Page 11 - New Zealand Destination Guide - Alluring Asia

FOOD New Zealand's cuisine has been described as Pacific Rim, drawing inspiration from Europe, Asia and Polynesia. This blend of influences has PAGE 3 created a mouth-watering range of flavours and food in cafes and Population | Time | Visas restaurants nationwide. For dishes that have a distinctly New Zealand History style, there's lamb, pork and cervena (venison), salmon, crayfish (lobster), PAGE 4 Bluff oysters, whitebait, paua (abalone), mussels, scallops, pipis and Language tuatua (both are types of New Zealand shellfish), kumara (sweet potato), PAGE 5 kiwifruit, tamarillo and pavlova, the national dessert. SOFT DRINKS Climate Its distinctiveness is more in the way New Zealanders eat, generally Elderflower Original Sparkle is PAGE 6 preferring as relaxed and unaffected as possible, in keeping with the a brilliantly refreshing drink, The Land laidback Kiwi psyche. lightly sparkling with notes of PAGE 7 Lychee, Honeydew and The People Summer sees many eating outdoors in cafes or at barbecues - barbecues Gooseberry. are a big part of the Kiwi culture, and typify the laid-back nature of the PAGE 8 Currency | Credit Cards New Zealand people - where fare such as lamb, cervena (venison), Lemon & Paeroa, Changing Money | Tipping crayfish (lobster), fresh fish and shellfish is plentiful. New Zealanders are also known as L&P, Safety & Crime spoilt for their choice of fresh produce, choose a world class sauvignon is a sweet soft drink PAGE 9 blanc or chardonnay from one of the country's 376 wineries, and you manufactured in Communications | What to Pack have the perfect complement. New Zealand. Health & Vaccinations Traditionally made by For a true taste of New Zealand, the smoky flavour of the traditional combining lemon juice with PAGE 10 Shopping | Customs | Etiquette Maori hangi (pronounced hung-ee) is an essential culinary experience. carbonated mineral water from Cooked underground, a deep hole is dug, lined with red-hot stones and the town of Paeroa, it is now PAGE 11 covered with vegetation. The food (chicken, pork, lamb, potatoes, kumara manufactured by multi-national Food & Drinks (sweet potato), and other vegetables is then placed on top. The whole Coca-Cola. PAGE 12 oven is sprinkled with water and sealed with more vegetation. The hole is Culture & The Arts | Religion then filled with earth and left to steam for several hours. WATER As a rule, it is safe to drink the The hangi is usually prepared for special occasions. Traditionally, men water in New Zealand, but the dig and prepare the hole, and women prepare the food to go in it. All tap water has been treated. If members of an extended family (whanau) help out for such a feast. The you have any doubt or concern occasion is relaxed, friendly and fun, with people often eating the meal about drinking the water you under a marquee. Several tourist locations, including Rotorua in the can choose to drink bottled water North Island, put down hangis for groups of visitors. which is readily available throughout New Zealand. Fish and chips may not be high on the healthy eating scale, but your New Zealand cuisine experience is incomplete without enjoying this traditional New Zealand takeaway meal, served wrapped in paper. S O U T H P A C I F I C 11