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| Culinary history |
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 The New Zealand gourmet experience is a relatively recent one. Less than 30 years ago 'meat and three veg' was the staple family diet, eating out was a limited experience mostly involving straightforward fodder such as steak and chips, fish and chips, baked meats and pies - a culture which stemmed from the British colonial heritage.Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, Maori food or kai was always based around the land. Maori were great hunters and gatherers and lived on birds and fish cooked with wild herbs and roots. In the late 18th century, the first European settlers brought with them foods like potatoes, pumpkin, wheat and sugar which were quickly adopted by Maori who had long been plagued by food shortages. British influence on New Zealand cuisine continued throughout the 20th century but by the 1960s - when affordable air travel allowed New Zealanders to travel more freely - Kiwi cuisine began to change as travellers who'd developed a taste for European and Pacific cuisine looked for more variety. |
