New Zealand culinary initiatives highlight Kiwi and Pacific food traditions

New Zealand is seeing a renewed focus on regional and Pacific culinary identities through various cultural initiatives. In Dunedin, Eat Drink Dunedin has launched the New Zealand Food Tour, a walking experience designed to showcase nostalgic Kiwi staples such as pavlova, flat whites, and regional cheese rolls alongside local seafood sourced from southern sub-Antarctic currents.

Simultaneously, the Ocean of Flavours event held at AUT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism aimed to elevate Pacific cuisine within Aotearoa. Curated by chef Peter Gordon, the gathering brought together chefs from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. The event focused on sharing traditional techniques and ingredients to foster conversations regarding identity, community, and the preservation of culinary knowledge across generations.