WHEN PUANGA RISES: CELEBRATING KAI, HEALING, AND CONNECTION IN TARANAKI.
- Phoenix Manley-Green
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
This unique collaboration highlights the significance of Puanga in Taranaki, a time for reflection and community.
Explaining the seasonal importance of this period, Pounamu Skelton noted, "Puanga is our guiding whetū here in Te Tai Hauauru. So as a kaimāra our kai has come in, you know we’ve harvested it’s now in storage. So it’s in the pataka kai and it’s a time to have a kai together".
The event serves as an invitation for guests to reconnect with the origins of their food and the traditions of the Māori calendar.
Skelton expressed her goal for the evening, saying, "That’s always my intention that people will be inspired to move towards either māra kai or to shop locally and purchase from other people that have grown the kai or to celebrate with their own whānau with beautiful kai and to make it special".
Chef Teresa Julian has played a vital role in translating this connection into a culinary experience.
Her approach is deeply personal, rooted in family history and a passion for local ingredients. "Food is my love language. So, you know, it’s really important and it came from my mum. So yea my mum yea my best friend she passed away a long time ago but, so a lot of this is actually to honour her as well because she was an amazing cook".
Reflecting on the collaborative nature of the menu, which features produce grown by Skelton, Julian added, "They’re all going to be beautiful, and also to celebrate a lot of the kai that pounamu has grown as well so a lot of that has come into it with her kumara especially, we’re got horopito, we’ve got kawakawa infused into different dishes".
Through this event, the organizers hope to inspire attendees to integrate the rhythms of the maramataka Māori into their own lives, fostering a deeper appreciation for the land and the food it provides.
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