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January 11, 2026
#lifestyle: Why the World Keeps Coming Back to Aotearoa — For Māori Culture and the Magic of Hāngi
Matthew Tukaki
Posted On January 11, 2026
People travel to Aotearoa New Zealand for many reasons – the landscapes, the adventure, the clean air. But ask visitors what stays with them long after they’ve left, and many will tell you the same thing.
It’s the people.
It’s Māori culture.
And, very often, it’s the hāngi.
For international visitors, Māori culture offers something increasingly rare in a fast-moving world – a deep sense of belonging, generosity, and connection to place. From pōwhiri on marae to kapa haka performances, to the stories shared over kai, visitors say they don’t just observe culture here – they are welcomed into it.
One visitor from Canada described the experience this way:
“I’ve travelled a lot, but I’ve never felt so genuinely welcomed anywhere. Māori culture doesn’t feel like a performance – it feels like family.”
That sense of manaakitanga – care and hospitality – is often what people remember most. Visitors speak of being greeted with warmth, invited to listen, to learn, and to sit at the table together.
And when that table includes a hāngi, the experience becomes unforgettable.
Across the world, food brings people together – but hāngi offers something deeper than taste alone. Cooked slowly in the earth, hāngi carries stories of whenua, whānau, and time. It is food prepared not in a rush, but with patience and intention.
A visitor from Germany said:
“It’s not just the flavour – it’s knowing the food was cooked in the ground, the way it has been for generations. Eating hāngi made me feel connected to this place in a way I didn’t expect.”
Others talk about how sharing hāngi helped them understand Māori values – collective effort, respect for the land, and the importance of coming together.
A visitor from the United States reflected:
“We sat together, strangers from different countries, sharing hāngi. No one was on their phone. People were talking, laughing, listening. It felt grounding – like this is how humans are meant to eat.”
For many, Māori culture offers an antidote to isolation – a reminder that identity is rooted in relationships, ancestry, and the land beneath your feet.
A French visitor summed it up simply:
“Māori culture feels alive. It’s not locked in a museum. It’s shared, practiced, and lived every day.”
That is why people keep coming back to Aotearoa. Not just for what they see – but for what they feel.
They come for a culture that knows who it is.
For food that carries memory and meaning.
For a people who understand that hospitality is not a transaction, but a responsibility.
And they leave carrying something with them – a deeper appreciation for community, for whenua, and for the power of sitting together over kai.
In a world searching for connection, Aotearoa offers it – one pōwhiri, one story, and one hāngi at a time.
How a Traditional Hāngi Is Put Down
(Methods can vary between iwi and hapū; this is a general overview.)
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Prepare the pit (te rua hāngi)
A pit is dug in the ground, sized according to how much food will be cooked. -
Heat the stones (ngā kōhatu)
Large stones are heated over a fire for several hours until extremely hot. These stones provide the heat for cooking. -
Prepare the food
Meats, vegetables, and stuffing are wrapped in leaves, cloth, or foil and placed into wire baskets. -
Place food on the stones
Once the stones are hot, the baskets of food are carefully placed on top. -
Cover the hāngi
The food is covered with wet cloths or sacks, then earth is placed over the top to trap the steam. -
Let it cook
The hāngi is left to cook underground for around three to four hours, allowing the food to steam slowly. -
Lift and share
When uncovered, the food is removed and shared – often as part of a communal gathering, celebration, or hui.
Hāngi is not just about cooking food – it is about working together, respecting the land, and sharing what has been prepared with others.
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