Kiwi chef Ben Bayly reveals what makes Kiwi cuisine truly unique
As a chef, what NZ region has surprised you most?
This is a hard one, I feel
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NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Exploring Porto: A four-hour food tour of Portugal's culinary delights
We waste no time and head straight out along Rua de 31 de Janeiro, towards the Douro River. As we walk, she shares that the river once divided Christian and Muslim populations, and how Portugal's famous colourful tiles are leftover heritage from Arabic people in the 20th century. Eventually, we join a crowd hustling to get into the city's central train station. It's odd to consider tourists stopping by Auckland's Britomart Train Station, but then again, it's not a 19th-century building like São Bento Station. São Bento Station in Porto, Portugal. Photo / Sarah Pollok Inside, the waiting pays off. The interior walls are covered in gigantic blue and white tiles, reaching across the ceiling like a Portuguese Sistine Chapel. More than 20,000 azulejo tiles depict historic events and daily Portuguese life in history, from epic battles to ancient festivals. Alas, this is a food tour, so we don't linger and head up a street lined with lush green trees that dapple the 11am sun. On Saturday, the streets are abuzz with people enjoying the downtown; families and couples, friends and travellers. Our first proper stop is Manteigaria for arguably one of Portugal's most iconic food items: pastel de nata. No, the pastries aren't just a tourist gimmick, Carlotta assures me, locals enjoy them just as much as visitors. Our Porto food tour guide, Carlota Braga. Photo / Sarah Pollok 'I'm very picky about the tarts,' she adds. 'We often enjoy them with an espresso and, well, if you like, a cigarette,' she laughs. Fortunately, picky is a quality one wants in a food guide. Outside Manteigaria, a crowd stands before the tall glass windows, behind which three white-aproned chefs deftly roll and shape pastry in a mesmerising rhythm. Minutes later, Carlotta appears bearing a tray with a dozen tarts and thimble-like cups of espresso. Pastel de nata (Portuguese tart) from Manteigaria in Porto. Photo / Sarah Pollok 'Cinnamon or sugar,' she asks before dusting the tarts. Stepping away from the group, I have a quiet moment with my first Portuguese tart, which is light yet creamy, only slightly sweet and perfectly offset with the nutty cinnamon. It is, quite simply, divine. Slowly savouring it over four leisurely bites, I rush to knock back the espresso and follow the group two metres up the road to Comer e Chorar Por Mais. 'It translates as 'To eat and cry for more',' Carlotta translates, hinting at what we'll enjoy inside. After a few blinks, my eyes adjust to the dim little gourmet deli. Two large glass cases groan with countless varieties of deli meat and giant legs of dried ham, while shelves wrap around the walls, stacked with lemon liquor and tinned sardines, local preserves and olive oil, while dusty bottles of port precariously graze the ceiling. A charcuterie board at Comer e Chorar Por Mais. Photo / Sarah Pollok Circling a barrel-turned table, a sheet of paper is removed to reveal a platter of bites that allow us to travel without moving an inch. On one board is South Portugal (where meats can be air dried by the drier climate) via ribbons of cured black pork (Porco Preto), which comes from the Alentejo region and fed primarily acorns. Another board holds North Portugal (where meat is typically smoked) selections, from chestnut-fed pigs. In the middle, several types of 'Amanteigado' sheep cheese ('the best in Portugal', beams Inês, the warm shop keeper) and chunks of squishy cow cheese. Then, to the side, some juicy black olives, a dish of fragrant olive oil and plate of wheat bread and 'broa de Avintes' a dark, doughy, rye bread popular in the North. Grabbing a slice, I dunk it into the oil and it tastes like a sun-soaked olive grove. White wines soon arrive and conversation turns to general culture as we pick at the treats. We chat about university culture in our respective countries and the pagan roots of popular Portuguese festivals. Plates cleaned, it's on to Mercado do Bolhão, a market dating back to 1914. 'It was renovated during Covid and some say it's lost its charm,' Carlota says as she guides us through the open-air building, which is roughly the size of two football fields and filled with covered stalls. At the entrance, people eat or relax alongside dozens of tables and bar leaners and lost charm aside, I do enjoy the clean white walls, pristine concrete floors and light floral smell. Mercado do Bolhão, Porto. Photo / Unsplash Grouped roughly by category, the stalls all sell food either in ingredient form or as a dish. There are dried mushrooms and tiny hot sauce bottles, busy crepe stands and pyramids of colourful sardine tins. If you should want for a bulb of dried garlic, shucked oysters, fresh juice or coffee beans, this is the spot. That most people roam around with full glasses of white and red wine also feels deeply European. Sardines are a popular dish in Porto. Photo / Sarah Pollok Having gone 30 minutes without food, it's absolutely time for another bite, and this time we walk up Rua de Santa Catarina and down an unsuspecting alley to a literal hole-in-the-wall joint. Inside Casa Louro, it would be easy to mistake the shoebox restaurant for an FC Porto fan club, decked entirely with the team's blue and white paraphernalia, from team posters and fake trophies to scarves and jerseys. Inside Casa Louro. Photo / Sarah Pollok 'It's hard to be in the city and not support a football team,' Carlota explains. First up is a small mug of yellow, effervescent 'Green wine', which comes exclusively from Minho and is named for the rainy region's verdant landscape. Strong, tart and chilled, it's the perfect summer drink according to Carlota, and has become a popular drink in the past two decades. In the 30C heat, it certainly hits the spot. Then come the plates, bearing tiny salted fish, cured pork, broa de Avintes, and my favourite, Bolinhos de bacalhau. A Portuguese speciality, the crispy deep-fried pillows contain a mix of potato, flour and salted cod, which has the most unusual soft yet fibrous texture and briny flavour. After describing the dishes, conversation turns cultural as Carlota answers our curiosities about life in Porto and the politics. Eloquent yet humble, she describes the current climate and recent history. Like other countries, Portugal recently swung conservative after several years of a liberal Government. Like other countries, rent is expensive and certain jobs are unfairly underpaid. Same trailer different park as they say. The portobello mushroom burger from Casa Guedes, in Porto. Photo / Sarah Pollok It's at this point that we make a mistake many do on a food tour; filling up at the second-to-last stop. Thankful for my choice of dress rather than buttoned pants (a crucial food tour outfit choice), we slowly stroll for 10 minutes, towards Praça dos Poveiros, an area known for restaurants that serve quality meals for working-class folk. One of the more popular among locals is Casa Guedes. Once a humble tavern, its pork shoulder and Serra cheese sandwich was so popular amongst students and workers that its set up four more locations, but Carlotta believes the original is the best. 'I bring groups here, but I also come here myself,' she says. At 1pm, the shaded outdoor tables beside a lush public park are full, so we opt for air conditioning inside. Most of us order the specialty, washed down with a cold rosé, and I try the portobello mushroom option with a brioche bun and sautéed vegetables. True to form, the €5.50 sandwich is simple but delicious. A plate of chips arrives, which Carlotta describes as a restaurant's litmus test. 'You know it's a good place if they hand-make their chips', she reveals. Details For more information on Intrepid Travel's 8-day 'Portugal Real Food Adventure, featuring Galicia', visit New Zealand Herald travelled courtesy of Intrepid Travel.
Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Otago produce in spotlight
Fruit synonymous with Central Otago will feature on this weekend's episode of top chef Ben Bayly's A New Zealand Food Story . Bayly, who runs Aosta and Little Aosta in Arrowtown, the historic Bathhouse in Queenstown, award-winning Ahi and Origine in Auckland and The Grounds in the Waitākere Ranges, is in his fourth series of New Zealand Food Story which follows him around the country seeking out some of the best food producers in the country. "I believe our Kiwi produce is world class," Bayly says. "But the faceless piece of steak or fruit in the supermarket — how was it raised or grown? We need to connect with the growers, the producers, the harvesters and shine a light on their care and commitment." In this weekend's episode he seeks out apricots and cherries in Central Otago visiting Cromwell's Jackson Orchards and Forest Lodge Orchard (Electric Cherries), near Mt Pisa. He meets owner Kevin Jackson, a fourth-generation orchardist, his daughter Kristin Nolan and grandson Jackson Nolan. Bayly travels around the orchard in its tour bus sampling fruit such as peaches, apricots and nectarines along the way, declaring he has tasted the "best ever" apricot. Then he visits Forest Lodge, a 6ha cherry production business, with 1650 trees per hectare planted using an upright fruiting offshoot-trained system. Owners, Mike and Rebecca Casey and Euan and Rachel White, aim to develop a premium cherry orchard and be sustainable so they have an electric tractor, an electrified irrigation pump, and New Zealand's first electric frost–fighting fans. They are also developing an electric foliage sprayer. In 2022, they set themselves a challenge of going completely fossil-fuel-free, hoping this will potentially save about $50,000 per year in energy bills. Bayly takes inspiration from the producers he visits by cooking using ingredients he has found on his journeys. The knowledge picked up also helps him in his own garden, Ahi Organic Gardens in South Auckland, which grows seasonal produce for his Auckland restaurants. Previous series of New Zealand Food Stories have been aired on SBS in Australia, on National Geographic Asia and the Middle East and has played in France and Norway as well as on Air New Zealand, United Airlines, Lufthansa and Air Canada flights. The show New Zealand Food Story , TVNZ1, tonight, 7pm. — APL
Scoop
08-07-2025
- Scoop
A New Zealand Food Story With Ben Bayly Puts Ruapehu On The Map
Discover the Ruapehu region's unique food journey through the highly anticipated Season 4 TV series of A New Zealand Food Story with Ben Bayly. Chef Ben Bayly meets some of Ruapehu's passionate growers, producers and restauranteurs in the final episode screening on TVNZ 1 on Saturday July 19. 'Food experiences are a big part of what attracts visitors to destinations and showcasing Ruapehu's offering through the TV series is a fantastic way to share stories of our people and place' says Jo Kennedy, General Manager of Visit Ruapehu. The Ruapehu region has a rich grower's history, market gardening, fertile volcanic soil and is home to the carrot capital of NZ – Ohakune. Across charming mountain towns to riverside settlements, there is a year-round offering of seasonal delights and unique food experiences to taste and enjoy at local cafes, pubs and restaurants serving up fresh bites and beverages. 'Working with Ben and his incredible team has been a boost for our communities and a unique opportunity to invite viewers to come and explore Ruapehu's emerging food story,' adds Jo. The chef and TV presenter says he loved his time in the region when filming earlier in the year. 'The vast and majestic Ruapehu region, there is no place in New Zealand that compares to its beauty! I fell in love with it as a kid as Whakapapa is my home ski field,' says Bayly. 'It was amazing to head back to film A New Zealand Food Story and see that Ruapehu has so much more to offer, especially when it comes to food.' 'From growing New Zealand's best carrots grown in rich volcanic soils, to the legendary Johnny Nations eclairs in Ohakune and onto its very own truly world class restaurant –The Chef's Table at Blue Duck Station. I am over the moon that the Ruapehu district is serving up a superb regional food story,' concludes Bayly. Home to Tongariro National Park and Whanganui National Park, Ruapehu is a top destination for hiking, biking, skiing and snow sports as well as an array of authentic activities in the Central Plateau. Watch A New Zealand Food Story with Ben Bayly Season 4 final episode on Ruapehu on Saturday 19 July at 7pm on TVNZ 1 and on demand on TVNZ+.
