Two Tastes of New Zealand

My greatest memories of New Zealand are where food and place are tied together. Eating local, freshly gathered produce and participating in the harvesting connected me deeply to a landscape and culture.

Valencia Oranges, Kerikeri

We arrive at the citrus farm, which is drenched in sun. It’s just off the main road but far enough away to feel miles from civilization. Travelers who work on the farm in exchange for accommodation feed the chickens and harvest the fruit. Stefan shows us in to the cottage in the organic orange grove, which he bought and renovated himself. He’s called it Valencia Cottage. The bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom—all perfect. But the detail we love the most is the porch under the trees. Every morning we reach out and pick oranges to make the freshest juice I’ve ever tasted. The oranges themselves would never appear in supermarkets as they are when we pick them; a black dust has settled on top of many. Looks are forgotten with the first sip, a perfect balance of sweetness and tang swallowed in greedy gulps.


Green Shell Mussels, Marlborough Sounds

Mike’s capable hands pull the line out of the water and on to the boat. He explains how mussel farming used to be done locally; everyone who lived on the coast would set their own lines. Now it’s entirely commercial, with kilometers of rope being strung across the Marlborough Sounds and thousands of tons of mussels being shipped around the world. Locals are still allowed to harvest a certain amount each year and soon dozens of green edged mussels are filling our buckets. Then we’re heading back to shore where Mike will steam them open for those of us lucky enough to be at one of Hopewell’s mussel nights. Everyone who’s made their way to this remote corner of the South Island on Kenepuru Sound is invited to enjoy the mussels. Homemade pesto and sweet chili sauces are set out along the trestle table, their flavors enhancing but never overpowering the salty, chewy taste of the sounds.