Traditionally fish heads were considered chiefly kai by Māori.
I ngā wā o nehe i kīia ngā upoko o te ika he kai rangatira.
But colonisation and commercialisation has led to the rise in popularity of fish filets in Aotearoa - so much so that fish'n'chips are now a staple fast food in New Zealand.
Nō te taenga mai o tauiwi, nō ngā mahi tauhokohoko hoki, kua nui kē atu tā ngā tāngata o Aotearoa aro ki te korepe - inārā, he tino ō rangaranga te ika parai me te tipi ki Aotearoa.
Fillets make up just a third of a fish - our appetite for them has led to tens of thousands of tonnes of fresh fish heads and frames being thrown away each year.
He hautoru noa iho te korepe nō te ika - nō tā tātau hiakai ki te korepe, kua whiua atu te manorau tana o te mata me te tinana o te ika māota i ia tau.
That’s got many of the older generation scratching their heads wondering why we’d waste such delicious and nutritious kaimoana.
Waiho mai ko ngā pakeke me ngā kaumātua e māharahara ana he aha tātau e moumou nei i ā tātau kaimoana.
But for many rangatahi Māori the prospect of eating fish heads - especially the eyes - can be unappealing. In this mini-series, Kai o Nehe, we introduce rangatahi to traditional kai.
Engari, e tū kē ana ngā ihu o te tokomaha rangatahi ki te kai i te upoko o te ika, mātua rā, ngā mata o te ika. I tēnei hōtaka, i Kai o Nehe, ka hora e mātau ētahi kai o nehe mā ētahi rangatahi.
Featuring:
Kingston Toko-Hayward (Ngāi Tūhoe), India Fremaux (Te Arawa), Kamaea Hakaraia (Ngā Puhi, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, Ngāti Hako, Maniapoto), Te Raihi Delamere (Te Whānau-a-Apanui), Te Irimana Peautolu (Tauranga Moana, Te Whānau-a-Apanui) and Aniwa Laumalie Whaiapu (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Waikato).
And as our chefs, Carla Rupuha (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Autonga, Tūwharetoa) and Nanny Hinerapa Rupuha (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Autonga, Tūwharetoa).
This is part of our reo Māori series, Ohinga, created by Mahi Tahi Media, with funding from Te Māngai Pāho and the NZ on Air Public Interest Journalism Fund.
E hāngai ana tēnei ki tā mātau whakaaturanga reo Māori, ki a Ohinga. He mea mahi nā Mahi Tahi, he mea tautoko nā Te Māngai Pāho me te Puna Pūtea ‘Public Interest Journalism’ a Irirangi Te Motu anō hoki.
You can watch our 2021 Ohinga series here.
More stories:
Teen smoking rates fall to all time low, vaping increases