One Slice or Two?

To the untrained eye, these probably look like any ordinary loaf of bread. In fact they are Rewena Paraoa, which is more commonly known as Maori bread.

I photographed these handsome big loaves - almost as big as cushions - at the hangi at Tuahiwi Marae a couple of weeks ago, that we prepared for the last of the Te Karaka magazine kai features for Ngai Tahu. Rewena bread is traditionally made by creating a 'bug' or 'starter' from boiled potato, flour and sugar and leaving it to ferment for a few days. Some of the starter is then used to make bread and the rest is set aside and 'fed' for future baking sessions. You can use yeast instead of the potato starter, but it is the potato that gives it its distinctive sweet flavour.

Loafing Around

Riccarton Rotary Market, Christchurch. March 2009. Ajr

I visited Riccarton Rotary Market last weekend and came upon a woman selling Rewena Paraoa, more commonly known as Maori bread. It is traditionally made by creating a ‘bug’ or starter’ from boiled potato, flour and sugar and leaving it to ferment for several days; part of the bug is then used to make the bread and a small portion saved and ‘fed’ until the next baking session. Rewena bread has a distinctive sweet/sour flavour and a firm texture. It can also be made using yeast.