Kiritea Smith (left) and Krystle van der Salm with packs of the fried bread they give to workshop participants.
What started as an opportunity to regain lost knowledge on a famous Māori staple has opened the doors to a sweet new initiative organised by two kaimahi Māori at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
The monthly Parāoa Parai (Fried bread) Workshops were started by Te Huka Mātauraka (Māori Centre) College Programme Coordinator Krystle van der Salm (Ngati Pukenga, Ngai Te Rangi, Ngati Ranginui) as a way of strengthening connections amongst tauira Māori living in the various halls of residence.
She is joined by Kiritea Smith (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Pukenga, Tainui), a project manager within the Office of Māori Development, who leads the cooking components.
The classes have since expanded to include non-Māori students and staff eager to participate in the workshops. So far, around 50 students and staff have participated in the sessions, which include cooking the fried bread and learning about the importance of each step.
As well as the fried bread they have made, each participant leaves with a special pack containing all of the ingredients required to make some at home – along with a bilingual recipe card.
The workshops are delivered in English, but a special one-off workshop was held in te reo Māori as part of efforts to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori in September.
For Krystle, the workshops are a fusion of culture, cooking and connection. Connection to culture, connection to lost knowledge, and connection to each other.
“For some, engaging with te reo, tikanga, and kapa haka feels much too daunting. However, food can be less scary,” she says.
“Food, after all, serves as a universal language - a way to communicate and share experiences.”
A former Te Rōpū Māori representative, Kiritea says her recipe was inspired by students who grew up on marae across the country who had their own versions.
For her, the importance of connection through food was highlighted by a trip to Canada in 2023, when she tried a Canadian fried bread, Bannock, among other First Nations dishes.
“Being so far away from home and having experienced something so familiar and similar to your own Indigenous culture is a significant treasure,” Kiritea says.
“I find it important to share with other Māori something that may help someone reconnect to their culture or even foster an unknown passion for culture and/or food.”
Like countless students before her, Krystle admits she felt disconnected as she made the trip to Dunedin.
She says the workshops are a chance to ensure students and staff – Māori and non-Māori – can find that sense of belonging in Dunedin.
“Sharing cultural dishes with friends from various backgrounds allowed me to discover something about them; however, I longed to add something meaningful that reflected my heritage.
“This desire is embedded in the creation of our workshops - a place for tauira to connect and for me to reclaim a piece of my identity.”
The pair say the workshops are also an opportunity for cultural concepts such as manaakitanga and whakawhanaungatanga to be meaningfully explored and shared, leading to a more inclusive and collectively responsible University community.
“Incorporating those principles emphasises the interconnectedness of people through shared experiences and a sense of community supporting their hauora,” Krystle says.
“Each session is a reminder that we can cultivate connections that transcend distance and time, nourishing our spirits and fostering a sense of belonging that enriches us all.”
The next workshop is set to take place on 22 October between 3-5pm, with limited spots available. For more information, please get in touch with Krystle or Kiritea.