BLOG THE KIWI

Please note that delivery is not available on 25 to 27 December 2021 and 1 to 2 January 2022. As usual, Thursdays have no delivery.

Eat The Kiwi believes in sustainability and so here it is! We’re launching our very first cooler bag recycling project from tomorrow onwards! Each bag will be sterilized before being reused.

At this point, it is no secret that a lot of us wait with anticipation for this time every year, as we eagerly reintroduce one of our all time best sellers—the delicious feijoas (or pineapple guava, if you will)!

But how to tell when they are ready to be eaten? For starters, they smell absolutely amazing—like pungent aromatic guava or pineapples!

They will also be a little soft when ripe–similar to avocados. And If they’re still rock hard, simply place them together in a bowl for a day or two. Problem solved :)

Feijoas can be eaten at a tasty snack, though some people may not be the biggest fan of the skin. We love to slice them open and scoop out the flesh—as you would with kiwi or passionfruit. Feel free to smash these back to back as Feijoas won't make you sick if you gorge yourself on them!

On that note, we thought it was only fair that we also highlight some of our favourite ways of using them in the kitchen, while they last…

Add Them Into Your Smoothies 

It’s the perfect healthy breakfast you can make at home! To start, have your feijoa chopped and peeled; place the bits and pieces into a blender with some bananas, spinach leaves, and ice cubes.

Once they become smooshy, slowly and gently add your favourite yogurt and milk until it becomes creamy. Don’t forget to top it off with some cereals as well!

Alternatively, you can also pair them with the kiwifruit—adding a little bit of greenery never hurts.

Make Your Own Feijoa Ice Cream (No Fancy Ice-Cream Machine Needed)

With plenty of feijoas that come with your purchase, why let them go to waste?

Just make sure that you freeze them in order to get the ice-creamy texture that isn’t too soft. To firm it up a little bit more, it’s as easy as placing it back in the freezer for another 20-30 minutes!

As a side tip, we recommend pairing it with other tropical fruits, such as avocados, pineapples, or passion fruit.

Have a look at the rest of the recipe here, courtesy of Nadia Lim media.

Adding Them to Your Cocktail

Mix it up with vodka, sugar, and lime! The bearing soft, sweet flesh, and subtle tangy flavour of feijoas are just right for spicing up your afternoon or evening cocktails.

To do this, "simply scoop out the flesh of two feijoas per Caipiroska and whiz in a blender for several seconds. Pour into a glass, add the sugar, squeeze in juice from lime wedges, add the wedges to the mix, then muddle just enough to dissolve the sugar. Add vodka and stir together. Fill another glass completely with crushed ice and strain contents over top. Garnish with a sprig of mint and extra lime if desired." Courtesy of The Denizen.

Have a picture of your DIY feijoa recipe? Post it on social media and tag us @eatthekiwihk!

Oil—arguably one of the most important ingredients in cooking, and the pantry stable you can hardly live without. As with any cooking spray, or in particular that of Alfa Rice Bran, there are also a few myths about its use and health benefits.

So, we spoke to our in-house expert, Tim, who generously debunked some of the myths and outlined some important tips—from your cooking preference right down to the ingredients you're using—to look out for when you embark on your next tasty adventure in the kitchen. 

Ready to make sure your meal comes out extra delicious? Let’s have a read!

Your Air-Fryer Cooking Essential

Generally speaking, the best oils are high smoke point—or flashpoint—oils that won’t burn at high temperatures. 

Because air fryer cooking has the cooking element/coils close to the food, this gives ways to potential smoking and burning, compromising the taste of your dish.

As a ‘high smoke point’ oil, Rice Bran makes sure that your dish not only can be cooked the way it’s meant to be prepared, it also ensures that it tastes just right!

Low-Fat & Low-Calorie Cooking

Did you know that a one-second spray only contains about 7 calories and 1 gram of fat? In comparison, a tablespoon of butter and olive oil contain over 100 calories and 12 to 14 grams of fat, respectively.

If you are looking for a healthier diet, look no further!

Well, What About Barbecues

Not a problem at all! As you may already know, oil sprays are great for barbecues, and is usually preferred for lubricating your grills prior to cooking!

Just a heads up, never—NEVER—oil the BBQ; oiling the food is more than sufficient.

Keeping Avocados from Browning And Sticky Ingredients from Sticking

Fun fact: spraying an avocado with non-stick cooking spray can create an oxygen-proof barrier. It works—surprise!—better than rubbing on oil or wrapping the avocado with plastic wrap.

And last but not least—cooking spray keeps stubborn, sticky ingredients like honey or peanut butter from sticking to the inside of your favourite measuring cup!

After all, cooking spray is really just a pressurized and watered-down oil. So don’t worry if that’s not your thing, feel free to use olive oil or avocado oil as substitutes—they’re unique in their own ways!

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @eatthekiwihk!

It’s March, meaning the misty and foggy season of the year is in full swing! For those of us who fear the worst that humidity has to offer — which includes affecting our bodily functions and moods — fear not, as we’ve done some research and gathered a list of food that will help you with just that.

First of all, and this might surprise you, but increase your liquid intake!

We know this might surprise you, but it’s not without a reason — increasing water intake, according to researches, have the magical power of helping you mitigate mood swings, which is also one of the many causes of fatigue!

We aren’t just talking about water here either — try juices, teas, and of course, coconut water! What’s more, polyphenols — known for keeping your blood pressure levels and blood vessels in check, hence promoting good circulation — are found in young plants, including coconut water! They also make a natural source of antioxidants!

Also try out some bitter food

We get it — not everyone’s a fan of bitter food, but hear us out!

While the peculiar taste of many bitter and pungent-flavored goodness might not always be a popular item on the dinner table, some of these vegetables, such as broccoli and citrus (blood oranges, lemons, limes, and different grapefruits) are packed with calcium that help maintain your body’s core internal temperature!

High-fibre goodness are also good for you

Are you a fan of whole grains bread? As it turns out, high-fiber food such as berries, pears, peas, beans, potatoes (skin-on), and many other vegetables are also particularly good for this humid season!

Every single one of the these goodness has the ability to relax your muscle and nerve cells, as well as to increase the absorption of calcium in the blood stream alongside high levels of magnesium, helping you maintain a more constant body temperature!

Of course, this list is by no means conclusive — feel free to cater your meals to your own taste preference, but don’t forget to top them off with these healthy goodness!

At last, irregardless of whether you’re particularly sensitive to dampness or humid weather, the best tip that we can give is to eat seasonally! Stay in touch with us on social media @eatthekiwihk and find out what our latest seasonal products are!

When it comes to Easter in New Zealand, us Kiwis have a long-standing tradition of observing the festival with…you guessed it, the Easter bunny!

And while a combination of leaves falling from trees and days getting shorter (hello, southern hemisphere!) accompanies us from Good Friday to Easter Monday, the same simply couldn't be said for Hong Kong.

Still, as a bunch of Kiwi foodies abroad, we do tend to agree it's the unspoken truth that food is our 'universal language.' On that note, simply ask, what’s Easter without a stomach filled with chocolate and hot cross buns? Let’s have a look!

Hot Cross Buns

Did you know that different parts of the hot cross bun have different meanings? The cross symbolises the four phases of the moon and the addition of fruit; eggs and honey are symbolic of fertility and plenty.

Even though today’s buns bear little spiritual significance, it hasn’t stopped our Kiwi friends at household brand Pandoro — a specialist boutique retail bakery that started in Auckland — from creating their very own hot cross buns.

Today, a full 22 years after its founding, the Pandoro brand has come full circle — by leveraging a combination of baker’s flour, salt, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and many more. 

And if there’s one thing you absolutely need on you dinner table this Easter, the Pandoro selections — inclusive of both chocolate and original flavoured buns — would not be the ones to pass up on.

Whittaker’s Easter Milk Chocolate Kiwi

Did you know that ‘kiwis’ were actually our native land birds? Well, for Easter this year, Whittaker has plan to bring back its holiday signature kiwi bird-and-egg combo, calling it the ‘Easter Milk Chocolate Kiwi.’

As a sustainably and environmentally-conscious company, we don’t just pay close attention to farming practices and source only from those who follow straight sustainable farming guidelines; we also take great pride in protecting different — not necessarily endangered — animal species…

That’s why we have decided to re-introduce Whittaker’s Easter offering, supporting their partnership with New Zealand charity ‘kiwis for kiwi’ to reverse the 2% kiwi bird population decline into a 2% growth — nice! Feel free to learn more about Whittaker’s initiative here!

When it comes to having a plateful of delicious goodness for your Easter holiday whilst protecting the environment, we simply recommend looking no further than our Pandoro and Whittaker’s selections!

Don’t forget to snap a picture of your Kiwi goodness and tag us on Instagram @eatthekiwihk for a chance to be featured!

Steak — where do we even start? After all, it’s easy to name an occasion where a nicely cooked steak would be the perfect fit — new years, birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Days, a random Tuesday night just to treat yourself, you name it.

However, preparing one that’s flavoursome, mouth-watering, the perfect 'doneness', well-seasoned and tender is a whole other business. 

Fear not — our in-house chef, Tim, has given us his best tips for the perfect steak.

To begin, all your need — aside from the steak — is coarse salt, black pepper, olive oil, butter, fresh thyme (or other herbs), and some garlic. The tip top, most important steps follow:

1. Remove steak from the fridge and let it sit in room temperature for 30-45 minutes before cooking. This will ensure your steak cooks evenly. 
   
   
2. Pat your steak dry with paper towels before seasoning — removing this outer moisture helps to give your steak a beautiful and crispy surface.
   
   
3. Season liberally with coarse salt and ground black pepper on both sides prior to cooking. Add more salt than you think you should, half of it is going to be lost in the cooking! Don’t add any other seasoning at this point – save your fresh herbs for the pan.
   
   
4. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil into the hot cast iron skillet (the pan should be smoking just a little) just before adding the steaks, sear them for 60 seconds per side.
   
   
5. Flip your steak every minute for a thin and even crust. Use tongs to flip your steak. Keep in mind that a fork will puncture it, and spatulas are just too slippery.
   
   
6. Once the steak is about half done, add some butter, thyme (or other fresh herbs), and smashed garlic to create a hot baste to spoon over your steak until it’s finished. Keep in mind that butter adds moisture and flavour. 
   
   
7. Once complete you must rest your steak — we can't stress this enough! The rule of thumb is to rest your steak for at least half the amount of time you cooked it for. This ensures the juices settle and the steam stays trapped inside. If you slice it too early you're at risk of a very bloody steak and moisture quickly escaping i.e. dry steak. No thanks!
   
   
8. When it comes to slicing, go thin and against the grain for the tenderest bite (when you hold up a slice and pull at each end you should see the vertical lines of the grain).

For a thicker rib eye, feel free to turn the heat down a little after searing. Don’t forget to cook for a bit longer as well — a slower and lower pan will ensure all of the marbling gets properly rendered (i.e. the fat cooks out and adds extra flavour and moisture to your steak!). 

If your steak has a strip of fat on one side, place that side on the pan for 30-60 seconds. This will render it and make for a crispy and delicious piece of goodness (albeit naughty and somewhat unhealthy, it's about balance right?)

Finally, for a skirt or a thin flat iron, turn up the heat a little to make sure the outside gets a nice burn before the inside gets too well-done. 

For more information about cook times, do refer to the chart below!

There you have it! Don’t forget to take a picture of your steak and share with us on Instagram @eatthekiwihk, and if you have any further questions or info you think we should add to our guide of portioned steaks, give us a ping at hello@eatthekiwi.com — we look forward to hearing from you!

At Eat The Kiwi, we are no stranger to the phrase “everyday is Valentine's Day when you are with the right person,“ but we also believe that with the right food, we can spice up your relationship a little.

How about a night of cooking together and mixing drinks, pretty romantic! We've decided to make your life easier by featuring some of our best kitchen — and bar — goodness that's bound to be useful on, and beyond, the14th.

From a romantic dish that takes centerstage at the dinner table to the sweet (and healthy) dessert that tops off your lover’s appetite, and the drink that you both ought to share after putting the kids to bed, we have just what you need here at Eat The Kiwi.

Starting off, we have our Roasted Langoustines (Scampi) with Lemon Herb Marinade. Treat yourself and your partner to some sustainably-sourced wild langoustine. The white, meaty flesh is sweet and delicate -- best left to shine on its own! We've also added just a few complementary flavours to keep the dish light and fresh.

Taking your intimate night to the next level, we have our favourite Honey and Ginger Glazed Carrots Recipe Kit and Green Beans with Lemon and Almonds Recipe Kit — they are like two peas in a pod! The strong and sweet flavouring of the former perfectly compliments the forgiving and slightly sour taste of the latter, it’s almost as if they’re made just for this romantic occasion!

We get it — having 2 side dishes just isn't enough. That’s why we also recommend The Caker’s Coconut Raspberry Kaffir Lime Kit. We all like a little bit of sweetness in our lives, whether it’s through romance or the simple pleasure stemmed from a tasty dessert. With The Caker, you are guaranteed to be pleased — the intensely fresh and fragrant flavour will be your best company well into valentine evening.

There simply is no match for this raspberry laden cake, and it’s definitely not one to miss for this romantic yearly occasion.

To wind down after your romantic evening — or if you have kids and just want some intimate time after they have gone to bed — how about a sip of red? Thankfully, we at Eat The Kiwi have prepared a selection of wine. 

And if you would rather DIY your own drinks, how about our Scapegrace Gin Kit? Sharing is caring, and that begins with sharing your love of relaxation (read: gin) with your significant other.

Bruce Springsteen once sang, “Everybody’s got a hungry heart.” And with it -- sugar, anyone?