The traditional Māori meal does not follow a sequential service. Kai (food) is shared collectively: kai moana (seafood), kai hua whenua (produce of the land such as kumara and aruhe), and meats roasted or cooked in a hāngi (earth oven). At hākari (feasts), all dishes are presented together on woven mats. Social hierarchy determines who eats first — the rangatira (chief) and his distinguished guests. Food is sacred (tapu) during preparation and becomes noa (accessible) once cooked.

Ancestral Polynesian technique: a pit dug in the earth, lined with red-hot volcanic stones, where food wrapped in leaves is steamed for hours. The hāngi imparts a unique smoky, earthy flavor, and remains the emblematic technique of Māori cuisine. In Hone Heke's time, the hāngi served both daily meals and great hākari (feasts) marking alliances, victories, or the welcoming of important visitors.