Hamilton central hāngi a hit
Several hundred people got to experience a Hamilton hā ngi for Matariki on Saturday.
A section of Hamilton’s Garden Place, in the heart of the CBD, was dug up on Thursday morning, in preparation for hā kari (feast).
A 1 metre x 1m and 1.5m deep hole was dug around 20m from Victoria Street in a pebbled seating area.
Parekura Collins, from Te Kō pū Mā nia o Kirikiriroa Marae, helped prepare the hā ngi and said they had to make sure it was dug clear of any underground services, including gas pipes.
Fresh dirt was brought in as it was clay underneath the pebbles, and on Saturday morning a group of about six started heating up the volcanic stones in four barrels beside the pit.
‘‘You have to get the rocks white-hot, so it was a three-hour burn. The rocks went into the hole, our baskets with the 200 packs of food went on top of the rocks, on top of the baskets are wet sacks that drop onto the rocks to create the steam and then the dirt, sacks and tarpaulin are acting as a pressure cooker,’’ said Collins.
He couldn’t say how hot the rocks were, but a few melted when they were pulled out of barrels. ‘‘So hot enough to melt the stone.’’
He said it has to be volcanic or river stones, as regular stones just pop due to the heat.
It’s when the hāngi is being pulled up that Collins’ heart starts pounding due to not knowing if it’s cooked through or not.
‘‘There is no gauge or ability to check and see if it’s cooked. Once you do the reveal that is it.
‘‘If they aren’t cooked they go into a box and finish off in an oven,’’ he said with a chuckle.
Collins was worrying for no reason, the packs were cooked perfectly.
The hā ngi was a conversation starter for those passing through the civic centre, an event Collins would like to see happen annually.
‘‘I believe this is something to bring our community together, and the more we get involved as New Zealanders the more it becomes normalised. And something like food brings everyone together.’’
George Barrett was one of the lucky 200 to get his hands on a hā ngi pack.
‘‘It’s the first hā ngi I’ve had in four-and-a-half years as I have come from Aussie, and with Covid and things the hā ngi shops on Sydney’s northern beaches have closed.’’
Barrett said he was sceptical with the hāngi put in the wet ground. ‘‘But it’s cooked to perfection.’’
The stuffing was a hit for his son Tū ī. ‘‘It’s so cheap at $10, others are normally $15 and not as good as this one.’’ Another who managed to get a couple of packs was Jean Murray – with her daughter Indigo, 5, giving it two thumbs up.
While Murray’s father Peter Schwartz visiting from Washington DC was trying his first hā ngi.
And although he’s had similar ‘‘I haven’t tried anything as good as this before’’.
The hā ngi was the brainchild of SkyCity’s head of food and beverage, Nathan Hartley, who has always wanted to do a hā ngi in Garden Place – and Matariki celebrations offered up the chance to do just that.
‘‘It was just an idea, I didn’t know if it was going to be allowed, but the council has been really good. Everything has been donated so everything we make goes to charity.’’
The proceeds will be donated to The Serve – a charity that cooks for people 365 days a year, for those who are in need, underprivileged, on low income or going through genuine hardship.
The individual packs contain chicken, pork, vegetables and traditional stuffing. ‘‘I hear that you are judged on your stuffing, it’s very, very important.
‘‘So I haven’t mucked around with it, I haven’t brought any other flavours from what you would expect in this country because I wanted to do it authentically.’’
There were even some vegetarian pack options.
Hartley soon realised 200 packs weren’t going to be enough when they started serving just before 12.30pm. ‘‘Maybe next year we will do 500.’’
He would love the central hā ngi to become an annual event with Matariki.
‘‘And if they put a nice permanent hā ngi pit over there I will use it more than once a year.’’