While some of the New Zealand food sounds really exotic and somewhat intimidating, they also have much more American-friendly cuisines for those days when all we want is a taste of home. For instance, a favorite dish, brought over by the English, is fish and chips, which is something all of us Americans are familiar with. However, sow thistle isn't a staple in the U.S., but the Maoris eat it all the time. There are major differences and also major similarities between American and Kiwi cuisine. A lot of the basic ingredients are the same, like avocados, sweet potatoes, chicken, beef, pork, and extra virgin olive oil. However, their cooking methods are really different from ours because for our special guests, we usually grill or have a really big dinner or cookout. But the New Zealanders have a hangi, which is a method of cooking where they dig a hole and steam the food in the ground with hot stones and water. To me it seems really odd to do this, but at the same time, I would love to see one and to try the food because I'm a huge fan of slow-cooked food. The New Zealanders have a big Polynesian influence on their food, being closer to Asia. They also have a big Maori influence. In America, we have a really big European influence, mainly Italian for the amount of pizza and pasta that we eat and also for the vast amount of Italian restaurants. While we also have Chinese food, mainly takeout, it isn't as big here as the Italian food is. In New Zealand, their cuisine is just as differentiated as ours is, but I think they have a much bigger Asian influence because their immigration population is largely Asian.
One of the really big differences I noticed in ingredients is that in America, we have a lot of Mexican food, which is a part of our diets as well, so corn or corn products are a staple in American homes. However, I didn't notice anything about corn in the New Zealand article. I think that if there is any quintessential American food, it is corn because our natives grew it long before the European settlers arrived here in the 1500s. On the other hand, in New Zealand, they eat feijoas and tamarillos, which are fruits that I have never heard of. The feijoa is a green fruit that looks a little like a tomato inside with the firm flesh and the slimy stuff with the seeds in it. The tamarillo looks like a roma tomato from the outside but looks kind of like a yellowish kiwi on the inside with small seeds. The feijoa especially is eaten a lot in New Zealand, and as I have found with further research, is given as a gift sometimes to newcomers to the country as sort of a welcome. Tamarillos are similar to tomatoes in structure and texture but are slightly more bitter and are to be eaten with sweeter foods, like ice cream.
When I'm in New Zealand, I really want to try a tamarillo and a feijoa and also learn how to pronounce them because my Spanish class background is probably telling me to pronounce them wrong! They look really interesting and also like nothing I've ever seen before. I'm not a picky eater at all, but I am also really hesitant to try new foods, so I want to get over that with these two fruits. I also want to experience a hangi because it seems like a really cultural and unique experience that would be really memorable and also delicious.= It's these really authentic traditions that I look forward to seeing Down Under.
When I am in Australia, I want to eat some Kangaroo Stew!!! Ever since we made it in class, I have wanted to try it because I love fish and meat; I couldn't be a vegetarian if I was paid, so I won't have a problem with trying that! I also want to try some barbecued food in either country because barbecue is my favorite food; not anything barbecued in particular, but barbecue as a whole is my favorite because of the whole tradition of smoked food. And, of course, the food. :)
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