In New Zealand, eating is called kai in te reo Māori — a word that means both food and the act of sharing it (manaakitanga, hospitality). The day revolves around breakfast, smoko (the morning and afternoon tea break, inherited from farmers and construction sites), lunch, then tea (the evening meal). Special occasions are celebrated around a hāngī (feast cooked in an earth oven) or a summer table set for Christmas, in the full sun of December. No French-style starter-main-dessert: here we layer small sharing plates, sweet and savory mingle all day, and the table is first and foremost a gathering place.

The Oceanic sweet potato, brought by Polynesian ancestors centuries ago, is the totem ingredient of New Zealand cuisine — from Māori hāngī to modern vegetarian plates. Its orange flesh, sweet and comforting, connects today's New Zealand to its Pacific roots. Alongside it, two other local signatures: mānuka honey and kawakawa leaves from the native forest.