Kai Meets Kia in New Cooking Show

Kia Kanuta and Lucas Parkinson.

A new series that “challenges perceptions of Māori cuisine” will premiere Wednesday on Whakaata Māori and Maori+.

Here’s the media release:

KIA EATS THE WORLD SERVES UP A BOLD NEW VISION OF MĀORI CUISINE – ON WHAKAATA MĀORI & MĀORI+

Award-winning chef Kia Kanuta takes viewers on a journey through kai, culture and community in a groundbreaking new series that redefines what Māori food can be.

Kia Eats the World premieres on Wednesday 5 August at 7.30PM on Whakaata Māori with the full series dropping on Maori+ on the same day.

Across six visually rich and deeply personal episodes, acclaimed chef Kia Kanuta travels throughout New Zealand in search of ingredients.

From the waters of the Hauraki Gulf and the rugged coastline of Tora to the ngahere of Rotorua and the māra of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, each episode follows Kia as he hunts down a hero ingredient, meets the people who know it best, and uncovers the traditions, innovations and knowledge systems that surround it.

Along the way, viewers are introduced to growers, gatherers, hunters, fishers, artists, conservationists and whānau whose lives are intertwined with the land and sea. The result is a powerful exploration of how kai reflects culture, community and connection.

Kia Eats the World challenges perceptions of Māori cuisine. It showcases a food culture that is dynamic, inventive and constantly evolving while remaining grounded in whakapapa, mātauranga and respect for the natural world.

From reinventing kina and elevating fermented delicacies such as kānga pirau and toroi, to exploring native ingredients, hāngī traditions and his own personal journey home, the series presents Māori cuisine as bold and contemporary.

Kia Eats the World was funded by Te Mangai Pāho.

About Kia Kanuta

The Northland-raised chef began his hospitality journey as a dishwasher before rising through the ranks of professional kitchens over a career spanning more than two decades. Kia was named Auckland’s Most Outstanding Chef at the 2024 Lewisham Awards, one of New Zealand hospitality’s highest honours.

Coming up on Kia Eats the World:

Episode 1: Kina – Kia, chef Jono Thevenard and diver Benny Meredith hit the Hauraki Gulf in search of one of Aotearoa’s most divisive delicacies. While most people know it straight from the shell, Kia is determined to prove there’s far more to this prickly icon.

Episode 2: Ancestral Kai – Some ingredients do more than feed us – they heal, restore and reconnect us. Kia visits Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to harvest seasonal produce, then heads west to Piha, to join chef Lucas Parkinson at Aryeh to transform these native ingredients into thoughtful, contemporary dishes. 

Episode 3: Tora – Kia heads to the Wairarapa coast to join artist Hohepa Thompson and local fisherman Troy Bramley for a day chasing whatever Tangaroa is willing to give.

Episode 4: Hāngī – Horopito has always been one of Kia’s favourite native flavours, so he travels to Rotorua to forage it with conservationist Tame Malcolm, along with other wild ingredients hidden in the ngahere. Armed with his harvest, Kia returns to Grey Lynn to throw a suburban backyard hāngī.

Episode 5: Cultured – This episode takes on two of te ao Māori’s most challenging flavours: kānga pirau and toroi. Fermented corn has a fearsome reputation, but Kia shares with Tammy Davis this infamous classic in a culinary reinvention, then joins legendary fisherman Bill Hohepa to make toroi..

Episode 6: Tautoro – Kia returns home to Tautoro for the most personal cook of his life. Despite more than twenty years as a professional chef, he’s never cooked for his own whānau back home – or even stepped inside his own wharenui.