So what can you eat in Christchurch?
One of the best things about traveling is discovering each country’s unique food.
I love food, try local food, and visit the best eateries. I traveled quite a bit, and I had terrific experiences with food, some better than others. In South Korea, for example, the food was excellent no matter where I went. Europe also has many countries with fantastic cuisine and a lot of diverse types of food.
“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”
– Ernestine Ulmer
I must confess it’s been a disappointment in Christchurch, New Zealand. My husband and I were excited to come here because we thought with so much ocean around, New Zealand certainly had fantastic seafood. We were wrong.
Food is Part of Our Life
You might say that food is a personal preference, and you are right. We all have a relationship with food. We do not often think about it in these terms — having a relationship, but it’s true if you really looking into it …and it’s pretty intimate.
Just think about it; you spend quite a few hours a day planning, preparing, and eating several meals a day. The saying “Food is for you to live, but you should not live for food” (something like that) So, food is fuel for living, nothing else, and yet — it has become so much more to most of us.
So, if food is a big part of our life, it is definitely part of mine; when I travel, I want to discover and treat myself to some local cuisine.
The expectation of excellent seafood is that New Zealand is an island, so it makes sense that they eat delicious dishes like in Portugal, Spain, Korea, Brazil, and many others with a sea coast.
Seafood
The significant seafood here is green-lipped mussels. They are the native species and backbone of the New Zealand aquaculture industry. New Zealand chooses to practice an environmentally friendly and sustainable seafood industry. All the fish and shellfish that you find in the stores are farmed. It’s difficult to see the wild catch.
You do not find much seafood diversity in the regular stores, Just the common shrimps, scallops, salmon, Tarakihi, mussels, and yellowtail tuna. The shrimp and scallops are usually frozen items. Right there, you know frozen food loses its flavor and texture. So why freeze when you have the ocean?
Traditional Dish
At the restaurant, the big Kiwi favorite is fish and chips. Initially, when I saw that it was a dish available in most restaurants, I wondered why fry fish when you can eat it more healthily and flavorful. Of course, that is me because I do not like fried food. So, I ask around and read about it.
New Zealand, as a British colony and now as a dominion within the British Empire, adopted many Great Britain traditions and culture. Fish and chips are a British dish, so consequently, this dish has been part of Kiwi life for many decades now.
However, the origins of this dish are actually from Sephardic Jews living in Portugal and Spain around the 15th century. Then, when they were forced to leave Portugal and Spain, they immigrated to other countries, introducing their fish and chips to other countries such as England. It’s unknown exactly when this dish reached the shores, but the Britts introduced it around the 1800s.
Diversity
Of course, there are many more types of food here in New Zealand, specifically in Christchurch, where I live. You can find diverse foods like Indian, Thai, Japanese, American style, Chinese, Mediterranean, etc.
I find Indian food delicious. We have a “Little India” restaurant by the airport; the food is divine. You can see the chef cooking, so you know your meal comes from real food.
Japanese food has two types: traditional Japanese with sushi and other Japanese dishes, and the other type has pre-made sushi. Yes, you heard me… pre-made! The sushi is ready for you to pick up, sit and eat. Personally, I would not eat any of this raw fish pre-made.
Korean food is also prevalent, but we have not found one place to enjoy a traditional and delicious Korean dish. They don’t taste the same, and their dishes differ from those we know so well in Korea.
One of the restaurants, I think, is a franchise called Eden Alley, where you can have chips for entrée. I know, crazy, right? Not only is it not Korean, but who wants fries for an appetizer?
Chinese, I am not a big fan, so I do not know where is a good one. Thai, we tried several, and so far, we have not had a winner. As you know, Thai food has 4 categories: boiled, spicy salads, curries, and deep fries. We noticed that the soups and their salad menu are very short. The big buck must be on the fried dishes because there are many to choose from.
Finally, American style. Today, we went to the Lone Star. It seems like Texas cuisine at first, but after looking at the funny menu, you realize there is a little mix of everything. Just take a look at the menu. It was good!
This is not the end of the food exploration. Much more has to be discovered. Maybe I will find some amazingly fresh and wild seafood. Who knows…or maybe not? Perhaps the Kiwis like fast food and pre-made stuff; if that’s what they are into, that’s their cuisine.
Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademark of a culture.
-Mark Kurslansky
