Lunching Like a Local

Perhaps the best discovery of my trip to New Zealand has been the very tasty savory pies. They're slightly bigger than our pot pies and come in a variety of flavors including mince and cheese (pictured), steak and cheese, and chicken and mushroom. You can get them frozen, in a hot-lamp display case at the local convenience store, or (best) fresh from a bakery or cafe. The buttery pastry flakes on your mouth and hands as you make your way through the warm, rich layers of crust and filling. (Forks are optional.) It's contentment in a pastry shell. Another yummy discovery I've made is the Afghan cookie: a hard chocolate cookie made with crushed cornflakes in addition to the flour, giving it a more rugged texture and a bit more crunch. These cookies are often topped with a small smear of chocolate frosting and a walnut. After my final day of cycling along the Queen Charlotte Sound, I tucked into both of these delicious specimens of local cuisine, feeling quite like a local. Bike ride + savory pie + cookie + New Zealand natural beauty = perfect bliss.