Twenty local judges voted for their favourite indigenous dish and announced Millennium Hotel Rotorua the winner of the 2019 Ngā Kai a Matariki at the Rotorua Farmers Market today.
The dish was titled "Tuhinga o te maere", meaning "Element of Surprise", created by Millennium Hotel Rotorua's Executive Chef Jan Charvat.
It included gougere of saffron crayfish mousse on a bed of moemoe and celeriac puree, balancing on pan-fried rēwena complemented by pickled pikopiko spears.
This year four local hotels and catering companies took part in the competition that aimed to show traditional Māori cuisine in a contemporary way.