What did the Maori people of New Zealand traditionally eat?

Question

What did the Maori people of New Zealand traditionally eat?

Answer 1

There is excellent fishing here, mostly Hoki and salmon and flounder. Wild herbs and berries are also there, as are roots. The so-called "cabbage trees" (Cordyline Australis) provide a big root structure which can be boilt and eaten. Mussels like the Paua are also everywhere, as are greenlip mussels, crayfish, lobster, squid, octopus, and other seafood.

Birds of a huge variety were certainly on the Maoris' menu. The Moa, a giant, flightless bird, was eaten into extinction at the time.

And then there are the black potatoes, called Kumara.

This list may go on still, but those are the things I know of.

There were no mammals back then, and no kiwi fruits either, because those are a recent breeding outcome.

Answer 2

i would say food

Answer 3

Not much red meat except human flesh, a small dog and the kiore rat.  But all Polynesian people have a way to steam-cook food on hot stones.  The Maori version is called a hangi.  You dig a hole, fill it with firewood, set fire to it, put large stones in to absorb the heat, then when the fire's died down and the stones are hot, place your food wrapped in damp leaves or sacks in, bury it with earth, leave for a few hours and dig it up and enjoy.  It's good enough for Jehovah.Learn about it on the Internet and try it.  It has a delicious smoky flavour and it's very tender.  You can put vegetables, meat, poultry and fish in together and the flavours don't taint each other.

Answer 4

they ate pigeons, berries and they also brought sweet potatoes called kumara over here, as well as yams. they also ate a moa which was a giant birt of about 6ft. they also ate maori ories :( which wer another race of people who came 2 new zealand