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We spoke with local chef Sachie Nomura about her latest show, Sachie's Kitchen Series 2, to get her take on some of the things she learned about New Zealand and the local produce our country has to offer whist she was travelling and filming.
Before travelling and filming Sachie’s Kitchen Series 2 I thought that I knew New Zealand, but I didn't. I discovered so much by travelling around only seven regions of the country. I met such inspiring people, who hold the stories behind the produce we eat. The products I already knew, I discovered how well it was produced, and how much love and care went into it. From meat to seafood, to seaweed and salt, indigenous ingredients to greens and lettuce. It's a lot to discover. One thing I learned is that New Zealand has a lot. Of course it’s well known for kiwifruit, wine and export quality beef and lamb. But there is so much more than that in this land, it is a land full of resources.
Series 1 was all about my hometown of Japan. Series 2 is about my other home, NZ Aotearoa. The series showcases what we have to kiwis, to overseas people and to new immigrants, it’s inspiring to people who decide to leave their home and move to NZ like myself. Even kiwis are busy day to day, and might not have the opportunity to travel to different regions and understand the abundance of what NZ holds.
I gained a deeper understanding of where the ingredients that I use come from, which fulfils my heart. Prior to starting the show, I felt like I had light knowledge of the NZ resources, and I came out of it with a deeper understanding. We have an extremely diverse range of products, from meat, to veges and to seasoning, everything we need! We can be self sufficient, if we were isolated, like in covid, we can survive, in fact live really well.
I didn't realise how much Māori culture was connected to the resources and the land. I learned about native ingredients like kawakawa and harakeke. I didn't know how they use the stars to navigate the harvest, and know when to preserve the produce - like titi in beeswax. They are well connected to mother earth. I love how they respect the environment and think for the next generations.
I love foraging and so these journeys touched my heart. We picked harakeke, kawakawa, native watercress, wild bramble, and seaweed. I love to be able to learn from people, and the knowledge will be passed onto my next generations. I will teach these things to my son Zak, and my niece and nephews when they come to NZ. The knowledge I learned will live on.
We went to Middlehurst Station to see how their lamb was raised, Braemar Station, to see how they raised the cows, and Patoa Farm to see the pigs. What I felt and witnessed was - at all these farms, there were no shortcuts. They look after the animals really, really well. A lot of love, care, thought and hard work goes into those animals. When they are looked after so well, of course there is a better outcome in the meat.
I didn't like fishing when I started the show, all the film crew knew that. I don't like waiting. But then my mind changed. I am an open person, happy to be transformed. When I first went fishing with Grant in Marlborough, there was only 7 seconds of waiting! Who ever thought that you could catch fish that quickly? As an activity I had a great time, then the filleting, and cooking right there! It takes some work, but it was beautiful to eat. You have to do the mahi to get the treat, and this experience - such fresh fish - is generally only enjoyed by fishermen. My experience fishing with Ngahi was different. It took a lot longer to catch the trout, but I came to love the silence. The waiting that I thought I didn't like, I actually enjoyed the most. It was so peaceful - and I finally got why people love fishing. Catching the fish is just the icing on the cake, but when you wait peacefully, nature takes care of your emotions. It is a zen-like experience, when you are meditating into time and space on the water.
After all my learning and seeing, I still feel like there is a lot more. It excites me to think of new discoveries. I’m again in search of new stories, flavours and ingredients of Aotearoa New Zealand.
You can watch Sachie's Kitchen Series 2 on Stuff, or discover Sachie's recipes inspired by her culinary journey on our website.
Image Credit: Magnetic Pictures, Sachie’s Kitchen Series 2
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