Kia ora from Aotearoa, (greetings from the Land of the Long White Cloud) where I'm enjoying the hospitality of our Kiwi neighbours over the Christmas and New Year break. As luck has it, I'm spending most of my time up in the Far North, being indulged by its sweeping beaches, abundant seafood, beautiful climate and friendly people.

One of the first things I noticed driving northwards along the coast was the Pohutakawa tree, Metrosideros excelsa (a member of the large Myrtaceae family which includes eucalypts and melaleucas) in full bloom. I'm told its striking scarlet flowers signal that the kina (sea urchins) are fat and ready to harvest.

Over the years I've tasted many a delicious hangi but I'm also learning quickly that boilups are also a regular on the menu of Maori people. A boilup generally has a meat base like brisket and can include favourites like kumara, the universal sweet potato, (Ipomea batatas), ruruhau, mustard greens (Brassica rapa) and puwha or sow thistle, (Sonchos arvensis). This simple dish dates back to distant times when the ingredients were sourced through wild harvesting and added when available, together or individually. For those interested in giving it a crack, recipes are freely available on Google.

To add a little sweetness and crunch before serving up, Rob Morton a ngati hine ngapuhi man from Matawaia likes to add the base of new leaves from Cordyline australis to his boilup. Freshly picked diced pieces are placed on the steaming fare for a couple of minutes before serving. Eating it reminded me of the taste and crunch of fresh bamboo shoots. Rob sometimes also adds Solanum aviculare known in the Maori language as poroporo and in English as New Zealand nightshade. The fresh new leaves once cooked add a flavour like no other.

Also known as the New Zealand cabbage tree, te kouka or titi, Cordyline australis is a common grass tree found along waterways, in wetlands and on swampy flats. Easily recognizable by its creamy white flowers and bunches of white succulent fruit, it is fast growing and will readily reclaim areas that have been cleared. Along with another prolific grower, tea tree, Leptospermun scoparium from which the famous manuka honey is sourced, it is used regularly in revegetation projects throughout New Zealand.

I've really enjoyed hanging out with Maori friends and relations, who have been extremely generous in sharIng their indigenous knowledge of New Zealand native flora and fauna. and how they use some of the plants in their cooking. It's also probably a good time to remind you all that if you intend to use wild ingredients in your cooking, you are one hundred percent sure that you know what they are and safe to eat.

Happy chewing, talk to you again in 2024.