Māori Food

Action song : Kua rongo rongo ake ahau.

Before the white man came to New Zealand the Māori had to rely on local resources in order to feed themselves. They relied on the sea, fresh water fish, shell fish, vegetables foods, and birds.

The vegetable foods were varied and included different roots, leaves, fruit and berries. The root vegetables were often dried and stored, and when required they were cooked over fire coals, beaten to remove the hard outer skin, then eaten. For greens they eat wild wtaer cress, centre leaves of the cabbage tree and of course puha which is still eaten today.

The trees from which they gathered fruit was the karaka berry, hinau and tawa which prepared in a variety ways.