Typical Food and Meals

New Zealand is an island nation with its waters containing a large variety of fish and seafood. Despite this, until recently shellfish hasn't played an important part in the diet of New Zealanders. The consumption of fish has traditionally been low as meat has been the main preference for meals. Having said this, fish and seafood has always been significant in the Maori diet and you will notice that the names of many of them are still used today in Maori. by:Yuri

Breakfast A typical New Zealand breakfast consists of cereal (especially the iconic Weet-bix for kids) and some toast which is accompanied by a cup of coffee, tea or a glass of juice or milk. Sometimes on the weekend there is time for a cooked breakfast (as appears in the photo at the top). This cooked breakfast can also be bought/eaten at cafés most mornings. A typical cooked breakfast has scrambled egg, bacon, cooked tomatoes, mushrooms, hash browns and baked beans. It's very easy to want to skip lunch after such a big breakfast. Dinner Dinner is the main meal of the day and is eaten around 6pm. It normally contains meat and cooked vegetables, especially potato. Fish and chips is another typical New Zealand meal (a traditional brought over from England) which is commonly sold wrapped in newspaper. They are cheap and a great alternative when you don't want to cook (however not necessarily the most healthy alternative). You can buy this meal at Fish & Chip shops, also known locally as Takeaways. For a more local flavour, you can ask for a variety of the local fish or maybe even a Paua fritter. Desserts The favourite desert in postre favorito en Nueva Zelandia is the PAVLOVA. It is a type of merengue covered in whipped cream then topped with fresh fruit such as kiwifruit (the most common) or strawberries. Why does it have a Russian name? In honou of a Russian ballet dancer that visited New Zealand in 1926. by:Yuri