Secret ingredients flown in for celebration of Pacific flavours
FIVE chefs from the Pacific, including the Tongan royal family’s personal chef, will help launch the first Kai Pasifika festival in New Zealand.
The event is a bid to celebrate and promote food and shared culture from the Blue Pacific.
Dora Rossi from Samoa, Leonid Vusilai from Vanuatu, Losavati Sewale from Fiji, Rangi Mitaera-Johnson from the Cook Islands and Tuiohu Mafi from Tonga will join 20 Kiwi chefs in Auckland for the four-day event from tomorrow.
Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand trade commissioner Glynis Miller said the Pacific chefs would share their love and knowledge of Pacific ingredients at Homeland restaurant in Westhaven, which is owned by renowned chef Peter Gordon.
All produce for the event would be flown in from the Pacific, she said.
‘‘We wanted to promote the Pacific’s unique products, tell the stories of its producers and encourage all of our chefs to create a bond whereby they can teach and learn from each other back in their own countries,’’ Miller said.
‘‘We have worked on this project with Peter Gordon and his team at Homeland for a long, long time, so it’s a relief to finally see it all coming together thanks to the support of the New
Zealand Government.’’
Miller said the celebration of food and community would help strengthen relationships between Aotearoa and the
Pacific and foster cultural exchange through food creativity.
‘‘Importantly too, it will encourage export opportunities for fine foodstuffs from the Pacific and showcase Pacific flavours that will entice Kiwi travellers keen for a food adventure in the Pacific,’’ she said.
All ingredients for the event had been kept a secret until chefs turned up each day, when they would find their mystery boxes filled to the brim.
The event is led by Pacific Trade Invest NZ in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and
Homeland.
There will be both public and trade events at the festival.