Enjoy your next hāngi with chef Rewi Spraggon: NZ’s Hāngi Master

Chef, Rewi Spraggon is the NZ culinary partner for the upcoming Laphroaig event. Photo / Supplied

Celebrated chef, Rewi Spraggon is also known as NZ Hāngi Master. He’s worked as a carver, artist and musician but his love for indigenous food is at his core.

My passion for kai Māori hāngi comes from my mum, who was the head ringawera (chef) on our marae. She catered for many events over the years and my understanding of indigenous foods comes from my many travels around the globe; seeing and tasting it first-hand.

The name hāngi is quite special. The first part of the name, ‘hā’, means the essence of life and the second part ‘ngi’ means the internal spark of Mother Earth Papatūanuku.

Chef Rewi Spraggon is also known as NZ Hāngi Master. Photo / Supplied

I have always been innovative in the way I offer food. When I’m not on the road travelling with my portable hāngi truck, I’m working on new ways to present hāngi in a variety of ways such as hāngi steam buns and hāngi dumplings now available at local supermarkets. Watch this space for a new hāngi pork sausage, too.

I’m also now the NZ culinary partner for an upcoming Laphroaig event crafting a menu harnessing the Laphroaig elements of peat, salt and fire. Fun fact – it’s been my go-to single malt for years.

For more than 200 years Islay whisky distillery in Scotland has been using the natural building blocks of peat, salt and fire to bring a unique flavour profile to Laphroaig and I’ll be doing the same for the event; using those shared elements to cook the hāngi and to bring the menu to life. I’ll also share my stories from over the years, and there will be whisky pairings and cocktails to enjoy.

The Laphroaig distillery on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. Photo / Supplied

I’m really looking forward to bringing people together for a memorable experience, combining the flavours of hāngi and Laphroaig. We’ve got a big list of canapes, entrees, mains and desserts from crayfish, Clevedon oysters, mutton bird, pāua and a Laphroaig burnt-sugar steam pudding - all cooked through my hāngi pits.

The Tales of Peat, Salt, and Fire with Rewi Spraggon takes place October 28 at Mechanic’s Bay Event Space, Auckland. For tickets and more information, see eventbrite.co.nz/e/laphroaig-presents-tales-of-peat-salt-and-fire-tickets-723018175827?