Chef Makoa

Chef Makoa

Rēwena, Fry Bread & Māori Baking

Updated June 9, 2026

The Māori bread and baking tradition of Aotearoa: the potato-sourdough rēwena parāoa raised on a living bug, the fry bread of every hākari and tangi, the unleavened takakau, and the steamed puddings of the marae table. Post-contact wheat and corn made wholly Māori kai. Deep tikanga deferred to Māori elders.

Culinary Explorer

A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.

Discover Culinary Explorer
Purini Mamaoa (Aotearoa Māori Burnt-Sugar Steamed Pudding) - Chef Makoa

Chef Makoa

Purini Mamaoa (Aotearoa Māori Burnt-Sugar Steamed Pudding)

Aotearoa Māori purini mamaoa, dark from burnt sugar and slow in the pudding basin, turned out for Christmas or the hāngī table and finished with warm custard.

Rēwena Parāoa (Māori Potato Sourdough Bread) - Chef Makoa

Chef Makoa

Rēwena Parāoa (Māori Potato Sourdough Bread)

Aotearoa's own potato sourdough, raised without commercial yeast from a living rēwena bug, baked into a soft, tangy loaf for the whānau table.

Kūmara Rēwena Parāoa (Māori Sweet-Potato Sourdough) - Chef Makoa

Chef Makoa

Kūmara Rēwena Parāoa (Māori Sweet-Potato Sourdough)

Māori rēwena parāoa from Aotearoa, raised by a living kūmara bug instead of commercial yeast, folded with mashed sweet potato and wholemeal until the loaf bakes tangy, tender, and ready for a shared table.

Dough Boys (Māori Boil-Up Dumplings from Aotearoa) - Chef Makoa

Chef Makoa

Dough Boys (Māori Boil-Up Dumplings from Aotearoa)

Soft Māori boil-up dumplings from Aotearoa, dropped over pork, kūmara, and pūhā so they steam tender on top and drink in the broth underneath.

Parāoa Parai (Māori Fry Bread) - Chef Makoa

Chef Makoa

Parāoa Parai (Māori Fry Bread)

Aotearoa's parāoa parai is kai Māori for the marae table and the whānau kitchen, risen dough fried golden, split warm, and eaten with butter.

Kūmara Bread (Māori Sweet-Potato Loaf from Aotearoa) - Chef Makoa

Chef Makoa

Kūmara Bread (Māori Sweet-Potato Loaf from Aotearoa)

Māori kūmara, the sweet potato of Aotearoa, folded into a soft quick bread with a tender crumb, a little sweetness, and enough loaf for the whānau table.

Kānga Waru (Māori Corn and Kūmara Steamed Pudding) - Chef Makoa

Chef Makoa

Kānga Waru (Māori Corn and Kūmara Steamed Pudding)

Aotearoa's kānga waru, grated corn and kūmara folded back into corn husks, steamed until dense and sweet, then served warm with cream for Matariki or the whānau table.

Takakau (Māori Unleavened Flatbread from Aotearoa) - Chef Makoa

Chef Makoa

Takakau (Māori Unleavened Flatbread from Aotearoa)

Aotearoa's quick marae bread: flour, water, and salt kneaded soft, flattened by hand, then baked or seared until browned outside and tender inside.

Where cooking meets culture.

Culinary guides, cultural storytelling, and the editorial depth that makes cooking meaningful.

Discover Culinary Explorer