New Zealand isn’t exactly famous for its cuisine, in fact the word ‘diet’ kind of goes out the window in this post.. but here’s a list of foods you MUST try when you visit NZ (from a tourist & a local’s perspective).
*warning – do not read if you are on a diet, this is definitely not sugar free, and a lot of these I wouldn’t eat now, but I definitely recommend them if you’re not sugar free*

1. Steak & Cheese Pie
First things first, the most common food item you will always find in any town – steak and cheese pie. Genuinely a steak pie, with a layer of cheese underneath the top layer of pastry. It’s Connor’s favourite food (although he has the mince version), and a real kiwi tradition. Every shop and ‘dairy’ (corner shop/newsagents) will always have a hot counter with them readily available. The best pies in the south island? Wakefield bakery. It is well worth a visit, only half an hour from Nelson and perfect to grab en-route when heading south.

2. Real Fruit Ice Cream
Surprisingly available all year round, these ice creams are made of a base ice cream (usually vanilla) then mashed and whizzed together with fresh fruit, to create a Mr Whippy style ice cream, that will be so big you won’t be able to finish it, but you’ll want to because it will be so damn delicious.

3. The Fergburger
Next up is something worth travelling to. A staple dish in Queenstown (I’m sure it feeds at least 80% of Queenstown on a daily basis). Fergburger is essentially a burger bar, offering burgers of all different flavours, such as ‘Bombay Chicken’, ‘Sweet Bambi’, ‘Big Al’ (which is the biggest burger they do😳) and many more. You will never know how good it is until you’ve tried it.

4. Chocolate fush fish.
The first time I tried a chocolate fish was when I was black water rafting in Waitomo, as an energy snack halfway through exploring the caves. They’re strawberry flavoured marshmallow, shaped into a fish and then covered in a layer of chocolate. Be cautious when giving to kids – they will be jumping off the ceiling afterwards 😅

5. Pineapple Lumps
Another staple kiwi treat, is pineapple lumps. Very random, but actually quite tasty, these treats are essentially a solid but chewy pineapple flavoured cube, covered in chocolate. possibly made famous by this advert which never gets old & sums up New Zealand completely – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q800G-x8qA0

6. Pic’s Peanut Butter
I can confidently say this peanut butter is THE best in the world. Once you’ve tried it, no other nut butter will be the same. Purchasable in 1kg tubs, as well as ‘slugs’ (sachet portions), it’s the best snack for any peanut butter lover. They have also recently built a brand new factory which now offers tours to see the nut butter being made. (It’s going to be one of the first things I do when I’m back in Nelson).

7. Tim Tams
Not strictly kiwi, as the aussies share them too, but very much enjoyed on this side of the hemisphere, and sadly not available in the UK. So if you’re from England, you may have tried the penguin biscuit? Well the Tim Tam is a serious upgrade from that. (I mean really the only similarity is the shape because the taste is far superior). There is a very certain way of eating these, which I only found out from a kiwi, in which you bite one small corner off, and then the opposite corner, and then get a cup of tea or coffee, and suck the drink through the biscuit like a straw, turning the biscuit into pure molten chocolate. (Don’t knock it until you try it, seriously).

8. Feijoa
I’d never heard of Feijoa’s until my visit to New Zealand, and they seem to be growing in many peoples gardens, as common as the apple and orange. They are very hard to describe, but you cut them in half (or rip if you’re a kiwi) and then scoop & eat the inside of the fruit. Very sweet and juicy but make sure you eat them when they are ripe!

These items are just a few signature foods that are famous in New Zealand, and if you’re going all the way over there, you might as well try the local cuisine right? 🤷 Have you tried any of these? let me know in the comments below!