For a small country, New Zealand punches well above its weight in produce. From a taste-making wine industry to sustainably farmed seafood, the nation has a worldwide reputation for quality. For expat chefs such as Amber Doig (The Butler), there’s sport in trying to find that produce abroad.
“I’m always out there trying to find stuff from childhood,” Doig says. “We tend to find a bit of gold [in Australia], which is great.”
While it’s now easier than ever for Kiwis to pick up their old favourites in Australia, plenty of Australians are yet to discover the magic. According to Doig, here’s what you should be checking out.
Kapiti cheese
Based on the west coast of the North Island, about an hour’s drive from Wellington, Kapiti gives its products te reo (Maori language) names to reflect both the style of the cheese and the landscapes in which they’re produced. There are cheddars, triple cream bries and washed rind styles, but Doig’s favourite is a soft blue.
“There’s one, they call it the Kikorangi, the blue cheese, which is nice,” Doig says. “It’s a bit milder, a good entry-level blue cheese for people that are like, ‘Oh I don’t eat blue cheese’. This is probably one that they’d like. I use it a lot for salads and even just cheese boards.”
Find the Kikorangi on the Kapiti Tasting Board in Costco stores, alongside a combination of New Zealand’s blue, havarti and aged cheddar cheese.
Proper Crisps
Proper Crisps launched in 2007 and has quickly become one of New Zealand’s favourite snacks. You can usually find its potato crisps in their compostable packaging in specialist Australian supermarkets, but Doig actually recommends seeking out one of the company’s other products.
“They do these mad tortilla chips which I’ve been using when I can get my hands on them for when we’re entertaining – serving them with ceviche, guacamole and all that good stuff,” Doig says. “They’re some of the best tortilla chips that I’ve tried outside of the Americas.”
Manawa Honey
In the middle of New Zealand’s north Island is Te Urewera – a former national park now under the stewardship of its traditional custodians, the Ngai Tuhoe iwi. The vast expanses of pristine mountain forests are a sanctuary for all manner of flora and fauna, particularly the honey bee. The honey produced in these forests is prized around the world, with the rewarewa an award winner.
Doig, though, favours Manawa’s manuka honey. “Manuka’s great as a standalone,” she says, “or you can eat it with cheese or use it to finish a dish.”
Regal Salmon
“Regal’s salmon is from Marlborough, and it’s sea-raised,” Doig says. “Their commitment to sustainability is next level.”
Regal Salmon’s operations in the Pelorus and Queen Charlotte sounds are situated in deep, sheltered water, with salmon occupying just two per cent of the available farming water. It means there’s plenty of room for the fish to grow and thrive.
Doig recommends using Regal’s wood-smoked salmon in salads, pastas and dips but when using the fresh fish, it’s best to keep it simple.
“Give it a good, hard sear on the skin side for about three minutes,” she says, “and then flip it over and finish it in the pan with a bit of butter and fresh herbs and some lemon juice.”
Pacific Harvest
A relatively new find for Doig, Pacific Harvest specialises in edible seaweed products. They produce a huge range of powders, seasonings and flakes that add huge flavour to dishes.
“I like it on seafood,” Doig says. “There’s a seaweed salt which is a mixture of a red and a green seaweed with Marlborough sea salt and that one’s super good on white fish – say, snapper or kingfish or even on your salmon. It just adds that whole umami flavour that the ocean gives you.”
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Made with Care New Zealand.
