Several hundred people were able to experience a Hamilton hāngi for Matariki on Saturday.
A section of Hamilton’s Garden Place, in the heart of the CBD, was exhumed on Thursday morning, in preparation for hākari (feast).
A hole measuring one meter by one meter and 1.5 meters deep was dug about 20 meters from Victoria Street in a pebbled seating area.
Parekura Collins of Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa Marae, helped prepare the hāngi and said they should ensure it was dug free of underground pipes, including gas pipes.
Tom Lee / Stuff
Some of the 200 hāngi packages of food in Hamilton’s Garden Place for Matariki.
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Fresh dirt was brought in because it was clay under the pebbles, and on Saturday morning a group of about six people, including Collins, began to heat the volcanic rocks in four barrels next to the well.
“You have to get the rocks glowing white, so it was a three-hour burn. The rocks went into the hole, our baskets of the 200 packs of food went on top of the rocks, on top of the baskets are wet bags that fall on the rocks to create the steam and then the dirt, bags and tarpaulin act like a pressure cooker. ”
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Tāmati Rimene-Sproat takes us on the marae and guides us through the process of a pōwhiri.
Collins couldn’t tell how hot the rocks were, but a few melted when they were taken out of barrels.
“So hot enough to melt the stone.”
Tom Lee / Stuff
Parekura Collins of Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa Marae helps prepare the hangi in Hamilton’s Garden Place.
He said it must be volcanic rocks or river rocks, because ordinary rocks just crack from the heat.
It’s when the hangi is being raised that Collins’ heart begins to pound because he doesn’t know if it’s cooked or not.
“There is no meter or possibility to check whether it is cooked. Once you’ve done the reveal, that’s it.
“If they’re undercooked, they go in a box and end up in an oven,” he said with a chuckle.
Tom Lee / Stuff
George Barrett enjoys his hangi with his son and daughter Tūī and Ruby Barrett.
Collins worried for no reason, the packets were cooked perfectly.
The hāngi was a conversation starter for those passing through the civic center, an event Collins would like to see happen annually.
“I believe this is something to bring our community together, and the more we get involved as New Zealanders, the more it becomes normalized. And something like food brings everyone together.”
George Barrett was one of 200 lucky ones to get their hands on a hangi pack.
Tom Lee / Stuff
The individual packs contain chicken, pork, vegetables and traditional stuffing.
“It’s the first hāngi I’ve had in four and a half years, as I’m from Australia, and with Covid and all, the hāngi shops on Sydney’s northern beaches are closed.”
Barrett said he was skeptical about the hangi in the wet ground.
“But it’s cooked to perfection.”
The filling was a hit for his son Tūī.
“It’s that cheap at $10, others are normally $15 and not as good as this one.”
TOM LEE/STUFF/Waikato Times
Jean Murray with her children Atticus and Indigo and her father Peter Schwartz made sure to queue to get a hangi meal.
Another family that managed to get their hands on a few packages was Jean Murray’s – with her daughter Indigo, 5, who gave it two thumbs up.
While Murray’s father Peter Schwartz on a visit from Washington DC tried his first hangi.
And although he has had similar experiences, “I have never tried anything so delicious”.
The hāngi was the brainchild of SkyCity’s head of food and drink, Nathan Hartley, who always wanted to do a hāngi at Garden Place – and Matariki parties provided the chance to do just that.
Tom Lee / Stuff
The queue for the hāngi meandered around Garden Place at 12:30 pm on Saturday.
“It was just an idea, I didn’t know if it would be allowed, but the council has been very good. Everything has been donated, so everything we make goes to charity.”
Proceeds will be donated to The Serve – a charity that cooks 365 days a year for those in need, underprivileged, low-income, or experiencing real hardship.
The individual packs contain chicken, pork, vegetables and traditional stuffing.
“I hear you’re being judged on your filling, that’s very important. So I didn’t mess with it, I didn’t bring any flavors other than what you would expect in this country, because I wanted to do it authentically.”
There were even some vegetarian package options.
Hartley quickly realized that 200 packs wouldn’t be enough when they started serving just before 12:30.
“Maybe we’ll do 500 next year.”
He would like to see the central hāngi become an annual event with Matariki.
“And if they put a nice permanent hangi pit there, I’ll use it more than once a year.”