Auckland Museum blog

Maua ko moa

Kia ora. Ko Jacqueline Snee taku ingoa. Ko Ngati Porou me Ngati Kahungunu oku iwi. Ko ahau te kaitiaki o nga pukapuka raupapa kei Tamaki Paenga Hira.

Ko te Moa Tipua, kei te papa tuatahi taku taonga e noho ana.

Aue e hika maa tona taroaroa hoki! Ko te Moa Tipua te manu tiketike rawa atu i te ao katoa! Ka hoki mahara ki nga tipuna me ta ratou kitenga i tenei manu hautipua ara te Moa. Rokohanga ka kitea ai nga wheua kaitaa o tenei tu momo manu! Ko aua wheua i hahu ake patata ki toku ake wa kainga ki Takapau.

Kare e kore i tupono oku tipuna ki tenei momo manu!

“Hold fast to your language and culture, least they become extinct like the Giant Moa!”

The giant Moa is the tallest bird in the world. When I look at this replica I think of my ancestors and the first time they saw it. According to the korero we ate the Moa. Giant Moa bones have been found on the Takapau plains which is close to my home town in the Hawkes Bay. This is the connection to our ancestors the first peoples of Aotearoa.

Maua ko nga kete

Ko Beth Tauroa toku ingoa,
No Pohara Paa ahau,
He Uri ahau no Waikato.

Kete: Ko Mathew McIntyre Wilson te kairaranga o tenei kete, he uri ia no Taranaki, no Nga Mahanga, me Titahi hoki, nana tonu enei kete i hanga mai.

I rarangahia ai enei taonga ki te waea kappa me te waea hiriwa hoki.

He kete enei taonga, he taonga na nga mahi a te whare pora. He kete enei hei whangai i te hinengaro o te iwi, e titiro ana me pehea te whakauru atu I nga ahuatanga hou ki roto i nga mahi toi o enei raa.

Ki oku nei whakaaro he mea nui kia takoto ngatahi nga taonga tuku iho me nga taonga o tea o hurihuri nei. Kia mohio ai he iwi mauritu te iwi Maori, he iwi ihumanea, he ahurea hihiri hoki!

It was very interesting to be on the panel for the session on food at the Late at the museum, I was interested in how the discussion went,

We came back to science and sustainability quite often but these are only part of a good future for food.

The relationship of humans to food, and especially cooking, is of vital importance to all areas of society. Food isn’t just about eating. Because it is the most fundamental activity for humans, when, with whom, how often, at what time and what we eat it is used by humans for all sorts of sociological and cultural reasons.

Cooking, the thing which distinguishes us from animals also plays a large role in health and socialistion. If you cook, you eat better food, you can take control of your diet, you expand food choices, portions are smaller and it is more efficient to cook for a group than for a few people, so you tend to gather round the shared table which is where most socialisation goes on- you learn your manners, and underestimated mechanism.

It is interesting that in all the talk of the obesity epidemic, cooking is never mentioned. One can only assume that the powers that be know the value of cooking but have a better plan up their sleeves to solve the problems caused by junk food and overeating.

Read Michael Pollan‘s article in the New York Times “Out of the Kitchen and Onto the Couch” for more on this.

Being able to understand the importance of gastronomy is a vast interdisciplinary field. it is not just about sustainability or science, it is about culture.

If you remove the huge function home cooking performs, it would seem that it should be replaced with something equally clever. So I can’t work out what this is. Does anyone have a suggestion?

One other thing, the current attitude to fast food, that it is not really able to be held responsible for bad health, or that obesity is one’s own choice/fault is similar to the attitudes to tobacco when they were just establishing links between smoking and cancer. We will undoubtedly accept the dangers to people the 24/7 availability of what were formerly treat foods that are provided by fast food outlets. The recent talk of banning tobacco all together means that this will one day happen. It is called social change. Similarly we will look back at the days when fast food could be unrestrictedly sold with disbelief.

Greetings, Makh Benyettou here from Sahaa restaurant on Albert Street. At this Saturday’s World on Your Plate, I will be preparing Fig Couscous for you to taste. This is a very colourful vegetarian dish and I have included the recipe below so you to cook the dish at home.

Vegetarian fig couscous

25 grams of salted butter

1/2 a sliced brown onion

1 tablespoon white sugar

pinch of ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons of orange juice

handful of soaked chickpeas

tablespoon of washed sultanas

5 dried figs cut in half

1/2 a carrot cut into rounds

2 tablespoons of frozen peas

Vegetable stock

1 teaspoon of tomato paste

Brown onions in butter. Add sugar, cinnamon and orange juice. Add dried fruit and vegetables. Stir to combine. Cover with vegetable stock until just covered. When juices have reduced a little add tomato paste. Serve on top of couscous. Garnish with freshly chopped mint and roasted slivered almonds

Maua ko Tohirere Matehaere Tangataware Rawiri (Maori Court, Tamaki Paenga Hera)

He tohunga tōku koroua ki te mahi hāngi. Kei te rongo tonu tōku ihu i ngā hua o āna mahi! Te reka hoki o te mīti poaka, kau hoki, me te paukena, kūmara, rīwai!

Nā, ka tukuna e tōku koro i āna pukenga ki tōku pāpā, heke iho ki ōku tūngaane. A tōna wā pea, ka mau aku mokopuna i tērā mātauranga tino nui ki a tātou te iwi Māori. Tau kē!

Ko te tupuna nei ko Tohirere Matehaere Tangataware Rawiri, engari e mōhiotia whānuitia nei ko Te Ware. Nō Ngāti Whanaunga, nō Ngāi Tai, nō Ngāi Te Rangi.

Ka moe ia i a Maude Moengārangi Tuhimata, nō Tuakau, ka puta ko Te Ruapotaka. Ka moe a Te Ruapōtaka i a Ngāpuāwai Rose Barlow, nō Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Whātua hoki, ka puta ko au.

Ki te reo Ingarihi (In the English language)

This tupuna is Tohirere Matehaere Tangataware Rawiri, but he was known by everyone as Te Ware. His iwi are Ngāti Whanaunga, Ngāi Tai, and Ngāi Te Rangi.

He married Maude Moengārangi Tuhimata, who was from Tuakau, and Te Ruapotaka was born. Te Ruapōtaka married Ngāpuāwai Rose Barlow, from Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Whātua, and I was born.

My grandfather was an expert at making hāngi. My nose can still smell the fruits of his work! So delicious was the pork, beef, pumpkin, kūmara, and potatoes!

Anyway, my koro passed on his skills to my father, who passed them down to my brothers. Perhaps in time, my grandchildren will attain that knowledge that is so important to us. Awesome!

Ko Antoine Coffin tēnei, nō Ngaiterangi me Ngāti Ranginui. He uri ahau o ngā tūpuna o Tauranga Moana. Nā ratau i hanga mai ēnei kōhatu. Ko te whakaaro o ngā kaihuakanga, ngā ‘bowling balls’ mō ngā mea takaro porowhiu.

He kōhatu orooro nō Tauranga Moana.

Original gallery label: Nothing is known of the Maori name or use of stone discs found in the Tauranga District. They are, however, similar to stone discs found in Hawaii, and it has been suggested that they were used in a similar game of bowls.

Rite tonu te kīhatu orooro ki ngā papa kuti o tēnei wa.  He hoanga hoki mō ngā kai.  Ko ngā kai oroorotia me pakarutia, he aruhe, he rongoa, he kaimoana hoki.  E pai ana te taonga ki te hikitia, mai tena ki tera o nga wahi.  Te patu aruhe me te kōohatu orooro e mahi ngatahi.

Ahakoa, e katakata ana ahau ki nga korero i runga i te tapanga, kaore e tika.  Ko te korero tuturu, he kōhatu ma te mahi kai. Ko te mahi kai, hei whangaitia ta matou tinana.

Maua ko Hinana ti uta, Hinana ki tai ('Maori Court West', Tamaki Paenga Hira)

Ko Kotuku Tibble toku ingoa, no Ngati Tuwharetoa ahau. He uri ahau no Iwikau nana i hanga mai i tenei paataka kai, hei tohu mo te kaupapa whakatuu i te Kingi Maori I Pukawa ki te pito taitonga o Taupo moana i te tau 1856.

Hinana ki uta, Hinana ki tai! He paataka kai tenei no Ngati Tuwharetoa.

He paataka tenei hei pupuri i nga kai, hei whangai i te taha tinana i te taha wairua hoki o te tangata.

Tino kaingakau ahau ki tenei taonga, ka taea e au te hono atu ki oku tupuna.

Ka mau te wehi!

Greetings, Olga and Iryna here from Vintage Café. At this weekend’s Russian World on Your Plate, you will have the chance to taste Pierogi. Pierogi are semi-circular dumplings of unleavened dough stuffed with a variety of fillings such as mashed potato, cheese, sauerkraut, spinach, meat and even fruit fillings such as strawberry, raspberry and cherry depending on the cook’s preference.  

Pierogi

Perogi are popular in Russia, Eastern Europe, and America due to the large Eastern European immigrant population -  there is even a Pierogi Festival held in Indiana.
We’ve included a recipe below for you to make your own pierogi. Perfect for winter!

Pierogi

2 pounds (900 grams) peeled potatoes, cooked (save water from cooked potatoes)
2 onions chopped
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter/margarine
Salt and pepper
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cook potatoes in simmering water until soft and mash thoroughly.  Saute onion in butter/margarine until very soft, add 1/2 of the onions to the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Add vegetable oil and enough water to make a soft dough and mix until the dough no longer sticks to the hands. Cover dough and let rest for about 15 minutes. Roll out dough on a floured board to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into small squares and place a dollop of potato mixture in the center of each square. Fold dough, pinch ends to form a triangle. When all are made, put into boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes. When all are cooked, drain and serve with the remaining sauteed onions on top.

See you on Saturday!

Hi, Clément Richer of La Cantine du Torchon and Cédric Dupont of Pastis here: Celebrate Bastille with us in true Gallic style this Saturday as we share our love of the classic French crepes that are so popular in our bistros.

Lemon and sugar crêpe

Below is the basic recipe for crepe batter. Afterwards you can use various toppings; the possibilites are limitless. Let us know your favourite topping in the comments!

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups Flour
2 1/2 cups Milk
4 Eggs
2 tbsp. Butter
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
Vegetable Oil for the frying pan

To prepare the batter:
1. Sift flour and mix with salt in a bowl.
2. Make a well in flour and pour in eggs. Mix well.
3. Slowly pour in milk while stirring. Keep stirring batter until small bubbles form on the surface.
4. Stir in Butter. You should mix until you have a smooth, thin consistency.
Note: You can prepare the batter in advance and store it in the fridge for 30 minutes. This is will allow the batter to set and also gives you time to prepare your toppings.

To prepare the crepes:
1. Pour a little vegetable oil on a folded paper towel, and wipe the pan evenly. Repeat this step for each crepe.
2. Pour in 2 – 3 tbsp. of batter and quickly move pan around so that batter spreads evenly, creating a thin layer.
3. Cook for about 1 minute. The edges of the crepe will start to curl and turn golden. Flip the crepe and cook other side for about 30 seconds.
4. Lightly top each crepe with a filling of your choice, and then fold into quarters. Garnish with icing sugar.

Makes approximately: 12 crepes

Suggested fillings:
Lemon and Sugar –
Brush lemon juice over the crepe before folding. Garnish with icing sugar and a twist of lemon.

Caramelised Apple -
Cut an apple into thin slices. In a small sauce pan, melt 2 tbsp. of butter and saute the apple slices with some caster sugar until the apple becomes soft. Spread the apples over the crepe then fold. Garnish with icing sugar and cinnamon. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Fresh fruit and berry crêpe

I grew up on the West Coast of Scotland. My family are sailors, which has shaped my love of seafood; We would always say “If you live on the Sea, then live off the Sea.”

The normal fare (like mince and potatoes) was there of course, but so were lots of found, begged, caught, stolen and captured delights from the sea and foreshore.  We did not have a fridge on our boat, so ‘fresh’ wasn’t an option; it was a necessity.

In late summer the mackerel are running. There were so many of them that the hard part was knowing when to stop fishing. You put over a trawling line with five hooks, wait one minute and pull onboard five beautiful fat shiny fish. Crack their heads back, gutted in two cuts and under the grill. Meanwhile, someone is heading ashore to buy fresh salted chips…

In the late spring and early summer we would get up early and row our dinghy quietly up to one of the hundreds of tiny uninhabited islands that are the nesting grounds for seagulls and ducks. The rules were very strict; you only take an egg from a nest with four or more eggs in it; you only take one egg per nest; you never ever touch any of the eggs you leave behind. Back to the boat and the freshest scrambled wild eggs that nature can provide.

We had a ‘creel’ on board, which is a pot for catching crabs. Before going to sleep we would find a rocky looking piece of seabed, and drop the trap to the bottom. After breakfast, pick it up and you would usually have between five and ten nice looking crabs. Boil, crack, crunch; pate for lunch.

We had some secrets too. Over the years my family had found a number of beaches where the shape of the shingle and the depth of the tide were just right. Gumboots on (we call them Wellies) at low tide and slowly back and forth at the edge of the water. They are hard to spot initially, but once you get your eye in you could fill a bucket with oysters in an hour. Gin, tonic, lemon, oysters; the Ritz doesn’t get close to our wee boat.

Sometimes we had to be resourceful, and make friends with local fishermen.  I remember sheltering in a small anchorage from a vicious storm.  We had been there for a few days when a prawn boat came in for respite from the heavy seas.  Over we went to see them. “Have you got anything you can’t sell?”  SLAP, a huge monkfish lands in the bottom of our dinghy almost bouncing me out of it….  We survived off this beast for a couple of days!

So the stories you hear of Scottish food; dead-fried this and that? – rumours started by our jealous neighbours. For me, Scottish food is fresh, wild & tasty. And you?