeses, then New Zealand is the place to stop by. Known for its world-class cheese-making companies, especially blue cheese. The best cheese manufacturers can be found in Kapiti, Whitestone, and Puhoi Valley. Local wineries offer a variety of sauvignon, pinot noir, and merlot options for keen connoisseurs as novice tasters. In New Zealand, taste, sip and savour your way with some of the world’s finest wines and cheese.

7. New Zealand lollies

For those with a sweet tooth, this is the dish to try. ‘Lollies’ mean sweets and candies. Popular confectionery items include Pineapple Lumps (pineapple candy with a chocolate coating), Chocolate Fish (which has marshmallow inside), jaffas (a hard, orange candy), and gummy snakes. Easily accessible in supermarkets or at a corner store.

8. Slices and squares

You’ll find lots of different variations of these at local cafes and bakeries. Some of the most common of these delectable Kiwi indulgences are Caramel slices, custard slices, rocky road slices, and lolly cakes. The dish is perfect for a mid-morning snack.

9. New Zealand lamb

New Zealand is famous for its lamb industry. So it’s only fair to include it as one of our must-taste dishes. NZ’s lamb is world-renowned and one of the country’s top exports. Lamb is traditionally flavoured with rosemary and is served with steamed vegetables. Whether you like roasted or grilled meat, you’ll find that most restaurants will have this dish on their menus. 

10. Hangi

The hangi was a popular cooking method for Maori, that has been around for more than 2000 years. Various foods like chicken, mutton, and vegetables are roasted on a closed fire underground, along with a delicious hāngī-steamed pudding for dessert. These days, hangis are saved and served for special occasions, but tourists can get a taste of this traditional dish in selected heritage sites. One of the best places to enjoy is Rotorua. 

Now that reasons are outnumbered for you to kick-start your bookings to the vibrant city for a delightful experience filled with adventure, luxury, and tasteful experiences. Finding this guide useful to seek to taste the best kiwi dish to satisfy your taste buds and your taste list. Check some of the best New Zealand tour packages and book your getaway now with Pickyourtrail