Discover Kiwi Cuisine: Top 11 Fun Facts About New Zealand Food You Need to Know!

1. Fish Gone Chocolate Wasted

In New Zealand, fish get chocolate wasted, then they go pink: This quirky Kiwi confection, the Chocolate Mallow Fish, features a delightful pink marshmallow fish, swimming in a thin layer of Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, beloved by locals and tourists who always clamor for more.
Source => sunshineconfectionery.com.au

2. Tomato Sauce Love Story

A saucy love affair: New Zealand's undeniable passion for tomato sauce started in the early 1860s when Mr G Edward won a prize for his tomato ketchup at a Wellington agricultural exhibition, leading Mr H Olson to establish a Tomato Sauce Factory in 1870 and eventually, James Wattie's entry into the industry in 1934, turning the red condiment into a national treasure to adorn their beloved meat pies.
Source => stuff.co.nz

Discover how kiwis use their superhero-like sense of smell and quirky snuffling skills to detect prey, even when it's underground! 🥝👃🦸‍♀️

=> Fun Facts about Kiwi

3. French Fry Wonderland

Potato-palooza, fry-lover's paradise: New Zealand is a frozen french fry haven with top producers like Balle Bros Group Ltd, Mr. Chips, Makikihi Fries, and McCain Foods (NZ) Limited all sprinkling their crispy golden goodness throughout the land. Don't forget Talley's Group LTD, adding their own private touch to the world of delectable potato delights!
Source => potatopro.com

4. Hogwarts and Kiwifruit Connection

Before Harry Potter could collect his Hogwarts school supplies from Diagon Alley, Isabel Fraser, a real-life school principal, fetched some fancy fruit seeds from the Far East in 1904: it turns out that the oh-so-famous kiwifruit, native to modern-day China, gained its popularity and name in New Zealand as a spinoff to their iconic national bird, while leaving behind the nickname "Chinese Gooseberry." So cozy up with a Kiwifruit Chicken Burger, and tickle your taste buds with the fuzzy magical delight that's high in vitamin C and whimsy!
Source => zespri.com

5. Gas Station Gourmet Pies

If you're on the hunt for some "wheelie" delicious grub in New Zealand, look no further than your local petrol station: these seemingly unassuming gastropubs on-the-go are home to scrumptious meat pies, rich in flavors like bacon and egg, steak and cheese, butter chicken, smoked fish, and the especially popular mince and cheese—made from high-quality, grass-fed beef, snuggled inside a flaky puff pastry shell.
Source => food52.com

6. Marmageddon: Kiwis' Spreadable Crisis

In the land where Kiwis faced their darkest spreadable apocalypse and resorted to digging into their jar-mageddon war chests to survive: New Zealand experienced a massive Marmite shortage in 2012-2013, known as "Marmageddon," when an earthquake damaged the Christchurch factory, causing panic buying and driving prices up to NZ$800 for a single jar. Even Prime Minister John Key confessed he might be forced to embrace the dreaded Vegemite if his Marmite stash ran dry.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. The Great Jaffa Candy Race

In what might be the jolliest race this side of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, New Zealand's steepest street becomes a veritable river of Jaffas, the bite-sized confectionery favorites: During the yearly Cadbury Chocolate Carnival in Dunedin, thousands of these orange-flavored chocolate delights, encased in red candy shells, are released upon Baldwin Street, transforming it into a deliciously chaotic Rolly-polly race in a quirky Kiwiana tradition.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. L&P: World Famous (in New Zealand)

Ready to tickle your taste buds as well as your funny bone? New Zealand's got just the fizzy sensation to quench your curiosity: Lemon & Paeroa, aka L&P, is a bubbly concoction of lemon juice and carbonated mineral water that emerged from the town of Paeroa in 1907, and its zesty flavor has since made a substantial splash, especially when paired with Southern Comfort in local bars. Now under the wing of Coca-Cola, this peculiar potion is proudly parading its refreshing reputation as "World famous in New Zealand" - even boasting its own colossal monument at the birthplace of its effervescent enchantment!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Hāngī: Earthy Underground Cooking

Before New Zealanders were cooking up a storm with modern appliances, they were quite literally digging into deliciousness: hāngī is the centuries-old practice of cooking food in a pit dug in the ground, utilizing hot stones to cook a variety of ingredients such as pork, lamb, potato, pumpkin, cabbage, fish, and kumara, all wrapped up and placed in wire baskets before being covered with wet cloth and dirt, resulting in an earthy, smoky, and tender delight often enjoyed at community gatherings and celebrations.
Source => newzealand.com

10. Hokey Pokey Ice Cream Dance

In the land of Kiwis where they don't just pokey-pokey but "hokey pokey", a sweet, crunchy, and golden treat dances its way into ice cream bowls: Hokey pokey, a delightful honeycomb-like caramel concoction, popular in New Zealand and Australia, is created through a fascinating chemical reaction when combining brown sugar, corn syrup, and baking soda, and is traditionally served with vanilla ice cream, lending the name to the flavorful combination.
Source => 196flavors.com

11. Kiwi Cheese Roll Adventure

When New Zealanders crave a cheesy rollercoaster of flavors, they don't get extra grilled cheese sandwiches or settle for pizza: they whip up a classic Kiwi Cheese Roll! This mouthwatering creation combines soft white bread, ooey-gooey cheddar cheese, sautéed onions, and evaporated milk, all rolled up and slathered in butter, then baked to crispy, golden perfection. It's the divine snack both hobbits and humans can't resist taking a bite (or ten) of.
Source => foodchannel.com