What a fun evening! Our ancestral dinner turned into an around-the-world buffet, with tasty childhood dishes from right here in NZ and Australia to European delicacies and American comfort food. Perhaps best of all however was sharing our stories and the memories that drove us to bring our one particular dish. Whakawhetai koe mo te tohatoha. Food brings cultures together.  (Vivian – co-host)

The power of food to connect us with each other, with our culture and with our past, identities and memories, shone through at Ancestry on a Plate. It was a sweet night in more ways than one as the collective memory of dessert was much stronger than savory (we did have both). There was lots of beautiful food and food stories from around the world and from Aotearoa.
Thank you Sarah for the Matariki cookies, Grace for the Mt Roskill Slice and of course there was pavlova (lemon) and the usual discussion about its origins.

Curried sausages al la my mother which meant apple, sultanas and no heat brought back memories for many. Fi’s Scots Lorne Sausage was an ode to fry ups and her dad. A vegan Tokwa Adobe was true to its Filipino roots and Spanish history and Vivian’s Artichoke and Spinach dip was influenced by its US crab cousin. Alessandra took us to regional Italy with a beautiful chocolate dessert – Zuppa Inglese.

Regina and Maria gave us Poland on a plate – family, history and culture ( happy and sad) with Maria’s grandmother’s Pierogi (via Canada) and Regina’s Sernik z rosą (Polish Baked Cheesecake with meringue topping) and Ogόrki (Polish Dill Pickles). Ogόrki are nearly impossible to buy in New Zealand so Regina and family grow the cucumbers and make them.
PS We loved our venue – Aaiotanga Community Space  (Anutosh – co-host)