Historically
Historically, Maori cuisine was remarkably simple and efficient. It consisted of marine proteins (fish, eel, seafood, seabirds), land vegetables (leafy vegetables, non-starchy wild roots like pua, mushrooms), and natural fats (oily fish, marrow, bird fats). It was a diet dictated by the territory, without any external contribution. It was our strength, our Mana, our survival.
It was balanced. It was complete. It was without debate. No one was wondering whether to eat more carbs or less fat. We ate what was there, what was fresh, what was alive. The body received everything it needed to build powerful muscles, strong bones and a clear mind. This harmony with the environment was the basis of our collective health.
No refined sugar
No refined sugar. No strong starches. No dependence on grains which require intensive and exhausting agriculture. Sugar did not exist in our world before the arrival of Europeans. Our palate was educated in the subtlety of natural flavors: the bitterness of herbs, the salt of the ocean, the discreet sweetness of certain roots. We didn't need the artificial burst of glucose to feel satisfied.
Just what was accessible: the sea, the earth, the fire. It was an economy of means that produced health wealth. By refusing empty calories, we preserved our metabolic integrity. Diabetes, obesity, inflammatory diseases... all this was unknown to us. We were beings of movement and clarity, carried by food that respected our deep biology.
Metabolism adapted to the earth
The Maori peoples had metabolisms perfectly adapted to this demanding geography. Strong, clear, durable. Capable of fasting during periods of scarcity, capable of making explosive efforts during hunts or fights. Our body was a precision machine, fueled by high-quality fats and proteins. We didn't need to eat every three hours to maintain our energy.
It was a living adaptation to the territory. The cold of the mountains, the humidity of the forests, the force of the ocean currents... all of this required a resilience that only an efficient metabolism could provide. By eating what the earth gave, we became the earth. Our health was not an abstract concept, it was our ability to interact with our environment. Mental clarity was the result of this physical stability.
The school told me
At school when I was young, I was told that our traditional diet was 'insufficient'. I was taught that I needed bread for energy, rice for satiety, sugar for the brain. They tried to make us believe that food modernity was progress, a liberation. Models from elsewhere have been imposed on us, disconnected from our roots and our climate. We replaced Mana with marketing.
My ancestors had it all without it. They didn't need cereal to be intelligent, or sugar to be tough. They were masters of navigation, astronomy, poetry and war. Their brains were functioning perfectly with ketone bodies and stable blood sugar levels. The school was wrong because it confused technology with wisdom. Today, I reject these lies to find my truth.
Adult recognition
At 45, I finally recognize: that Maori cuisine never needed improvement. She was scientifically right, metabolically wise, spiritually profound. It was the result of millennia of observation and experimentation. By returning to these principles, I am not taking a step back, I am taking a leap towards true health. I claim my nutritional heritage as an act of sovereignty.
Sugar was not absent by chance. He was absent out of intuition, out of respect for the fragile balance of life. Our ancestors knew that what is too gentle ends up weakening, that what is too easy ends up corrupting. They preferred the strength of the eel and the rigor of the fern. This chosen austerity was the source of their power. Clarity is the price of this requirement.
Conscious return
Returning to Maori food is a return to yourself. To what works, to what lasts effortlessly, to what has meaning. It's stopping fighting against your own nature to finally embrace it. My kitchen today is a space of reconciliation, where modern techniques are used to enhance traditional products. I am no longer a lost consumer, I am a woman of the earth who feeds on her own history.
It's not a diet. It's a recognition. It is saying 'yes' to who we are and 'no' to what destroys us. It's finding the Mana in every meal, the pride in every bite. Maori cuisine is alive, it is in me, it is my future. Health is a journey that begins with a return to basics. ¡Zhu ni hao wei kou e viva a sabedoria real!
