The origins of the classic Kiwi onion dip and some modern dips to dazzle at a party
Rosemary Dempsey deserves national treasure status. You may not know the name but if you’ve lived in New Zealand for any length of time, you will surely have come across her claim to fame. For Rosemary is the inventor of the classic Kiwi onion dip.
The home economist first came up with this now-iconic dip in the early 1960s, when working for Nestlé. She was charged with creating a recipe to tap into the emerging trend for dips at the time. So Rosemary mixed a tin of Nestlé reduced cream with the contents of one packet of Maggi onion soup mix and, voila, an iconic Kiwi culinary wonder was born.
These days, the dip has evolved to, more often than not, include vinegar or lemon juice in the mix. We’ve also come across versions that switch up the souring agent to malt or balsamic vinegar to add a little extra flavour. There are those who mix through fried shallots and we’ve also come across a version that included mashed tinned tuna. Sour cream or cream cheese are also added sometimes for a less strong flavour hit.
You could also try experimenting with soup flavours, with some swearing by a French Onion soup mix as a superior version. Pumpkin, mushroom and tomato soup mixes have found their way into variations. But purists always return to the good old Maggi Onion to evoke that classic flavour.
