By Melissa Yiannoutsos
In this fast paced world we live in, we are bombarded with endless choices in what we drink, in what we eat and in what we do. This chaos is creating a new demand for products that can offer us unique experiences and connections in our lives. Just as the French have captured our imagination with exotic cheeses and the Italians our love of fresh pasta, there is now a quiet search happening in New Zealand for natural flavours that capture the indigenous essence of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
The Federation of Mäori Authorities (FoMA) and FOMANA Capital have developed a strategic partnership with leading scientists at the Crown Research Institute, Plant and Food Research, to explore native plant species and determine whether they hide uniquely New Zealand flavours. Two years into the four-year government funded programme, five native plant species are showing real promise as Plant and Food Research food technologist, Carl Massarotto, infuses these ‘NZ flavours’ into cheeses, seafood, meats and beverages.
“Tasting the first product concepts, in September last year, was a great milestone for the team and represents a truly exciting opportunity for FoMA members and the Tekau Plus programme,”
says Paul Morgan of FOMANA Capital. “The knowledge and know-how developed within this programme is managed by FoMA so
our members are in a wonderful position to take advantage of
the opportunities.”
However, we are only at the start of this journey. To transform this important knowledge into a commercial reality, a number of strategic partners are required. These include communities and iwi groups committed to managing and harvesting commercial crops, specialist ingredient manufacturers that extract the novel flavours from the plant, companies dedicated to embedding unique flavours in their food and beverage products and companies who reach into domestic and offshore markets to offer a uniquely New Zealand experience.
Charles Royal from Kinaki NZ® Native Herbs saw the potential of adding native flora and fauna into New Zealand cuisine almost a decade ago. Kinaki Herbs, is part of the Tekau Plus export excellence programme, is working with the development team to leverage its initial success for export markets. It is a great example of a Mäori company building depth in its value chain. Royal’s recent collaboration with Dunninghams, a NZ food and ingredients manufacturer, has also allowed his company to develop a distinctive offering for Asian markets.
“Tourists visiting New Zealand develop lasting memories of the people they encounter or the foods they eat and they love to relive these experiences when they return home. I’ve found one way they can do this is by giving them New Zealand flavours to savour again. The NZ Flavours research is an exciting programme that can help take these flavours in to the homes of individuals visiting our shores,” says Charles Royal of Kinaki Herbs.
Another company, Cuisine Resources, is also working closely with the research team to develop commercial techniques that extract the novel flavours from native plants. Investment into their food grade processing infrastructure makes them a key strategic partner in the overall value chain. Founded in 1989 by Tony and Robyn Laus, Cuisine Resources is moving into a new development phase. Work is underway to build their new 5,700 sq m state-of-the-art factory which will comply with New Zealand, European Union and United States regulatory standards. They have a great reputation internationally and currently sell ingredients into Europe, Australia, Japan and the United States.
“There is a constant demand from cuisine manufacturers all around the world and it is important for us to be part of this development team looking at what makes New Zealand’s flavours unique.
This way we (NZ) can preserve our native flavours and develop sustainable value from these,” says Tony Laus from Cuisine Resources
Now that the first round of plant species selection is completed with respect to narrowing the flavour palette to the first five ingredients, the team is switching to the scientific groundwork needed to ensure ingredient consistency and quality within the supply chain. This is a great time for additional partners to come on board and leverage the initial scientific knowledge.
Companies such as Maraeroa C Incorporation, also a member of the Tekau Plus programme are well placed to assist in developing commercial plant crops and playing a role in the NZ Flavours value chain. They have an established native nursery with over 100 plant varieties and have built substantial knowledge required to evolve from wild harvesting to commercial crop management.
In addition to developing the sustainable ingredients supply chain, formal product development and testing is getting underway. This is where a number of successful Mäori food and beverage manufacturers can participate. Their knowledge and desire to continually offer a unique product to their customers is where this collaboration will result in New Zealand flavours being sampled all round the world.
