Kai for thought: Kūtai/Kuku (mussels)

Kai (food) has a special role in connecting people and bridging cultures in Aotearoa New Zealand. Many plants and kaimoana (seafood) we enjoy today have been staples in the Māori diet for hundreds of years. Māori innovation and Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) have guided the cultivation and harvest of culturally significant foods for generations.

Aotearoa New Zealand has the ninth longest coastline in the world. It makes sense that kaimoana (seafood) was vital to the Māori diet before settlers introduced crops such as wheat and potatoes and livestock like pigs, sheep and poultry to the land.

USE: Like other shellfish, kūtai were usually cooked on heated rocks or eaten raw. Māori also preserved their seafood by hanging them on poles to dry in the sun or baking first before hanging. Kūtai are still a cultural delicacy enjoyed by Māori throughout Aotearoa today.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE: Kūtai are nutrient powerhouses, being good sources of protein and many important minerals, in particular iron, iodine, zinc and selenium which can often be deficient in some groups of the population. They are also high in B vitamins such as folate, niacin and B12. They have a great fatty acid profile and are a good source of omega-3. Many of these nutrients are important for cognitive function, a healthy immune system and for protecting the body from free radical damage. New Zealand Greenshell™ Mussels are now exported to many parts of the world and consumed as a delicacy or health supplement.

For more on the nutrient content of these foods and over 2,700 commonly prepared and eaten foods in New Zealand, visit the New Zealand Food Composition Database at foodcomposition.co.nz. To learn more about Māori traditional and contemporary interests in plant and kaimoana, check out some of the Māori organisations Plant & Food Research has supported in these areas: Wakatū, Tuaropaki and Ngati Porou Miere.