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Kai Culture Cook-Off

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Kai Culture Cook-Off

Plan a short, respectful presentation about a dish connected to your whānau, community, or a kai tradition you have researched. Use the short reading and vocabulary below. You may choose a Māori kai tradition or another food tradition, but do not assume that one dish or practice represents all Māori. Include te reo Māori and English where helpful.

Read: Kai, place, and sharing

Kai means food. The ways people grow, gather, prepare, and share kai can carry knowledge and memories. For some Māori communities, a hāngī is a way of cooking food in a pit prepared in the ground, using heated stones. Practices vary between whānau and iwi, and hāngī is not the only important way to prepare or share kai. Local knowledge, relationships with place, and tikanga (values and practices) matter. Manaakitanga describes showing care and respect for others; sharing kai can be one way to express it. When learning about a food tradition, ask whose knowledge you are hearing, where it comes from, and whether you have permission to share it. Avoid presenting one person's experience as everyone's.

1.According to the reading, what does manaakitanga describe? Choose the best answer.

Showing care and respect for others
A single recipe followed by every Māori community
A type of cooking stone
The Māori word for ingredients

2.Name two things the reading says may carry knowledge or memories in relation to kai.

3.The reading says a hāngī is the only important way Māori communities prepare or share kai. Write true or false, then correct the statement.

TrueFalse

4.Match each te reo Māori word to its English meaning.

kai
hāngī
tikanga
manaakitanga

earth-oven cooking method
care and respect shown to others
values and practices
food

5.What does hāngī mean? Use the reading to complete the sentence: “A hāngī is a way of cooking food in an .”

6.You want to describe a kai practice you heard about from one person. Which statement is the most careful and respectful?

All Māori people prepare kai this way.
This person shared that their whānau prepares kai this way; practices can vary.
This is the only traditional way to cook kai.
I can share any knowledge I hear without asking.

7.Choose a dish you know well or can research responsibly. Write its name, at least three ingredients, and one source of information you could check. If you are unsure about a cultural connection, say so rather than guessing.

8.Write two or three sentences explaining why sharing kai might express manaakitanga. Use one detail from the reading and explain your thinking.

Useful presentation phrases

Ko taku kai tēnei ko … — This is my dish, called … Ko ngā kai matua ko … — The main ingredients are … He mea nui tēnei ki … — This is important to … Nā te mea … — Because … Inā koa, … — For example, … Practise the pronunciation of each phrase with a fluent speaker or reliable pronunciation resource if one is available.

9.Write a short presentation of four to six sentences. Introduce your dish, name its main ingredients, explain a meaningful connection (if known), and include at least two phrases from the phrase bank. Make clear whose knowledge or experience you are sharing.

10.Name one thing you learned about kai or manaakitanga, and one change you would make to speak more clearly or respectfully in your presentation.