Auckland Street Food

Auckland Street Food is largely influenced by the cuisine of England, British English cuisine. Another large influence on cuisine is Australia. As a large portion of New Zealand is agricultural, a heavy emphasis on food in Auckland is placed on sustainably sourced, fresh ingredients from local farms. Increasingly, Southeast Asian and Asian cuisines are also becoming more popular.

Food in Auckland can be found along the streets in kiosks or small cafes, in mid-range restaurants and fine-dining establishments. Traditional Maori cuisine in Auckland is still considered rather exotic, and is not commonly served. Common ingredients used in many Auckland dishes include potatoes, beef, chicken, bread (white, brown, rye), lamb, olives, fish (whiptail, cod, gurnard, tarakihi, snapper), onions, lettuce, tomatoes, peas, mushrooms, grapes, sugar, milk and more.

Despite the diversity of dishes, Auckland and New Zealand at large have very few iconic home-grown dishes. There isn’t a particular dish that is truely representative of the country, besides basic ingredients like the Kiwi Fruit. Increasingly, there are several alternative food movements / lifestyle choices that are becoming more popular in New Zealand. These include vegetarian, nut free, lactose free, gluten free, and the latest raw food movement. Auckland is one of the few cities in the world where such lifestyle choices can easily be supported and sustained.

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Tripel Karmeliet Beer is a golden Belgium beer, with a creamy head, and a fruity aroma of banana and vanilla. It has a complex taste, with a creamy dryness and a slight spicy bite without being bitter. Tripel Karmeliet Beer is made with 3 cereals; wheat, oat and barley, and is still brewed according to an authentic 1679 recipe from monks in the Dendermonde convent in Belgium. Beer Tripel Karmeliet won the world beer awards in 2009.

Bread is one of the staples widely consumed in New Zealand, and because of the emphasis on healthy living, Raisin Bread is very popular in Auckland. Vogel Bread is a quick, no knead bread popular throughout New Zealand, known as the ‘Busy People’s Bread’, that has the unique characteristic of being able to keep well for a few days.

New Zealand is known for their high quality chocolate bars. In Auckland, the Kiwi Fruit Chocolate and Manuka Honey Comb Chocolate are considered to be representative tastes of New Zealand.

Club Sandwich, also known as a Clubhouse Sandwich, is a layered sandwich made with toasted white bread. A Club Sandwich includes several ingredients, including lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, turkey, bacon, ham and pickles. In New Zealand, a Club Sandwich is further enhanced with slices of avocado, pineapple or kiwi fruit. It is usually served with french fries / english chips, tomato ketchup and coleslaw or garden salad.

There are many different types of Compote in New Zealand, often home-made and fresh, served with various dishes. Apple Raisin Walnut Compote is probably one of the most popular, along with Cinnamon And Cherry Compote. A true Auckland classic is the Rhubarb Compote.

Also known as New Zealand Corn Fritters, although locals in Auckland refer to them as Corn Pattie Stacks. These Corn Pattie Stacks are made with all purpose flour, water, salt, egg, vegetable oil, creamed corn and baking powder. Sometimes, tomato, zucchini or onion is added. Corn Pattie Stacks are usually served as an appetizer or snack.

The traditional Eggs Benedict as served in New Zealand follows closely to the combination of ham, English Muffin, poached egg and hollandise sauce, minus the addition of bacon.

While Grilled Chicken is a simple dish, the clean atmosphere of New Zealand and free-range chicken farming means that the actual meat packs quite a bit of flavour. In Auckland, Grilled Chicken may be served with a simple honey sauce, which caramelises slightly on the meat.

Considered to be a New Zealand iconic dish, Hokey Pokey Ice Cream is named for the lumps of honeycomb toffee mixed with plain vanilla ice cream. This gives Hokey Pokey Ice Cream a sweet taste with a slight crunchy texture.

Hot Chocolate in Auckland is a perfect cold weather drink, and is usually made with locally produced drinking chocolate. The Hot Chocolate in New Zealand tends to be the thin variety, similar to the British Hot Chocolate.

The Kiwi Breakfast is similar to the American Breakfast or the English Breakfast. It is a combination of eggs, tomatoes, toast, mushrooms, bacon, sausages, baked beans and potatoes of some kind. The ingredients in the Kiwi Breakfast are all sourced from local New Zealand farms.

Even in New Zealand, known for its many sheep, Lamb Brains are a uncommon dish, served more for novelty. Lamb Brains in Auckland are prepared by breading and deep frying, and served with a light mayonnaise sauce. Lamb Brains have a delicate texture, similar to soft cheese or cream cheese, and very little gamey taste.

New Zealand is one of the best places in the world to eat Lamb Rack, because of the high quality of meat here. Lamb Rack in Auckland is often a huge serving, with a sauce, typically a mint sauce or gravy, served with potatoes and vegetables of some kind. Lamb Rack is best prepared rare or medium, and it should still be juicy within while having a nice char outside.

Manuka Honey, produced from the manuka tree, is a typical example of a New Zealand product. Manuka Honey is considered to have health benefits, including anti-bacterial properties.

Milk is a prime export of New Zealand, and fresh Milk is readily available in many stores in Auckland.

Mineral Water is another prime export of New Zealand, sourced from the many natural springs and rivers throughout the country. However, tap water in Auckland is clean and safe enough to drink, without having to buy bottled Mineral Water. Still, many people consume Mineral Water for its purported health benefits.

Seafood forms a large part of the New Zealand diet, and among the most popular seafood is Mussels. In Auckland, Mussels can be served in a variety of ways, but some of the more popular ways include Mussels In Cream Sauce, Mussels In Garlic Butter Sauce, and Mussels In White Wine Sauce.

Olivani Spread is a type of bread spread made from olives / olive oil. Considered to be a healthier alternative for a bread spread, it is increasing in popularity in health-conscious New Zealand.

The Raw Food Movement, also known as Raw Foodism, is a diet of uncooked, unprocessed, and often organic foods or wild foods. It is increasingly popular in health-conscious New Zealand, and many raw food dishes prepared in Auckland resemble energy bars or cocktails.

Ginger Slice / Ginger Crunch is a type of confectionery that consist of a cookie base covered with a topping of ginger flavoured icing. Ginger Slice / Ginger Crunch is made with all purpose flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, ginger and golden syrup. There have since been many other variations and flavours, including Lemon, Cinnamon, Caramel, Chocolate, and more.

Weet Bix is a high-fibre and low sugar breakfast cereal biscuit, and is considered an iconic New Zealand breakfast food. Advertising for Weet Bix, under the slogan ‘Kiwi Kids are Weet Bix kids’, was hugely successful.

Wine is a big industry in New Zealand, and among the many variaties of Wine produced, the Red Wine Pinot Noir is regarded as among the most important of grape variety. New Zealand Red Wine Pinot Noir tends to be full-bodied with a savoury, earthy flavour and hints of fruit.

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