Kānga waru

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Kānga waru
Alternative namesCorn pudding, Corn and kūmara pudding
TypePudding
CourseDessert
Associated cuisineNew Zealand
Main ingredientsCorn, Sweet potato

Kānga waru is a type of pudding from New Zealand. The dessert is made from cornmeal made into a dough that's wrapped and steamed. The dessert originates from the Māori people and is closely associated with Māori cuisine.

Etymology[edit]

The Māori word 'Kānga' is a direct transliteration of the English word for Corn.[1] 'Waru' is derived from the Polynesian word 'Waru' which means 'to scrape',[2] one of the preparation methods used by Polynesians for the preparation of traditional puddings. Corn was introduced to New Zealand by early Europeans and was adopted by Māori as a food crop.[3] Several dishes were made from corn such as Kānga pirau (fermented corn) and Kānga pungarehu (corn cooked in ash).

Preparation[edit]

Kānga waru is prepared from corn, either grated or cornmeal, with flour, sugar, butter, milk and grated kūmara (sweet potato) mixed together and formed into a dough. The dough is then wrapped and steamed for several minutes.[4] Kānga waru is traditionally wrapped in corn husks and cooked in a hāngī, though modern day preparations use foil and is cooked in a similar way to steamed puddings.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Kānga - Māori Dictionary".
  2. ^ POLLEX-Online : The Polynesian Lexicon Project Online. Oceanic Linguistics. Entries for WARU (PN) Scrape: Waru - Pollex
  3. ^ "Māori foods – kai Māori – Foods introduced by Europeans". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  4. ^ "Kānga Waru". Baker Gatherer.