Can you Kiwi?
Last year I called my boss' phone and he answered by saying "G'Day". I was so thrown that for a few seconds there was radio silence until he broke it by saying "You probably weren't expecting that?" And I hadn't but recently I catch myself saying it too!
This was among an abundance of things that sparkled me in the early months of living in Auckland. Here are some of my 'Kiwi' favourites and a few which I'm not so sure about.
The Beer Fridge
I'm teetotal but was amused when I found out that the reason one of the three fridges in our work kitchen beeped on opening was because it is stacked to the brim full of beers. In my previous jobs alcohol wasn't even allowed on the premises! Kiwis have a great tradition of hitting the beer fridge on a Friday afternoon and socialising with colleagues before heading out for the weekend.
Morning Tea
When I first heard this expression I pictured jam and cream scones with a selection of teas. Morning tea is usually served between 10am - 10:30am and there might be scones but they'll most likely be spinach and feta savoury ones. The hightlights are mini mince pies (mince meat not fruit mince) and sausage rolls. Just don't be late or there won't be any left!
Chocolate Fish and Pineapple Lumps
Do you want a lolly? Lollies are a general term for sweets and treats. We used to call fruit flavoured ice cream lollies when I was growing up in Zimbabwe, but in New Zealand those are called ice blocks! Chocolate fish are my favourite type! They are like the marshmellow Easter Eggs I had as a child, only smaller and fish shaped. In some cafes if you order a hot chocolate you'll get a chocolate fish on the side, yum! Pineapple lumps, well they're certainly an acquired taste. Pineapple coated in chocolate, the jury's out...
Sausage Sizzle
We all love a BBQ right? On Saturday mornings around New Zealand, charities and school fund raising committees will set up sausage sizzles. The sizzle is a sausage in a folded slice of bread. If I'm honest I find this a bit weird, why not use a bread roll?
Hokey Pokey
Essentially honeycomb flavoured (like a Crunchie, but without the chocolate), mainly of an ice cream variety.
Feijoa
The feijoa is a small green fruit which is native to South America but thrives in the Kiwi climate. In the autumn months (March - May) they are available by the bucketful. I'm not sure what the ratio is of those who can't get enough and those who can't get rid of them fast enough but I lie on the latter side of the fence.
Pavlova
Like the Flat White, there is a long running dispute over whether this dessert originated in Australia or New Zealand. It is a marshmellowy meringe base with fruit and cream on the top, perfect for summer al fresco dining.
Lemon & Paeroa (L&P)
This is a soft drink made by combining lemon juice with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa. If you drive through the town you can take a photo of the L&P Bottle.
Do you have any Kiwi favourites? Please share them with us in the comments section below. And if you enjoyed this post why not subscribe for an RSS feed every time a new post is published and a monthly newsletter.
This was among an abundance of things that sparkled me in the early months of living in Auckland. Here are some of my 'Kiwi' favourites and a few which I'm not so sure about.
The Beer Fridge
I'm teetotal but was amused when I found out that the reason one of the three fridges in our work kitchen beeped on opening was because it is stacked to the brim full of beers. In my previous jobs alcohol wasn't even allowed on the premises! Kiwis have a great tradition of hitting the beer fridge on a Friday afternoon and socialising with colleagues before heading out for the weekend.
Morning Tea
When I first heard this expression I pictured jam and cream scones with a selection of teas. Morning tea is usually served between 10am - 10:30am and there might be scones but they'll most likely be spinach and feta savoury ones. The hightlights are mini mince pies (mince meat not fruit mince) and sausage rolls. Just don't be late or there won't be any left!
Chocolate Fish and Pineapple Lumps
Do you want a lolly? Lollies are a general term for sweets and treats. We used to call fruit flavoured ice cream lollies when I was growing up in Zimbabwe, but in New Zealand those are called ice blocks! Chocolate fish are my favourite type! They are like the marshmellow Easter Eggs I had as a child, only smaller and fish shaped. In some cafes if you order a hot chocolate you'll get a chocolate fish on the side, yum! Pineapple lumps, well they're certainly an acquired taste. Pineapple coated in chocolate, the jury's out...
Sausage Sizzle
We all love a BBQ right? On Saturday mornings around New Zealand, charities and school fund raising committees will set up sausage sizzles. The sizzle is a sausage in a folded slice of bread. If I'm honest I find this a bit weird, why not use a bread roll?
 |
| Sausage Sizzle |
Hokey Pokey
Essentially honeycomb flavoured (like a Crunchie, but without the chocolate), mainly of an ice cream variety.
Feijoa
The feijoa is a small green fruit which is native to South America but thrives in the Kiwi climate. In the autumn months (March - May) they are available by the bucketful. I'm not sure what the ratio is of those who can't get enough and those who can't get rid of them fast enough but I lie on the latter side of the fence.
Pavlova
Like the Flat White, there is a long running dispute over whether this dessert originated in Australia or New Zealand. It is a marshmellowy meringe base with fruit and cream on the top, perfect for summer al fresco dining.
 |
| Pavlova |
Lemon & Paeroa (L&P)
This is a soft drink made by combining lemon juice with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa. If you drive through the town you can take a photo of the L&P Bottle.
Do you have any Kiwi favourites? Please share them with us in the comments section below. And if you enjoyed this post why not subscribe for an RSS feed every time a new post is published and a monthly newsletter.
Comments