An abundance of high quality fresh produce makes New Zealand cuisine sensational. Here is a small selection of what’s on offer.

Beef and Lamb

Grazing on fresh pasture year-round due to the temperate climate, New Zealand beef and lamb are of the highest quality and are exported around the world.

Cheeses

The growing conditions of New Zealand’s livestock also result in an abundance of wonderful dairy products. The local blue cheeses are particularly renowned.

Crayfish

Also known as Rock Lobster, crayfish are harvested in coastal waters around New Zealand and are utterly delicious.

Gourmet Oils

Newcomers to the list of New Zealand culinary specialties, local Olive and Avocado Oils are fresh and tasty.

Green Lipped Mussels

Native to New Zealand and farmed in the Marlborough Sounds, The Coromandel and Stewart Island.

Hangi

This traditional Maori way of cooking involves packing food into baskets, placing the baskets on hot rocks and burying it deep underground to cook for hours in its own steam.

Hokey Pokey Ice Cream

Creamy New Zealand ice cream is a must-try in any flavour, but hokey pokey, with its crunchy pieces of toffee, is a special favourite.

Honey

Many varieties of honey are available in New Zealand, but the most sought-after is Manuka Honey produced from a native flowering shrub renowned for its health benefits.

King Salmon

Salmon, available either fresh or smoked, is farmed in the Marlborough Sounds, Stewart Island and on the South Island’s east coast.

Kiwifruit

Also known as Chinese Gooseberry, Kiwifruit are succulent green-fleshed fruit with a furry brown skin that thrive in warmer parts of the country.

Kumara

A traditional Maori food crop, Kumara (also known as sweet potato) is a delicious local favourite that may be served as chips, roasted or mashed.

Lemon & Paeroa

New Zealand’s unique soft drink originates from the small North Island town of Paeroa.

Oysters

Juicy, succulent examples of the delicacy are caught in the sea off Bluff, in the south of the South Island. There’s even a festival to celebrate the season each autumn.

Pavlova

The traditional New Zealand dessert is a meringue that is crisp on the outside and soft in the middle, covered with cream and decorated with fruit.

Whitebait

These tiny minnow-like fish are considered a delicacy and most commonly cooked as a fritter, fried in batter. Caught in rivers around the country, they are famously abundant on the West Coast of the South Island.