Snacking in Auckland

Hokey-Pokey Ice Cream

Yes, you've had butter brickle, the cousin of this summertime childhood favorite, but you've never had any dairy as fresh as New Zealand butter or cream. Go for the full-fat version of this vanilla ice cream dotted with toffee bits.

Kumara Fries

Guilt-free snacks, kumara fries—packed with potassium and fiber—are delicious, and the kumara, or sweet potato, has a rich heritage as a Maori food staple. Red, gold, and orange varieties are plentiful in New Zealand today. Orange is the sweetest, especially fried and served Kiwi-style with sweet chili sauce and sour cream.

Pavlova

Like the ballerina for whom it was named, this national dessert is feather light—a meringue topped with fruit, sauce, and fresh cream. The confection is essentially hollow, but it forms the tough core of one of the many culinary Kiwi and Aussie rivalries: who invented it first and named it for visiting Anna Pavlova? So far, Kiwis have the edge: a recipe predating the Australian one by six years. Look for the treat on the menu around Christmastime.

Whitebait Fritters

The Kiwi passion for this seafood, a smeltlike fish caught as juveniles as they head upriver to spawn, is so intense that the media reports the start of whitebait season. Find the pancake-sized fritters at markets or as a daily special in cafes. Strict controls and popularity make it a delicious delicacy, despite the main ingredient.

The Cafferatti

While Auckland is known as the City of Sails, some say it is home to the cafferatti—those who live for coffee. Aucklanders happily tick off lists of go-to coffee shops and joints to avoid. The top sin is employing an inexperienced barista; decoration and food don't factor in. In fact, some follow baristas from café to café.

The big international companies are established in Auckland, but locals prefer small independent shops that often operate in tiny spots with room for little more than a coffee machine, a small food cabinet, and a few stools. Aucklanders drink on the run, so you may see people present their own cups to be filled.

To blend in with the cafferatti, order a flat white — thicker and less milky than a latte, with a smoother, richer flavor than cappuccino—or a short black (espresso). And true members of the cafferatti never order flavoring, so save your caramel craving for when you return home.