As I mentioned in one of my first 'Kiwi' blog posts, food has been one of the biggest elements of culture shock I have experienced. In all honesty, most days, it still is. I never considered myself a picky eater before... There are really only four foods/condiments that I really do not like and find hard to eat: Cheese, mayonnaise, butter, and any kind of pig product... minus bacon. I love bacon. Anything else that is put in front of me, I pretty much eat without complaint or hesitation (yeah, I love eating).
Some of the food I have had here in NZ has been... interesting... It has been surprisingly different than food in the states, which I was not quite expecting. I figured everything would either be closely similar or possibly even healthier than food in the States. Never assume, people, never assume ANYTHING. Nonetheless, I have been trying to eat everything (or MOST everything) that my host family eats and what they would consider popular Kiwi meals.
So now that I am about halfway done with my internship, I decided it was time to share in my taste bud experiences with you from across the world...
Baked Beans on Toast
(Ingredients: Whole grain toast, butter, baked beans... TONS poured over the entire top...)
**This meal is a major breakfast staple here in NZ. It's actually pretty decent once you take away at least SOME of the butter so it's not a thick layer like how I had it the first time. I haven't been able to eat it for brekkie yet though... not something I am craving first thing in the morning. But, I do have it about once a week for lunch though. Simple and easy.
I must also note that Kiwis pretty much love ANYTHING on toast... cheese on toast, marmite/vegemite on toast, nutella on toast, peanut butter on toast, tomato sauce on toast... my favorite? Avocado on toast with lemon pepper... sounds weird, I know, but so good.
Deviled Sausages
(Ingredients: Sliced Sausages, courgettes (zucchini), broccoli, carrot, some special kind of sauce sweet/savory sauce... it's all baked in a casserole dish and poured over rice)
**My host family eats this meal once a week for dinner. It is one of Yo's favorites to make... AND Ethan loves it, which is important because he is becoming a pickier eater by the day. Like I said earlier... NOT a pig product fan. The first time I had it, I really could only eat a few of the sausages without feeling a little sick. Now, although it's not my favorite meal, I can actually eat most of it now.
Roast Lamb with Savory Pumpkin and Parsnip
(Ingredients: Lamb, pumpkin cuts, parsnip, carrots, broccoli, blue kumara (sweet potatoes) all roasted together)
** This is a meal prepared for me when I had my traditional Kiwi weekend... and it is DELICIOUS. Apart from Kiwi's love for eating the fat off the lamb meat and bones. Can't quite do that. Not to mention, the autumnal vegetables that are roasted with the lamb are spectacular.
Ham Steak
(Ingredients: some weird processed slices of ham... baked or fired in a pan and served with basically whatever else you want for dinner)
** Nope. Don't like this at all. Neil and Yo have it for dinner when they want something easy... I make sure I go out for dinner or get takeaways on these nights.
Fujoa
(Ingredients: FUJOA!)
** A Fujoa is simply a kind of fruit native to NZ. They kind of look like skinnier kiwi fruit without the furry skin. A lot of people think they taste weird, but I LOVE them. I basically just slice one in half and eat the fruit out with a spoon. A really great snack for afternoon tea.
Meat Pies
(Ingredients: Steak or mince (ground meat) and gravy inside a pastry pie shell.)
** THESE ARE SO GOOD. This was my first kiwi meal I had with Hamish and Molly the day I landed in CHCH and I still love them so much. Pretty much any bakery around town will have pies for sale... they are quick and easy. Pies are the Kiwi equivalent to hotdogs or donuts in American gas stations. Not only to they have pies in the gas stations here, but they sit in the little heated compartments in the food section. They don't look that great, but they taste delicious. I kind of 'pied' myself out the two weeks of EQ relief because I had around one a day because there was nothing else to eat... but nonetheless, they're delicious.
Pavlova
(Ingredients: Butter, caster sugar, egg, egg whites, vanilla extract, strawberries, and kiwi fruit)
** Pavlova is a traditional dessert here in New Zealand. It is basically just a big meringue with fruit put on top. The meringue in the middle is still soft and fluffy... fluffed sugar essentially, but the meringue on the outside forms a hard shell when baked. This is super super good... but I can only have about three spoonfuls before I get a stomach ache. I love sweets, but this can be a little too much.
Milo
(Ingredients: Milo...?)
** This is Kiwi hot chocolate... except my understanding of hot chocolate was not prepared for this stuff. The first time I made it for myself, I didn't realize that you needed to add milk and sugar... so basically, all I got was a hot cup of pure cocoa dissolved in hot water. Not so delicious. Now that I know how to properly make milo, I am still not a fan. I miss swiss miss.
Marmite/Vegemite
(Ingredients: Yeast and salt...?)
** Just like Men at Work say in the song 'Down Under'... "Gave me a vegemite sandwich..." Marmite and vegemite are salty yeast spreads put on sandwiches and on toast. Kiwis LOVE them. It has the consistency of super thick peanut butter but looks like molasses... or grease. To me, it tastes like poop. It's awful. I heard a huge hype about this stuff before I arrived, and after trying it I will not eat it again.
Peas with Mint Sauce
** I love peas and I love mint... not sure if I am the biggest fan of the combo, but it's pretty decent.
Fish and Chips
(Ingredients: Battered and Fried white fish with potato wedges)
** This is standard English takeaway food, something you would order on a Friday night when you just want to stay at home and vege out. So so so good. I don't like fast food too much, but this is spectacular.
Ham and Cole Slaw Sandwiches
(Ingredients: Bread, butter, deli ham, cole slaw, mayonnaise)
** Did you even look at the ingredients? What in your right mind makes you think I enjoy this food? After the earthquake, my host family just made a bunch of these sandwiches so we would have some food with us... except both sides of the bread were buttered, both sides had mayo, and then the ham, and then the cole slaw... cabbage in mayonnaise sauce... Let's just say I took one bite and kind of lost my appetite. I bought myself some peanut butter that afternoon.
TimTams
(Ingredients: Chocolate Biscuits... TimTams...)
** Tim Tams are a brand of packaged biscuit (cookie) here in NZ. They are so delicious. TimTams are the NZ version of the Keebler cookies. Yummmmm. So good dipped in coffee too.
I have been trying a lot of other things as well, but these are the main foods that stick out to me. I love that people here are very into free range foods and buying organic. I love going to the fruit and veggie store to get fresh produce. Produce, although HEAPS more expensive than in the states, tastes so much better. So does coffee. And so is takeaways Indian food.
I have three more months to be training and experimenting with my tastebuds. Anyone have any challenges for me?
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