Often when I get to a new city I sign up for a walking trip or some sort of cultural trip involving food. I do it because it usually gives you a good sense of the city as you walk around and also lets you identify places you’ll want to return to. I’ve been on some brilliant ones in Sydney and San Francisco and Singapore so I thought I’d try Auckland. So At 9:30 am Elle, a native of the Midlands in the UK picked me up at my hotel. I don’t want to cast aspersions at my English friends and their culinary prowess but I was a bit suspect. Already in the car we’re two very funny and charming ladies from KL who were visiting Auckland as one of them had just relocated to the South Island and was getting acclimated 

Usually on these excursions they walk you through the downtown area stopping at unique restaurants and food makers having you try various food and discussing how it relates to local culture. …I guess Elle missed that memo .

Essentially we went to a coffee roaster watched him turn on his roaster , had a cup of coffee then headed for friends of Elle’s local gourmet supermarket.  There we spent two hours tasting odd NZ products which Elle apparently gets a commission on 

We sampled 

NZ Oyster paste. Now I love a good oyster but somehow reconstituted oyster on a cracker made me a bit queasy 

NZ Olive Oil Hmmmm

NZ Smoked and packaged Mushrooms

NZ Wasabi actually tasty 

And several other weird canned preparations 

In a country famous for wine and beer you’d think there would be a tasting or at least a discussion on wine or beer …no way …we were too busy tasting NZ pine nuts 

Finally,  when I was about to despair we moved to the cheese counter and got to taste several cheeses from local producers. A moment of heaven especially the Edam and the Monkey Puzzle Blue . 

After two hours sitting in the supermarket we headed to the Auckland fish market which had closed for the day so it was like walking through the fish section at Safeway and finally had lunch at a restaurant located next to the market.    Finally a glass of very nice Pinot ! However,  the fish tasted just okay and the oysters seemed a bit dry . .. at 4 am the next morning I found myself violently ill and ended up in bed for a day…  oh well the company was fun and the cheese was amazing I’m sure it was The oysters!!! I might give up food tours but never oysters.  

See below pictures of the coffee roaster (yawn) and our supermarket table and cheese selection and the seafood platter with the tainted oysters