What’s with the shock over a chocolate block?
On the response to Whittaker's chocolate branding, students sneaking Uber Eats in at lunchtime and LEAO shares secrets of the best mini pork buns in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Nau mai, haere mai. Welcome to The Boil Up, The Spinoff’s weekly food newsletter produced in partnership with Boring Oat Milk. Written by me, Charlotte Muru-Lanning. It’s lovely to have you here!
“Shame on you Whittaker's we certainly won't be buying your chocolates anymore,” read one social media comment. “Yikes,” I thought to myself. “What unforgivable sin has my most regularly purchased chocolate brand committed?”
Maybe the post referred to the company switching most of its products’ certifications from Fairtrade to the lower standard of Rainforest Alliance? Was it a delayed response to the brand’s misguided “gender reveal” chocolate blocks of 2019? Had this person just learned of the brand’s decision to discontinue their strawberry block?
Of course, it was none of those. This week, Whittaker’s announced a limited edition Creamy Milk block translated to Miraka Kirīmi, for Te Wiki o te reo Māori. Unsurprisingly, the announcement was met with what is a requisite of any everyday celebration of te reo Māori: unhinged commentary. I can only imagine how miserable trips to the supermarket must be for people who hate non-English languages to this degree: catching a glimpse of the words pasta, tofu or guacamole must take a huge emotional toll. It’s also important to note that the words “Creamy Milk” are still on the label for anyone picking up a chocolate block shaped item in the chocolate aisle and wondering what in fresh hell they’re holding.
I loathe to even get into this kind of discourse because it’s just too annoying and frankly, boring for me to manage any impassioned response. It does however feel like an opportunity to acknowledge the clever and entertaining responses to those racist criticisms of a chocolate bar, like this Kath and Kim inspired meme or this “White Fragility” block by artist Israel Tangaroa Birch. Not to mention the beauty of the growing inclusion of te reo Māori (even through transliteration) in everyday spaces alongside the more expansive reclamation of the language. As someone who is slightly above beginner in their grasp of te reo, they act as gentle reminders to me that I need to get my act together and reclaim it. My only criticism is that we need more moves like Whittaker’s’, and importantly, that they shouldn’t be limited to language weeks. In fact, there’s no reason why everything on our shelves shouldn’t at least be bilingual. Potential bonus: if this carries on there will be more chocolate left on the shelves for the rest of us.
The Boil Up is brought to you in partnership with Boring Oat Milk.
As the best supporting actor in cereal, flat whites and smoothies; milk is essential but honestly, who gets excited about it? This oat milk isn’t particularly riveting either. It doesn’t have exciting artificial flavours, stabilisers or nasty surprises. Fortified with calcium and vitamins; it’s boringly similar to regular milk but without the actual milking bit. It doesn’t even come from anywhere fancy like Sweden, it’s all made in New Zealand using New Zealand oats. Made with a tough crowd in mind, this is a neutral, yet creamy, full-bodied and delicious oat milk.
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Weekly bites
A story that piqued my interest this week was this RNZ report about how students at a Hastings college have been sneaking Uber Eats into school at lunchtime, with some claiming the food they get at school is both not enough to fill them up and at times, “atrocious”. It’s easy to respond to this kind of story with some version of “they should be thankful for what they've got” but it’s an interesting springboard to think about the politics around food in schools. Personally, I think free school lunches are fantastic for the really important and pragmatic reason that they make sure students aren’t hungry when they’re learning and take financial and time pressure off families. At the same time, the romantic food-obsessed side of me (who would have been a danger to myself if Uber Eats had been an option when I was at high school) wishes school lunches were more often seen as an opportunity to develop a passion for and understanding of food.
It’s a boring character trait, but if you’ve read this newsletter before, you’ve probably already picked up on the fact that I’m seafood obsessed. Being this way inclined, it didn’t take much for me to notice the ever-growing number of people selling seafood boil – a dish based on Louisiana-style events where mounds of seafood are boiled and served alongside sauces. Last week, I spoke to three people making and selling seafood boil about the growing popularity of the dish in Aotearoa and in particular, why the dish seems to have particular resonance in Māori and Pasifika communities.
It won’t come as a surprise to anyone who's done supermarket shopping lately, but the cost of kai continues to rise across the board. Stats NZ has reported an overall 7.4% increase in July 2022 food prices, compared with the previous year. Fruit and vegetable prices have risen a whopping 10% since last year.
I very quickly went way beyond my word count in my previous newsletter and so didn’t have space to include the excellent reporting done on the treatment of RSE scheme workers last week. Both this article on The Spinoff and this report on Stuff are vital reads on how the fruit industry treats these migrant workers, who are very often Pasifika workers.
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Five places with LEAO
The jangly pop of Auckland-born musician David Feauai-Afaese, known creatively as LEAO is cloaked in the influence of their Sāmoan ancestry. Their 2019 EP was influenced by Sāmoan-pop staples like The Samoan Surfriders, Punialava'a, and The Five Stars, with a touch of contemporary rock 'n' roll thrown in. And with a new album set to be released in the new year, I’m excited for what we’ll get to hear next. Feauai-Afaese shares five favourite places for kai in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Tasu’s Takeout, Otahuhu: Run by a wonderful Cook Island family, this special takeaway tucked away just off the main Great South Road strip has the most delicious Cook Island kai. My recommendation is the steak and mushroom plate, which comes served with rice and mainese (Cook Island potato salad). Treat yourself to a steamed pudding with custard while you’re at it.
Ulutoa and Sons, Avondale: With a couple of branches around Auckland, Ulutoa and Sons has been my reliable go-to for wholesome Sāmoan soul food and ingredients. With takeaway-style plate options, getting a portion of falai maukegi (lamb and pumpkin stir-fry), taro and kale moa (chicken curry) is a definite highlight of the day. Absolutely obligatory to get oka (raw fish salad) and keke pua’a (pork buns).
Shanghai Noodle House, Mt Albert: This is a recent spot I was graciously introduced to by my dear friend Levi Gemmell, but damn, new favourite noodle spot in Auckland. The fried mini pork buns are a must get, alongside their massive variety of authentic Shanghai noodles (four for $5!).
Tai Ping Dominion, Mt Roskill: I’ve been to a few Tai Ping supermarkets throughout my life, but this is definitely my favourite (and closest) one. A wide variety of ingredients from many different Asian cuisines. If you’re trying to find a place that sells tamarind paste for your home pad-thai or dried anchovies for your Korean soups, this place has you covered. Grab yourself a nice Chinese pastry snack while you do your shopping too.
My sister Thelma's home: Nothing beats home cooking and my older sister Thelma is my culinary centre in regards to my passion for cooking and eating really yummy food. The MacGyver of cooking – a title she shares with our mum, Thelma always knows how to make the most heartwarming meals with whatever is at hand. As she always says “the best way to cook is with love”.
The weekly snack
Yaokin Umaibō Mentaiko Corn Rings, (I lost the receipt for these but from memory, they were around $3), from New Eats in Royal Oak Shopping Mall: For context, umaibō is a tube-shaped Japanese snack that’s been around since the 1970s. It comes in a variety of flavours, but mentaiko or cod roe flavour is among the most popular. It’s also beloved for being extremely cheap with a retail price of around 10 yen (12 cents), but as a very predictable reflection of these dark times, it was announced this year that the price would increase to 12 yen. In this version, the singular tubular shape is transformed into a bag of ring-shaped chips coated in their popular mentaiko flavour. What I found in this bag justified the chip’s cult following. Sweetness, umami, the slight funk of the roe and a very subtle heat mingle together perfectly on each ring. I was also delighted by the surprise of the odd heart-shaped chip in my bag. And like the best kinds of love, I’m not sure whether this was by chance or meant to be.
Talk next week!
Hei kōnā mai, Charlotte
