Rewena bread
Rewena bread is made with potato flour, which gives it a subtle sweetness and dense texture. It is commonly served with curry and other savory dishes, or as an accompaniment to any meal. The bread itself has a crispy crust that crackles when you bite into it, while the inside is deliciously soft and fluffy.
Rewena bread is unique to New Zealand, and is said to have been introduced by early Maori settlers. Its origin story includes a generous act of kindness—the wife of a local chief baked the bread and gifted some to a young woman who was exhausted after travelling long distances. The woman shared the bread with her tribe, and it quickly caught on among the locals.
The production of Rewena bread typically begins with kumara, the traditional Maori sweet potato. The kumara is boiled until soft, mashed, and then combined with grated onion and potato flour to create the dough. The dough is then shaped into rounds, brushed with an egg wash for a lovely golden colour, and baked in an open-top oven.
The bread’s name comes from the Maori words rewena (flour) and parauri (sized round and flat), which together refer to this delicacy.
Rewena bread is an important part of New Zealand culture, and it is still enjoyed by many today. Eating the bread is a delicious way to celebrate Maori traditions, and it is a wonderful reminder of the generosity and hospitality of the Maori people.
Rewena bread recipes
Amazing Rewena bread recipes sourced from the web.
The origin of Rewena bread
Rewena Bread, a cookery staple of the Māori people of New Zealand, has a relatively enigmatic past. Its origin is widely disputed, with some antiquarians claiming it to be of Polynesian provenance, while others are adamant that its roots lie in the British Isles.
The name Rewena Bread has been credited variously as stemming from the Māori words rewena (flour) or raputupuku (burnt dirt), suggesting associations with baked flour-based foods. Other etymological derivations could be the Scottish word "rovin" or the Welsh word "rewin", meaning "worm". Yet another interpretation is that Rewena was named after the Roman goddess Rhea, whose symbols were white grapes, flowers and bread.
Regardless of its exact genealogy, Rewena Bread appears to date back to the 19th century, when it started to feature prominently in Māori cuisine. Based on a thick paste made from flour, sweet potatoes, kumara and - historically - kauri gum, it is not dissimilar to traditional Scottish scones, yet it is more of a savoury dish than a sweet pastry. Its distinctive taste owes much to the microbial flora of the area where it is cooked, making each version of Rewena Bread unique.
From humble beginnings as a simple accompaniment to fried fish, Rewena Bread gradually grew in popularity and ultimately became an icon of Māori cooking. It is now served with a variety of dishes including pork, eels, and mussels, as well as being an essential ingredient in the national dish of hangi.
The intricacies of its past may remain unsolved, yet one thing is certain - Rewena Bread is an integral part of New Zealand's food culture. It is a delicious testament to the country's unique history and a reminder of how far it has come.
Types of Rewena bread
Rewena Bread is a New Zealand speciality made from mashed potatoes, flour, yeast, sugar and salt. The dish is usually cooked in the oven but can also be cooked by using the hot plate. It is a traditional Maori dish, found mainly in Northland, Bay of Plenty and Otago regions. Popularly served as either an accompaniment to a meal or as a meal itself, Rewena bread has its own distinct taste, texture and appearance.
Rewena bread has a range of different varieties, giving eager home cooks a plethora of flavourful options. Primarily there are two types of Rewena bread: sweet and savoury. The base ingredients are always the same, however; it is the additional ingredients that give each variety its unique flavours. Savoury Rewena bread often includes bacon, eggs, onion, garlic and cheese; while sweet Rewena could contain fruits such as feijoa, blueberry or banana as well as honey, cinnamon, sultanas and vanilla.
The first step in making Rewena bread is to grate and mash the potatoes. This process produces a creamy, pasty substance which is combined with the other ingredients and left to rise before being shaped and cooked. The finished product has a slightly crunchy exterior and a light and fluffy, moist interior. Some cooks like to top the Rewena with traditional Maori designs or create exciting shapes to decorate their Rewena.
Sumptuous, toothsome and scrumptious - Rewena bread is a delicacy worth trying. No matter what type you choose, you're guaranteed to enjoy a wonderful combination of flavours. Bon appetit!