Te Kai a te Marama

Rooted in the rhythms of the maramataka — the Māori lunar calendar, which guides the way food is grown, gathered, and shared.

Updated March 26, 2025
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For the love of... : cooked in New Zealand
Bird, Karena
Paper Book
Kia Ora, we are very proud to be able to share our first book with you. It contains recipes that have helped us fall in love with food. There is something in here for everybody from our everyday favourites, to our more glamorous dishes and of course, something sweet to finish. This cookbook is...
Living by the moon = Te maramataka a Te Whānau-ā-Apanui
Tawhai, Wiremu
Paper Book
Originally researched and written as part of an academic study, Living by the Moon sets out and discusses the maramataka or lunar month and the understanding of the days and nights according Te Whanau-a-Apanui tribal knowledge.
Pataka Kai: Growing kai sovereignty
Hutchings, Jessica.
Paper Book
We face a biodiversity crisis and a climate meltdown. Our food systems are broken, our soils are depleted and our seeds are owned by global corporations. Meanwhile colonial capitalism dictates the mainstream response to these crises, drowning out Indigenous perspectives and solutions, yet Indigenous...
Grow : wāhine finding connection through food
Merkens, Sophie
Paper Book
Sophie Merkens takes us on a journey across Aotearoa, meeting 35 inspiring women who find meaning and connection through food. From mothers, gardeners, hunters, chefs and hobbyists, their conversations dive deep into how food influences their lives. Grow - Wahine Finding Connection Through Food is a...
Hopurangi
Sullivan, Robert.
Paper Book
After rejoining social media, Robert Sullivan wrote and posted a poem a day over two and a half months - the poems collected in Hopurangi-Songcatcher. Inspired by the cyclical energies of the Maramataka, these poems see the poet re-finding himself and his world - in the matauranga of his kuia from...
Kai : food stories and recipes from my family table
Rata-Lowe, Christall
Paper Book
The gathering of food and the gathering of people to share a meal are at the heart of Maori family life. Award-winning food photographer Christall Lowe invites us to join her whanau table and experience for ourselves an abundance of mouthwatering dishes, a veritable feast for the eyes and for the...
Kai and culture : food stories from Aotearoa
Johnson, Emma (Graphic designer)
Paper Book
"Food tells a story. A story about where it originated, who produced it, the producer's values and its journey from source to plate. We all share in the experience of food; it connects a diversity of people, places and ideas. In this book chefs, writers, academics and producers come together to cook...
Kai hākari
Rata-Lowe, Christall
Paper Book
Nau mai, haere mai ki tenei kai hakari wainene! Christall Lowe invites you to a hakari (feast) at her family table - replete with mouthwatering dishes infused with the flavours of Aotearoa, brimming with manaakitanga (hospitality), and served with wonderful tales of nostalgia. In this beautifully...
Hiakai : modern Māori cuisine
Fiso, Monique
Paper Book
Monique Fiso is a modern-day food warrior, taking Maori cuisine to the world. After years overseas in Michelin-star restaurants, Monique returned to Aotearoa to begin Hiakai, an innovative pop-up venture that's now a revered, award-winning restaurant in Wellington. Monique...
Traditional ecological knowledge of the Maramataka : the Maori lunar calendar
Ropiha, Joan.
Paper Book
Some Maori continue to practice the ancient tradition of fishing and planting by the maramataka - Maori lunar calendar - the 29-31 nights of the moon's monthly cycle. This traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is preserved in written charts of the maramataka that were first innovated by the mid...
Whānaukai : feel-good baking to share aroha and feed hungry tummies
Toilalo, Naomi
Paper Book
Delightful baking to put smiles on faces, from tried-and-tested classics to new twists on crowd-pleasers Baking should be a simple pleasure, and celebrated baker Naomi Toilalo shares more than 70 of her tohutao reka - delicious recipes, all made without fancy equipment or...
Wawata : moon dreaming : daily wisdom guided by Hina, the Māori moon
Elder, Hinemoa
Paper Book
Hina, the Maori moon goddess, has 30 different faces to help illuminate life's lessons - a different face and a different energy for each day of the month. And with her changing light, new insights are revealed. This book gives us the chance to connect to the ancient wisdom of the old...
Tahua-roa, korare = Food for your visitors, Maori green vegetables their history and tips on their use
Roskruge, Nick
Paper Book
This widely illustrated book, written by Massey University horticulture and Maori resource development lecturer Nick Roskruge, introduces over 30 korare, or Maori green vegetables sourced from freshwater or coastal areas, the forest or bush, as weeds in crops, or actually as crops. eg: kokihi, puha,...
Te reka o te kai - kai atua : maara kai practical guide
Paper Book
This guide has been compiled by Te Waka Kai Ora to introduce whanau to methods for establishing their own Mara Kai. The history of traditional agriculture in Aotearoa is briefly described and practical steps that are needed for growing your own food are explained, with particular emphasis on Maori...
Cooking with Charles Royal
Royal, Charles
Paper Book
Here New Zealand's foremost Maori chef combines traditional ingredients with tantalizing culinary flare.
From kai to Kiwi kitchen : New Zealand's culinary traditions and cookbooks
Leach, H. M.
Paper Book
In the past two decades, cuisine and culinary history have attracted increasing attention, with both popular and academic books reflecting the growth of interest. Recipes are both sensitive markers of the socioeconomic conditions of their times and written representations of a culture's culinary...
Kai ora : fresh, healthy food made with aroha
Thorp, Anne
Paper Book
With over 85 recipes, lifestyle shots and an essay by Anne Thorp on her fascinating life in food, this book serves as a quintessential guide to New Zealand indigenous food - from the bounty of our shores through to land-based ingredients such as piko piko and puha.
Kai time : tasty modern Māori food
Peeti, Peter.
Paper Book
Drawing from the abundant fare that the New Zealand land and sea have to offer, charismatic Maori chef and television personality Peter Peeti shares his culinary knowledge and favourite recipes in this wonderful book. Based on the popular show on Maori TV, Kai Time on the Road (now in its sixth...
Matariki : the star of the year
Matamua, Rangi
Paper Book
In mid-winter, Matariki rises in the pre-dawn sky, and its observation is celebrated with incantations on hilltops at dawn, balls, exhibitions, dinners and a vast number of events. The Matariki tradition has been re-established, and its regeneration coincides with a growing interest in Māori...
Matariki : te whetū tapu o te tau
Matamua, Rangi
Paper Book
In mid-winter, Matariki rises in the pre-dawn sky, and its observation is celebrated with incantations on hilltops at dawn, balls, exhibitions, dinners and a vast number of events. The Matariki tradition has been re-established, and its regeneration coincides with a growing interest in M'ori...
Ora : healing ourselves : indigenous knowledge, healing and wellbeing
Pihama, Leonie
Paper Book
This collection brings together indigenous thinkers and practitioners from Aotearoa and internationally to discuss the effects of trauma on indigenous peoples across social, economic, political and cultural environments. The authors explore understandings and practices of indigenous people,...
Moon gardening : planting your biodynamic garden by the phases of the moon
Jackson, Matt (Garden and landcape consultant).
Paper Book
Biodynamic gardening means taking a holistic approach to the garden and being aware of the interrelatedness of the soil, plants, and vegetables. The principles of biodynamics also bring a spiritual aspect to the meditative art of gardening, emphasising the influence of invisible energies, such as...
Aroha : Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet
Elder, Hinemoa
Paper Book
Ki te kotahi te kakaho ka whati, ki te kapuia, e kore e whati When we stand alone we are vulnerable but together we are unbreakable See the world differently, through some of the wisest of human eyes. Discover traditional Maori philosophy through 52...
Te mahi māra hua parakore : a Māori food sovereignty handbook
Hutchings, Jessica
Paper Book
"Jessica Hutchings (hua parakore gardener, activist, academic and certified Te Waka Kai Ora grower) explains the political implications of the decisions that we make about growing and eating kai. She encourages us to take control over the food security of our whanau, providing practical advice on...
Atua Wahine: The ancient wisdom of Maori goddesses
Tapiata, Hana.
Paper Book
Ancient wisdom of the Māori goddesses to help you navigate the modern world Atua wāhine are the Māori goddesses who make up the world around us: earth, fire, water, the moon and more. From the earth mother, Papatūānuku, who sustains and...
Homegrown happiness : a Kiwi guide to living off the suburban land
Lewis, Elien
Paper Book
Whether you have a small urban section or a rambling, shady backyard, Homegrown Happiness will help you create the perfect garden to suit your needs. An advocate of the low-maintenance no-dig gardening method, Elien Lewis leads you through a year in your vegetable garden, including advice on:...
A tohunga's natural world : plants, gardening and food
Moon, Paul
Paper Book
In this remarkable sequel to his ground-breaking Tohunga: Hohepa Kereopa (2003), historian Dr Paul Moon again travels deep into Tuhoe territory - and deep into its past - to uncover a wealth of material. This time he reveals his discussions with Hohepa Kereopa on traditional plants, cultivation,...
Hands in the dirt : grow your own kai with Mrs Evans
Evans, Leah
Paper Book
A practical, down to earth how-to-garden book: all the basics of vege growing including 40 simple, tasty family recipes.
The abundant garden : a practical guide to growing a regenerative home garden
Kay, Niva
Paper Book
Home gardening the natural way.
Maori and the natural world : Te taiao
Garlick, Jennifer.
Paper Book
In traditional Maori knowledge, the weather, birds, fish and trees, sun and moon are related to each other, and to the people of the land, the tangata whenua. It is truly an interconnected world - a vast family of which humans are children of the earth and sky, and cousins to all living things. In...
Sustainable revolution : permaculture in ecovillages, urban farms, and communities worldwide
Birnbaum, Juliana
Paper Book
Urban gardeners. Native seed-saving collectives. Ecovillage developments. What is the connection between these seemingly disparate groups? The ecological design system of permaculture is the common thread that weaves them into a powerful, potentially revolutionary-or reevolutionary-movement. ...
A natural year : living simply through the seasons
Nissen, Wendyl
Paper Book
Wendyl's story of living the simple life in the country: gardening, foraging, fishing and the freedom she has found in ageing. Beautifully illustrated and including 100 new and delicious recipes. 'An absolute cracker of a guide to feeling content by living more naturally.' Lynda...
Biodynamic perspectives : farming & gardening
Henderson, Gita.
Paper Book
A collection of articles published in the Bio Dynamic Association newsletter, examining many aspects of biodynamic farming and gardening. Topics covered include: soils; fertility; weeds; water; animal husbandry; fruit trees; trees; home gardening; pests and diseases; astronomy; and ecology.
Grow organic, cook organic : natural food from garden to table, with over 1700 photographs
Lavelle, Christine.
Paper Book
The first part of this book includes clear advice on creating and caring for your garden, with step-by-step guides to soil preparation, weed control, watering and feeding, pruning and propagation. There is also practical information on dealing with pests and diseases in both the garden and the...
Seed to table : a seasonal guide to organically growing, cooking, and preserving food at home
Ghafari, Luay
Paper Book
A Seasonal Guide for Growing & Cooking Foods Right at Home "Luay makes growing your own food, even if just a small amount, into an achievable endeavor."--Niki Irving of Flourish Flower Farm, flower farmer, florist, author of Growing Flowers #1 Best Seller in...

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