Spot the food difference! New Zealand vs USA 

Kiwi here. I remember laughing when I pick up my ice coffee order in the states. I was expecting the scoop of ice cream , whipped cream and cinnamon on top. I literally got what I asked for… black drip coffee with ice cubes in it!! I took one sip and then binned it! First thing I went straight to after getting out of customs in NZ was an airport cafe for a decent latte!

The reason we call a chicken burger a burger and not a sandwich is because a sandwich is between slices of bread, if it's between burger buns, it's a burger. Also I believe Americans call the meat patty on it's own a burger, we don't, a burger is the whole thing. Also the more filling a burger has the better it tastes. We also don't have the Mexican ingredients to make genuine Mexican food, which I really wish we could get because I love tacos and burrito's but I'd kill for a real authentic one.

The reason why the majority of biscuits (cookies) are harder in NZ is because a lot of people (like myself) like to dip them in coffee, tea or milo. When ever I visit a family member there's usually biscuits served with a cuppa (coffee, tea or milo).

NZ chef here! Awesome video! Reason why our patties are fully cooked is due to regulations! Minced meat must be cooked internally to 65-75C. Most tend to do 75C to play it safe. Not too sure about other councils, but our cafe goes through MPI and we have to regularly check the temps to write down in a control plan for inspection days.

As a 90’s baby, I remember it always being chocolate chip biscuits or choc chip bikkies. I feel it’s only been recently that cookie has become more common. I would say a big contributing factor is the company Cookietime. They use to make (maybe still do?) chocolate chip biscuits the size of your hand and we’re hard still, but that flavour I guess became their ikon and thus followed the use of cookie, plus it sounds good being all C words.

Beetroot YES Egg YES in a burger in New Zealand is a Kiwi Burger (Same in Australia is an Aussie Burger)

Aussie here. I remember being in Vegas in my first trimester having a big ugly cry in a rental. All I wanted was a sandwich. Every time I ordered a sandwich I got burger buns. I couldn't believe how hard it was to get two slices of standard bread as part of a sandwich. I look back in humour now but it drove me bonkers that every kind of bun was called a sandwich and none appeared to be cut from a loaf of bread. They were all burgers!!! 🤣😂 Burgerfuel in NZ make amazing burgers. Yes I do the beetroot and egg (and pickles) when going all out but need that travel bubble to come alive again for a good NZ burger.

On the Scone topic - if you pronounce it scone (rhymes with stone) rather than scone (rhymes with gone), it's an immediate shibboleth that y'aint from round these-here parts! :)

Peanut butter has always been popular in NZ - just NOT with jelly/jam!

Another excellent video - thanks! The question of Mexican food is interesting, as I'm a Kiwi who has spent a lot of time in Mexico and the US. Genuine Mexican food in Mexico is pretty ordinary, if I'm honest, and I vastly prefer the US version. But it's not really a "thing" here because we simply don't have the Latino immigrant population. Conversely, we have a strong Pasifika community (Auckland is the biggest Pasifika city in the world) and hence there's quite a lot of emphasis on island food. Similarly, we have lots of Thai and Vietnamese immigrants and great south-east Asian cuisine as a result. The coffee culture in NZ has become (in recent years) really fantastic and you can buy a really good brew in any cafe/bakery/restaurant anywhere. I'm sorry, but my view of the US filtered "coffee" - especially the bottomless cups in diners - is disgusting, watered-down rubbish that bears not the slightest resemblance to actual coffee. The different taste of various baked foods probably comes down to the quality of ingredients, as NZ uses real butter and real milk most of the time. (Despite its small size, NZ is the biggest international exporter/trader of dairy foods.) There is very limited use of palm oil and corn products - such as corn flour - and we decided via a commission of inquiry to completely ban genetically modified products for food. And hallelujah to that - GM food is simply a corporate grab for the ownership of the means of production of food. A couple of my favourites.... Pic's peanut butter and Whittakers chocolate. Keep up the good work!

As a NZer I brought the oreo's and the and flaming cheeto's thinking it was similar to the US version and did wonder whats all the fuss was all about after trying it. Thanks for clarification.

Tortilla recipe 2.5 cups flour. 1 tsp salt. 1.5 tsp baking flour. 3 Tbsp lard (most important) and you can still buy it from the butcher at the supermarket. Rub this together until they resemble breadcrumbs. Add 3/4 cup of warm water + an extra Tbsp. Mix with hands until dough forms, then turn out and knead until nice and smooth and elastic. Cover with a tea towel and rest for ten minutes. Divide into 16 pieces (I just quarter and then quarter each of those). Roll into balls, lightly flour work surface and each ball before rolling flat. Heat a skillet or pan over high heat then cook each Tortilla for 30 seconds for each side… char is fine (in fact it’s good). Wrap in a warm tea towel until they are all cooked. We often take ours out and put each one on the charcoal bbq grill for ten seconds each side to warm through and get a little flavour as we serve them. Fillings are normally, plain avocado or guacamole, home made fajita mix, chicken, beef etc. a yoghurt or sour cream sauce, that we make with lime and coriander, as well as plain lime and coriander over the top. Oh don’t forget the sweet corn. We eat those year around, it makes a nice break in winter. But we do it all on the bbq for the extra flavour. Come summer, tomatoes and sweet corn as well. Hope this helps. I think traditional tortillas probably use yeast, but these are quick and still taste good. Edit… we do marinate the chicken, meat and fish but that is just whatever I have had hand to throw together, cumin, lime, coriander, chilli, yogurt. Anything that you like really. And a really quick tip, if you’re using a slightly cheaper cut of beef and are in a hurry, add a teaspoon of baking soda to your marinade (it will help tenderise) just don’t marinate for too long, no longer than 15 mins or it will take on a metallic taste.

I was confused when I went to a hard rock cafe in LA and they had sandwiches in burger buns - if its in a burger bun, its a burger. If its in bread slices, its a sandwich. It took me a while to figure this out. Also other things to on toast is honey! I think NZ eats more honey than most countries. Regarding biscuits being hard, if you want soft, eat a slice. I have realised living away from NZ that we have a range of baking that I can't get elsewhere, including slices eg, caramel slice, louise cake, tan/russian slice and they are that "soft" texture as opposed to biscuits which are harder. I think the chocolate chip cookie came from what we saw on TV/movies etc and they just transferred the name when it came over. I used to call them chocolate chip bikkies/biscuits when I was a kid, but then it changed to "cookies" in the 80's and 90's.

15:30 Say what??? Peanut butter has always been massive here...

I just ordered your book, and also downloaded the PDF version too. Ka pai. It looks great, I can't wait to try these out. Since you are in Wellington try the Flying Burrito Brothers on Cuba Street for their sizzling fajita, or Mexico on Dixon Street for their really fresh takes that differ from Tex-Mex. Thanks for the videos, it's a really fun series.

Thank you @Kiwiamericans. Good to know the differences.

Thank you for the video! It was really interesting.

I think what you grow up in food is what you get used to. I believe NZ and Australian food tends to have less salt and sugar than American food, particularly snack food. It sounds like opening a good Tex Amex restaurant in NZ would be a good business opportunity.

Great topic, thanks. Really enjoyed your perspective, very fair and balanced. Well done. 👍👏👏👏❤

The black coffee I had in the states tasted like muddy water. I'm sure the small coffees in nz have more caffeine than the horrible massive coffees in the states.

Kiwis like a crunch. When I bring cookies, everyone always looks for the ones that... Are close to burnt. 😂

i feel like..... Biscuits are more the type in a packet you buy in the supermarket. Youre more likely to call it a cookie when it's from a bakery or it looks more like a home baked item.

You have to realise that any company that markets food to different countries does localised panel testing and tailors the taste to the local market. For example: TipTop produces curry flavoured icecream for the Middle East markets

Cookie time cookies but specifically the size they manufacturer for air new Zealand is the perfect cookie. Peanut butter has always been popular here... Just ask Pic from Nelson.... But it's not sweet and it's literally just peanuts and a tiny bit of salt and nothing else. You haven't mentioned the lack of sugar and corn syrup in processed foods... The difference is crazy... The sugar packed in to things breakfast cereal, or even normal things, canned tomato soup or relish... Even plain white bread. Kiwi's have a less sugary palette. Also dairy, skim milk vs 2% and the difference in cheeses... We have to make our own pepper jack. In general the quality of the food is better in NZ... The vegetables are more real and so is the meat and diary. But it does cost more. No farm subsidies and no big Ag making outrageously cheep livestock feed. New Zealand use to be the breadbasket for the UK for a very very long time until the UK joined the EU and now it feeds China and other emerging markets with premium goods.

Kia ora team, you can't beat for a picnic in summer, lettuce and marmite sandwiches on white bread!! Lettuce needs to be fridge cold 'Iceberg Lettuce' so that it is still crunchy to the bite. Goes great with the marmite!! Enjoy :-)

Checkout Moustache Cookie Bar for amazing soft cookies :) They have shops in Auckland and Christchurch and also post all over NZ

My Samoan friend recently introduced me to Palusami pies. Taro leaves, onion, coconut milk and corned beef. I don't eat pies very often, but these are delicious 💗

Im a New Zealand raised Poly. I randomly came across this video and laughed all the way through to the end. so now ima subscribe. I cant wait to watch your other vids !

The bit about pies, yes, we were doing a project where we had people coming over from ffhe US regularly and we would introduce them to the pie, or the "bridge" pie (small round mince pie). It would become almost an adiction. We'd have to do regular "pie runs". Haha

Cookies are biscuits, we use both words, cookies are often as you say soft home made ones where as biscuits or bikkies are (at least in my mind) usually harder.

Mexican Specialties in Auckland is the best and most authentic Mexican owned and operated restaurant in NZ, AND then also import and sell all the ingredients to make authentic Mexican food at home. When you're in Auckland (Ellerslie), be sure to visit! They are open for lunch and dinner most days a week.

Talking about food differences... A friend of mine here in NZ was near some American tourists when they ordered a Kebab from a local food outlet. They were somewhat confused with what they were handed. When my friend relayed that to me, I replied that they were probably expecting something on a stick. In this instance, what they thought they were ordering was Shish Kebab... what they got was Donner Kebab. It raises the point that ordering a Kebab in NZ always results in a Pita bread wrap usually containing either chicken or lamb (or falafel). Potentially there might be places that sell Shish Kebab but I've never seen one (although a common food at night markets are chicken skewers).

Biscuits are hard cookies are soft. If it’s chocolate with peanuts it’s a peanut brownie

One thing I do wanna say is we do have Chicken Fajitas in New Zealand, I’ve gotten it at at Mexican restaurant as well as made it at home! You can even buy the Fajita spice mix at most supermarkets so you can make it at home. My favourite is Steak Fajitas when you slice the steak super thin!

Looking very pretty in this vid! Love your channel :)

Interesting comment about peanut butter becoming more liked or common here….I’m a 60’s baby, I grew up on peanut butter sandwiches 😂, marmite or vegemite is best with butter spread thinly and alone or with cheese on top , a thing when I was at school was vegemite and crisps on a sandwich for lunch 😊

Love both savory and sweet scones! Always enjoyed a good Devonshire tea when I lived in New Zealand as well. My Aussie hubby and I always have tea time in the afternoon back here in the States (actually drinking a hot cuppa right now). I like beetroot and fried egg on burgers! My favorite was the McDonald's Kiwi Burger when I lived there. Do they still have it? I'm not very picky at all, but I hated the tomato sauce! 😜 Especially the texture. The only place I could get real ketchup was at McDonald's. My Kiwi friends always saved their extra packets for me. 😄 You're killin' me with the NZ pies! 😋 We crave those so bad! I tried to make some here; they were good, but nothing compared to the pies in NZ and Aus. Question: do they have seasonings that you would have been used to finding here in the States? Things like chili powder, dry ranch dressing mix, taco seasoning, Cajun seasoning, etc.? Are there any there you can't get and miss?

Lol...l got a RU-vid recommendation about UK vs US KFC. Some interesting comments. UK 🇬🇧 KFC is a fast food outlet. US 🇺🇸 KFC is a pharmaceutical company. US fries ingredients list looks more like the periodic table. Contents. US fries ingredients looks more like the back of a shampoo bottle. We have some bad dietary habits in New Zealand too but more and more people seem to be changing their eating habits. The law in New Zealand requires a list of ingredients, nutrition information, common allergens and food additives to be listed on food packaging. Cheers 🍻

Can you please do an "Ask an American" video? There are so many things I don't understand in American recipes, I feel like I need a translator.

I really do enjoy your channel because I have been invited for trials in NZ and I would be getting there soon, thank you so much for this 🙏💖

We loved our hard cookies because it goes with our cup of tea , coffee or any hot drinks.

Another nice video. I've never had an espresso coffee before (just espresso in black coffee) so I'll have to try. NZ tacos are weird. Tex Mex/American tacos are nice, but taco purists will prefer authentic Central American tacos. Usually at a Latin owned taco truck or restaurant with a Spanish name. Just meat, onions, lots of cilantro, a fresh salsa (not that tomato paste stuff) and a lime. No cheese or sour cream. Not going to see cheese unless it's white and usually in a pupusa which is basically a stuffed tortilla pancake.

"....its not that they've run out of buns..." lol

I don't know where you are going for burgers because beetroot on a burger is rare and eggs are usual at request.

Yes!!! I LOVE beetroot and a fried egg on my burger. Yummo! My favorite thing to eat in the U.S.A. was definitely Mexican food - not sure why it has been sooooo slow to catch on over here and yessss nothing like from USA (maybe that's why its been so slow to catch on). I got all excited going to one Mexican restaurant that had opened up in my local area in Auckland, I mean it looked the part, sounded the part, but tasted like..what? Flipped the menu over and of course it was some kiwi guy that had "designed this menu" with his "interpretation" on classic Mexican dishes. So it was terrible. Terrible. Oh well. Would love some Mexicans to come over to NZ and make their excellent food over here.

Great video as always! I do think beetroot would be awfully rare (though not totally unheard of) to find in a New Zealand burger, lol. I do recall being started when in the US when being told they only sold chicken sandwiches - and there's me thinking "What, a chicken patty between two thin slices of bread?"

For mine a dunked gingernut in hot tea is an absolute must.

Since you're in Wellington I'm curious if you've been to Flying Burrito Brothers yet. Also I promise chicken fajitas are a known thing! - there are kits in the supermarket for fajitas, enchiladas etc. Actually that would be fun to see, if you used some of those kits and put a spin on the preparation in order to Americanise the resulting Mexican inspired meal!

Wooh, wooh, wooh: your video showed someone applying peanut butter directly onto a piece of bread. Be warned: that is illegal in New Zealand. Under the Butter Act of 1947, you must first apply butter to the bread. If using toast, the butter must be generously applied whilst the toast is hot. Failure to do so may result in points being deducted from your residency score when applying for or renewing your visa.

Have you try cookie time cookie there are good there are hard but if you put them in the microwave for about 5 to 10 seconds to softing them and alot easier to make Mexican at home then go to restaurants cause you can make it hot or mild what ever you like it to be

Peanut butter and jam is not a new thing in NZ. I'm 57 and I always had peanut butter and jam on my sandwiches growing up. Just came across your channel by accident. It's quite entertaining.

Kia ora Tara, talking about pies reminds me of my husband who was in the British Merchant Navy. He was in Charleston, SC. he went to shop that sold pastries - he asked them if they sold pies - the server asked him which pie would he like - apple, blueberry, peach, pecan. He tried asking for a mince pie and was so surprised that the girl did not know what he was talking about. All I could do was fall about laughing as he said it all in a 'Southern' accent. He did not get the humor when the server said to him as he walked out - 'y'all come back now, you heah???

Hi there, you should be able to get good cookies at Mrs Higgins franchises. And I hope you have tried Tim Tams? And done the Tim Tam slam?

Oh, I've never ordered pancakes here in NZ, but I'm pleased to know that they may look like Russian style ones😂😂😂 I'm just from Russia, so I can say exactly that it's Russian version😂😂😂 Thank you for the video, improving my listening skills👌

You made me get up and make sausage sizzles lol

Pity we don’t do sweet pies so much here. And I recall Debra Fields cookies, which were great.

The varieties of tea are also important, made in a tea pot with loose leaf tea ideally.

One of the best recipie books I owned, was an American Woman's Weekly (I think) big thick book. Every recipes was super yum. I think because, the US has a great mix of cultures that make American dishes unique.

The biscuit aisle in the states was 4 rows of the same stuff, the variety of biscuits from Australia fill an entire aisle.

I''m a Mexican living in NZ and have been enjoying watching your videos, as they help me reflect on the different lifestyle I live now. Speaking of "Mexican" food, what you're missing is the US version of Mexican! Not real Mexican food. And Kiwis have their own version of Mexican food, too. Glad they've discovered inspiration in our cooking, but after adaptations, it becomes something completely different. I've never been to Japan, so haven't tried real sushi, but I can tell you the Mexican sushi and the Kiwi sushi are quite different!

My Texas friends bring Mexican ingredients back to New Zealand when they go back to the States to visit the relatives. We don’t have access to the genuine ingredients here.

Hi fellow Midwesterner, I've seen cheese scones around here before! ❤️ Couldn't tell you where exactly, but I know I've seen them.

When I was a kid, my Dad made “chocolate chunk” cookies. Basically it was cheaper to buy the big block of chocolate and cut it up yourself. I don’t even know if you can get bulky chocolate like that at the grocery store anymore … 🤷🏻‍♂️

A lot of Mexican places in New Zealand are actually run by Asians, and they typically take a fusion approach which is why you'll see things like squid. If you want great Mexican food in Wellington, you should try out *Tequila Joe's* on Vivian Street. The staff were definitely Hispanic, so it's probably as authentic as you'll get in New Zealand. They have "Taco Tuesday" with all you can eat tacos, so I got to try all of them and it changed my life. 🇲🇽

Okay, so what I’m hearing is that when I go to NZ I need to make my own Mexican food? Can we buy dried chilies in NZ grocery stores? What about spices?

Another good sandwich spread is butter your toast and then add peanut butter to it then slice tomato on top of peanut butter so tasty the tomato enhances the nut butter

Good morning from North Queensland Australia, you should con Christi over to nz and do a live stream together lol, that would be awesome

Have you tried Dirty Burger? love to know your thoughts one in Petone & Wellington.

Best Scone to try: Ham/bacon, cheese and onion, hot with butter

Actually we do have Cool Ranch Doritos in NZ. I saw them in the dairy yesterday.

P.S in NZ we pronounce the "on" in scones the same as "on" in the words "on tap" for example :)))

some shops in auckland have the cool ranch flavour doritos, i love those one's

As a black coffee drinker, I always ask for a large long black. Never had a problem. Except the twits that ask if I want cream with it. Though I usually ask for an extra shot.

I call it a chocolate chip biscuit.

Try Drexels in Riccarton, Christchurch for Pancakes for Breafast. (Division St)

Have you try apricot yogurt biscuits? Or our Afghans biscuit?

There is a really good Mexican place in Auckland... Jose's Cantina... Blew my mind it tasted like Mexican food in the States

An Americano is a large black coffee. You can ask for extra water and/or milk with it which will make weaker and larger.

A cookie is a cookie time, a biscuit is every other "cookie" but a typical biscuit in NZ are the arrowroot biscuits, spread some butter and slap two of them together, dunk it in your T and your set for the rest of the night.. Ahhh Mc Cain ya dun it again

Enjoyed listening to these differences. If you dont like some of the stuff they put into burgers, like beetroot, I have found most places will leave it out if you ask. My husband dislikes onions so always asks to not have them added.

Or even marmite tomato cheese and lettuce sandwich yum too

Growing up in nz, cookies were homemade, biscuits were from the shop

Oh yes! The different flavours in the 'same' foods! I know the shock. I moved from NZ to Australia as a kid and recall the DRASTIC differences in the taste of food. Tomato sauce, marmite, meat pies to name a few. The Aussie equivalent was a killer! Vegemite is definitely superior to Marmite in Australia but the reverse was true when in NZ. NZ meat pies are delicious as they use mince. In Australia it was always chunky or lots of grisle - yuk! Then going to other countries is a shock too! Ecuador KFC was an experience I'll never forget! Scary! Their own food is delicious though!! And in the US I ordered what I hoped would be garlic bread...it was a kind of garlic scone but with glue like tendencies! Horrid 😥. My favourite biscuit from NZ is the Belgium Biscuit 😍😙😍😙😍😙. Oh yeah, and my Mum is Aussie so in NZ she used to make Pancakes, pikelets and flapjacks. Flap Jacks are very similar to crepes.

If your telling your American viewers to try Vegemite you should warn them to simply SMEAR a thin film of it on toast not ladle it on like Peanut Butter

You should try some South African biscuits made by Bakers and they obtainable at all South African shops in New Zealand.These are my favourites - Eet sum mor (shortbread), Tennis, Lemon Creams, Royal Creams and Chockits. 🤗

Subway do soft Cookies - not that I recommend them. Wellington has a cookie stall on Lambton Quay (cannot remember the name) but they have nice cookies. Thanks for the videos

Thanks, this is interesting, I loved having a tea with a ginger nut cookie it's the best!!!

Apart from the big American chains, burgers vary depending where you go Very few have beetroot. Have you tried a Velvet Burger?

The cookie / biscuit thing ... basically if you can bake it at home it's a cookie but if it can only be made in a factory (like tim tams) then it's a biscuit.

Flat white was invented in Wellington New Zealand.

I found the coke tasted different in the us! Plus I found brand names used more for example i would order a lemonade meaning Sprite and get a old style home made lemonade! Totally agree with the mexican food, our month in the US made me obsessed with mexican!

Most of the "Mexican Food" that we have in the US isn't Mexican at all, it's a different thing altogether called Tex-Mex. That's why it's been so hard for us to find in just about anywhere else in the world. Especially as I'm also from the Midwest (NW suburb of Chicago).

Re - pink burger meat, that is a health risk here. I wonder what processes U.S ground meat has had?

Don't forget about potato top pie that's the best or second fav is smoked fish pie so good

Oh I totally understand your pain when it comes to those yucky Aussie cheetos!! Kiwi who lives & breathes the American ones 🙋🏼‍♀️ I’ve found a few places that sell the American cheetos & I assume they will house the rest of the snack products mentioned as well - 1: Martha’s backyard, if you aren’t located near the store you can order online 2: international foods: I order mine online & only takes a few days delivery! 3: mightyape, again it’s online however they aren’t always in stock but definitely house them! Hopefully this helps satisfy your snack cravings!

It’s possible that the chocolate chip cookie is called that in NZ and Australia because of alliteration I.e the repetition of the ‘c’. It has a flow.

Yah, indians have so so so much flavours and spices! Being an Indian it’s tremendous varieties ! Love to cook food for everyone! Never ended varies of food

Definsatly enjoyed this video

Yes. We get those snacks from Australia here in Japan too. Oreos, M&Ms, etc. They're not bad, but definitely not the same. Although I really like the Mild Salt Doritos they have here. I don't think I've ever seen those in America...

The reason why a chocolate chip cookie is called a chocolate chip cookie verses biscuit is because they are two different types of chocolate chip. Chocolate chip cookies are more American style where as chocolate chip biscuits are more Kiwi/Aussie style. There is a difference. The Kiwi/Aussie style is often made out of scotch finger biscuits (or Christmas bikkies ask a Kiwi for a tin you'll understand if you don't already) rather then the Chewie softness American cookies have. Cookies are not considered biscuits and biscuits are not considered cookies. Cookies are often Chewie and soft where as biscuits are wider variety types. Kiwis and Aussies always make things our own when we can't get the same ingredients as an actual product. By the time those ingredients hit us down here we've already cemented the item as our own. It's why there's stiff competition between Aussies and Kiwis lol.