4 Iconic Aussie Foods That We Actually Stole From The Kiwis
If we’re being totally honest, we love to claim superiority over New Zealand. We do it in a loving way — much like your older sibling is automatically in charge even if they’re barely older than you — but we still do it.
Want to know something awkward? A lot of the foods we claim as our own icons were actually invented by the Kiwis.
Get ready to feel a little humbled by these four Aussie staples that don’t belong to us. Probably also get ready to start planning your NZ food adventure, seeing as this travel bubble is still looking like a go. I mean, they did make Condé Naste‘s top 20 best countries list for a reason.
#1 Flat Whites
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I know a whole bunch of Aussie coffee snobs just clutched pearls, but New Zealand came up with the flat white as we know it today.
Australia has been trying to fight the truth since the 80’s, but it was allegedly invented by a man named Derek Townsend when he and a few mates opened a Wellington cafe in 1981. While a flat white was being made in Australia already, it was “just a long black topped up with cold milk” according to Derek — so he added the warm, lightly frothed milk.
Grab a cup for yourself when that travel bubble opens up at Wellington’s Havana Coffee and Flight Coffee Hangar, Supreme Supreme in Christchurch, or you know, just about anywhere.
#2 Pavlova
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I, for one, am shook by this news. Pavlova is up there with Vegemite for me, in terms of very Aussie things you can eat. Alas, no, we stole it.
The first known recipe actually appeared in a New Zealand cookbook called Davis Dainty Dishes way back in 1929 — which frankly you probably could have guessed from the very old-timey title.
There are plenty of cafes and restaurants around NZ serving up this light dessert, but you should try Floriditas in Wellington and Corelli’s Cafe in Auckland.
#3 Lamingtons
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They took pavlovas and now they’re taking lamingtons? It’s like my whole life is a lie, to be honest.
The lamington origin story in Australia claims that a maid to the Queensland Governor accidentally dropped a sponge cake in chocolate in 1901. She apparently decided that was actually pretty great, threw on some coconut and BOOM — the lamington was born.
Seems like a pretty unbelievable story, right? Probably because recent discoveries have found records showing lamingtons were spotted in Wellington before this maid ever dropped the sponge cake.
If you want to compare on your next NZ trip, apparently Catroux cafe in Auckland is particularly lauded.
#4 Weet-Bix
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I don’t mind admitting I’ve had Weet-Bix for brekkie every morning for two weeks now, and yes, I am a grown woman. I’ve never even questioned the Aussie cereal, and while the first wheat biscuit that we’re used to now definitely was created in Sydney, the idea was a Kiwi one.
New Zealand wheat biscuit, Granose, was the first to be created — but look we perfected it and made it a real thing.
(Lead Image: Instagram / @catrouxnz)
