Maori tastes make the menu
HOROHORO, New Zealand - This country is famous for its wild landscapes. But the sloping grasslands and forests of its North and South Islands are at least as rich in herbs and plants as they are in visual drama. Chef Charles Royal, a specialist in native plants, forages and cooks what he finds at Treetops Lodge and Estate in Horohoro in the Rotorua District. Royal sums up the abundance this way: "You can live well off the land here for years - or you can pluck the wrong herb, pop it into your mouth, and die within minutes."
So what is a tourist to do? Head for the eco-friendly Treetops, a high-end wilderness resort where you can sign up for Royal's Maori Indigenous Food Trail, an unusual walk in the woods.
Royal will show you the good stuff as he rushes along snipping and digging up edibles that are used in meals and as medicines in native Maori culture. At the end of the walk you get to sample exotic tastes like horopito, a peppery seasoning, and pikopiko, a tasty fern.
Treetops Lodge and Luxury Estate, 351 Kearoa Road, RD 1, Rotorua, N.Z. 011-64-7-333-2066, www.treetops.co.nz.
PETER MANDEL 