 is The Spinoff’s food newsletter – a dispatch on what’s happening in our diverse and ever-changing culinary landscape, covering the personal, the political and the plain old delicious. Enter your email below to 

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The Spinoff Members

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How and what to order, from tea to egg tart.

A beginner’s guide to yum cha

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Since taking part in growing kai from seed to harvest, my appreciation for every vegetable I eat has deepened.

Where does kai come from? Learning in the māra

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After household bills are paid, one in five in the working-age population doesn't have enough income for decent kai.

Who are the New Zealanders who can’t afford nourishing food?

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Price hikes, disappearing products and sourcing struggles – could this be the new normal for the chocolate industry?

Nobody panic, but we’re in the midst of a global chocolate crisis

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Outdoor dining seems like something a country with a very nice outdoors should be good at.

Why do we make it so hard to dine outside?

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It's not just a bad ad, it's a symbol of everything rotten in our lives.

I hate the sexy Grimace bus

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Samples of the new cost-cutting kai were served up at parliament today. So how was it?

David Seymour’s new school lunches, reviewed

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Factors include: taste and difficulty of hunting.

The seven types of deer in New Zealand, ranked by a deer hunter

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'Running a restaurant – sometimes it feels like you’re running a charity for rich people.'

Five reflections on a part-reverent, part-riotous Metro Restaurant of the Year

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An impassioned culinary defence of the hot chip, and a guide to some of the capital's finest examples.

Good hot chips are an art form – here’s where to find Wellington’s best

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With a health crisis driven by preventable illnesses, the government can take one big step now.

Smoking ads are banned in New Zealand. Why are junk food ads still allowed?

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A global shortage means imported olive oil is more costly than it’s been since the late 90s. Can local producers compete on price now? 

Olive oil costs heaps at the moment. Can local producers come to the rescue?

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For this Year 11 social studies class, the cuts to Ka Ora, Ka Ako funding hit close to home.

Why free school lunches matter – and what one group of students is doing to save them

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A lot of carnivores can't stomach the idea of a vegan diet. Are there alternatives?

The meat lover’s guide to eating a more climate-friendly diet

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Is your boss dragging you back into the office? At least there’s a local meal deal now. But how good is it? 

New World’s $10 lunch deal, reviewed

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Flaky pastry, rich gravy and slow-cooked meat that falls apart in your mouth. A search for the capital's best pie. 

A tasting tour of Wellington’s best pies

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A venue near Eden Park is now an outpost of the Warriors’ burgeoning empire. Here's what it was like on opening night.

Review: The Wahs have a bar now. Is it good?

The Wahs have a bar now. Is it any good?

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The least popular eating fish tend to also be the most sustainable. But the two don't have to be mutually exclusive if you know what to do with them.

The benefits of eating unpopular fish

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The capital's best chefs and restaurateurs share their favourite local eateries and hidden gems.

Where do Wellington’s top chefs eat on their day off?

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A review of the big doughnuts people queue and queue for at the Auckland Night Markets.

What makes the night markets’ Cook Island doughnuts so beloved?

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An interview with the acclaimed journalist ahead of his appearance in Aotearoa.

‘Everything is becoming a culture war’: Jon Ronson on conspiracies and cycleways

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'The best TV performance of the year is by an actor most British viewers won’t recognise, in a production that most won’t see.'

‘Deserves a Bafta’: After the Party premieres in the UK to five-star reviews 

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The new movie musical is undoubtedly a fun watch, but proof that bigger isn’t always better.

Review: The magic of Wicked and the curse of corporate greed

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There are calls for New Zealand’s Family Violence Act to name economic harm as a standalone type of violence.

Financial forms of family violence affect one in seven of us – but the law is lagging

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My parents are finally getting divorced. So why do I feel like my stepdad's feelings are still my problem?

Help Me Hera: Should I cut contact with my ex-stepdad?

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Gang members say it will create more problems, but the government argues it's about improving public safety.

Will banning gang patches actually make New Zealand safer?

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It’s a shambles of our own making, but it’s still one we can turn around.

It’s not too late to halt the death spiral of New Zealand’s public health system

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The 'free ride' for gangs has ended, says the government. But it might not be that simple.

The gang patch ban is now in force. What’s going to happen?

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The bill's author reflects on what it means for the Samoan community.

New law gives up to 3,480 Samoan elders back their right to NZ citizenship

Liliana Mañetto Quick takes us on a culinary odyssey through Ōtautahi, featuring an array of sweet treats, hot drinks and vegan delights.

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Liliana Mañetto Quick takes us on a culinary odyssey through the Garden City.

The Spinoff

KaiJuly 10, 2021

The snacks of a southern sojourn: A food comic about Christchurch

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KaiJuly 10, 2021

The snacks of a southern sojourn: A food comic about Christchurch

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