Many restaurants take the opportunity to ‘feed the stars’, to take a moment and give thanks, and to honour the traditions and come together as a community and there are multiple opportunities for cafés and restaurants to showcase the foods and flavours – get inspired for your menu now...
Matariki is the name for the stellar cluster also known as the Pleiades. Its appearance signifies the beginning of the Māori lunar New Year, and food plays a significant role in the celebration.
Many restaurants take the opportunity to ‘feed the stars’, to take a moment and give thanks, and to honour the traditions and come together as a community. Food is an important part of any feast, and there are multiple opportunities for cafés and restaurants to showcase foods and flavours that have meaning in their own unique style at this special time of year.
Traditionally, Matariki food includes seasonal ingredients such as winter vegetables and fruits, meat and seafoods, side dishes like rēwana bread, and native herbs and spices, cooked over fire or coals (not everyone has a hangi in their back yard!). Don’t be afraid to add your own personal touch to make your Matariki dishes both a celebration of the event, and an opportunity to expand your own horizons to incorporate native flavours and concepts.
Look at creating theme nights, or Matariki Feast specials where diners can learn more about this special date and experience its meaning through food. Pair meats like pork and beef, and seafood like salmon, mussels and cockles, with herbs and spices like pikopiko, kawakawa and peppery horopito. Add-ons like fry bread, rewena bread, kūmara, wood ear fungus and mushrooms add texture and flavour.
Recipe Call Outs - Get Inspired here
Mussels and cockles steamed with native herbs and kawakawa leaves
Rare seared beef with mushroom risotto and golden pohutukawa flower
Crisp golden kūmara chips with horopito aioli
Seared NZ salmon rubbed with dried horopito spice and garnished with pikopiko fern fronds.
