When food is eaten the people are 'ora' alive and well.The aim of this little booklet is to demonstraate that the choice of vegetables for the Maori cuisine today need not be confined just to those old staples, kumara, puwha, corn and cabbage. There is still a world of variety to be collected out there from the seashore, the lowlands and the forest areas of New Zealand. Some plants should be left alone of course because they are endangered species or have toxic properties. Endangered plants are noted as such in the text but between poisonous and non-poisonous varieties.For general interst too, a few customs, beliefs and legends of the Maori concerning plants aare included. Vegetable food products described are of both the wild and cultivated variety: root or rhizome crops, fungi,ferns and othe leaves and shoots as green vegetables, tree piths, rushes and seaweeds.
When food is eaten the people are 'ora' alive and well.The aim of this little booklet is to demonstraate that the choice of vegetables for the Maori cuisine today need not be confined just to those old staples, kumara, puwha, corn and cabbage. There is still a world of variety to be collected out there from the seashore, the lowlands and the forest areas of New Zealand. Some plants should be left alone of course because they are endangered species or have toxic properties. Endangered plants are noted as such in the text but between poisonous and non-poisonous varieties.For general interst too, a few customs, beliefs and legends of the Maori concerning plants aare included. Vegetable food products described are of both the wild and cultivated variety: root or rhizome crops, fungi,ferns and othe leaves and shoots as green vegetables, tree piths, rushes and seaweeds.
