Te Rangikaheke’s Morning Porridge

Te Rangikaheke’s Morning Porridge

Te Rangikaheke’s Morning Porridge

Next month marks ten years of Eat New Zealand – a movement that has transformed the way we see and celebrate our food culture. For the Hui’s Breakfast of Champions on day two, October 7th, I was invited by Angela Clifford, CEO and co-founder of Eat New Zealand, to create a recipe using New Zealand’s only oats grown here on our land – Harraways Oats.

Immediately my mind went back to a recent visit with Te Rangikaheke in Rotorua, standing in his nationally significant kūmara gardens. He spoke about his love of adding kūmara to his morning porridge – and in that moment, I knew what this dish had to be.

Oats and kūmara. Two ingredients woven into the very bedrock of this whenua – land. Both are kai taonga, food treasures, that our collective ancestors have cultivated, cooked, and been nourished by for generations. They carry the stories of gardens and families, of survival and thriving, of hands in the soil and food on the table. They remind us that nourishment is never just about what we eat, but about how we are connected – to the land, to one another, to the threads of memory and future.

To bring them together for Eat New Zealand – an organisation that has spent a decade championing the food, people, and landscapes of New Zealand – was an absolute honour and privilege.

A bowl that honours people, place, and purpose – weaving together New Zealand–grown oats and kūmara with the sweetness of local strawberries, cream, and honey. Simple, nourishing, and deeply rooted in the whenua – land.

This breakfast will be served on Tuesday 7th October at the Breakfast of Champions during the Eat New Zealand Hui.

Tickets can be found here: https://eatnewzealand.nz/the-eat-new-zealand-hui-2025/

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients

For the porridge

• 1 cup Harraways oats
• 2 cups water
• Pinch of sea salt
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• 1 small orange kūmara

For the strawberries

• ½ cup fresh strawberries
• 1 tsp golden caster sugar or local honey
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

To serve

• A drizzle of fresh pouring cream
• A spoonful of local honey or a slice of honeycomb

Method

1. Roast the kūmara
   Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the kūmara on a tray, skin on and uncut. Roast for 35–40 minutes, or until completely tender when pierced with a knife. This method steams the kūmara in its own skin, intensifying flavour and sweetness. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
   
2. Prepare the strawberries
   While the kūmara cooks, wash and hull the strawberries. Cut into quarters or small chunks, then place in a bowl with the sugar (or honey) and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside to macerate — the juices will release, creating a glossy, pink syrup.
   
3. Cook the porridge
   In a saucepan, combine the oats, water, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring regularly until creamy.
   
4. Fold in the kūmara
   Scoop the roasted kūmara flesh from its skin. Using a fork, gently fold it through the porridge — leave some streaks and flecks of orange for texture and flavour. Discard the skins.
   
5. Assemble and serve
   Spoon the porridge into warm bowls. Top with the macerated strawberries, pour the cream around the edges, and finish with a drizzle of honey or a shard of golden honeycomb.

To Enjoy

Eat hot, while the cream swirls into the porridge and the honey melts into sweetness. A breakfast rich with story, flavour, and connection.