New Zealand Lifestyle

New Zealand Food and Wine

New Zealand Food

New Zealand has all the usual fast food outlets you can now find all over the world, it also has every type of food available, which reflect sits multi cultural society.

Some archetypal New Zealand food is:

• Pavlova - the meringue with a cream centre which is topped off by fresh fruit ( the Kiwis and Aussies argue about who invented Pavlovas)
• ANZAC biscuits - are hard biscuits made from oatmeal and golden syrup that were first invented by the soldiers WWI.
• Pies - Australians and Kiwis love meat pies
• Kiwifruit - the plum sized green fruit

Beer

Steinlager is the most well known NZ beer.

Coffee / Cafes

Like the rest of the world, the New Zealand lifestyle is now a coffee culture, with cafes and places to get fresh coffee springing up everywhere. So if you don’t know the difference between a Latte and a flat white, you are in for an education.

L&P or Lemon & Paeroa - is world famous within New Zealand. Its a lemonade style soft drink sold in brown plastic bottle with a yellow label.

Barbecues

In Summer, barbecues are a popular part of the New Zealand lifestyle, and are popular ways to cook and to entertain friends and family. If entertaining, guests will be invited to bring some beer or wine, and possibly some meat or to bring a salad or desert. Normally, you’ll find the women prepare the food and the men hang around the barbecue drinking beer and burning it!

Maori traditional food

• the Hangi - is wood fired oven dug in the earth that the Maori use for big gatherings. A deep hole is dug in the ground, it is then lined with red-hot stones and covered with vegetation. The food is then placed on top and is sprinkled with water and sealed with more vegetation. The hole is then covered with earth and left to steam for several hours. Traditionally, the men dig and prepare the oven and the women prepare the food to go in it. Everyone helps out for such a feast.
• Kaimoana - means seafood, such as shellfish or crayfish

Restaurants in New Zealand

New Zealand restaurant culture is a well developed part of the New Zealand lifestyle.

Read more on the top 33 New Zealand restaurants.

New Zealand Wine

New Zealand Wine is internationally known for its quality - especially its Sauvignon blanc.
Many of the 376 wineries in New Zealand have excellent restaurants as part of their vineyard. These restaurants offer world class cuisine, normally using the best local produce. These are often popular with locals and visiting tourists alike. They are a great opportunity to taste the best that New Zealand has to offer in terms of food and wine.

New Zealand Wine industry was first started by the European immigrants, and is now internationally acclaimed as producing some of the best wines in the world.

The cool climate and long autumns are ideal for wine making, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and to develop the full flavour that characterize New Zealand wine. New Zealand wines are known for their distinct taste and intense flavour, such as white Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling, bottle fermented sparkling wines, and red Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. These fine wines are a perfect complement to the fresh, tasty foods of New Zealand..

Many consider New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc the world’s finest. Marlborough is well worth a visit for this reason.

New Zealand major wine making is in the dry, sunny eastern regions, in three main areas - Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough. Other areas of importance are Auckland, Martinborough, Nelson, Canterbury and Queenstown.

Many wineries have attractive settings, with restaurants and/or gardens where their wares can be enjoyed. Tours and tasting are often available.