Foodies leave Kawhia with rounded tummies

Kawhia transformed into Waikato's culinary hub on Waitangi Day, with around 8000 people flocking to the coastal town on the weekend to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the annual Kawhia Kai Festival.

The festival, which celebrates Maori food and culture, featured a range of traditional and contemporary Maori kai for the thousands of hungry visitors to taste.

It also featured performances from well-known contemporary Maori music group Moana and the Tribe, and two Hamilton-based kapa haka groups.

Early last week, organiser Lloyd Whiu predicted a crowd of around 10,000 but was still happy with the numbers.

"It's becoming quite a drawcard for Kawhia," Mr Whiu said. "Everyone walked away with a smile on their face and a full puku."

Food stalls offered a delicious range of kai including such culinary delights as hangi, toroi (marinated mussels and puha), paua, kina, whitebait patties, kanga wai/pirau (fermented corn), puha, smoked fish and eel.

Kooki (shark liver pate) proved to be one of the most popular dishes on the day, with huge lines meaning that the unusual delicacy sold out early on.

The festival featured in a recent edition of Lonely Planet, listing it as one of the top 10 indigenous food festivals in the world.

The recommendation saw visitors from, among other places, Spain, Italy, Scotland, Ireland and Germany attend the festival.

"The Italians quite liked the kumara, and the Scottish people were saying how hangi food tasted quite like how one of their haggises taste," Mr Whiu said.

Planning for next year's event had already begun, with Mr Whiu suggesting a hangi could be dug especially for the festival and a mock Maori village may also be built.

Mr Whiu said he was also in discussions with the Department of Conservation to see if live kiwi or takahae could also be used as an attraction next year.

- © Fairfax NZ News