Take a dip dive into Kiwiana

Imagine yourself in front of the TV, the game is on, it's Sunday. And your best friend handed you over your second ice-cold beer and turned back to the screen again. Oh, by the way, that thing on the table looks like a hearty crowd-pleaser, of course, because no game day is complete without...what?

You can't go wrong with any dip and chip, but here's my favorite dip that I learned through real kiwi experience. Let's take a dip dive.

What makes Kiwi Kiwi?

"Kiwiana are certain items and icons from New Zealand's heritage, especially from around the middle of the 20th century, that are seen as representing iconic New Zealander elements. "

-Wikipedia

Although this term can be used to describe any New Zealand icons, it is more commonly used to describe pop culture items such as toys, fashion items, or...branded foods!

Well-known examples of Kiwiana

A number of companies have been enthusiastically trying to make their products Kiwiana.

Wattie's

Wattie's was founded in New Zealand in 1934 - now owned by American brand 'Heinz' - and has been producing an extensive line of products including baby foods, preserved fruits, frozen meals, and the iconic tomato sauce. Its tomato sauce is made in New Zealand, and products carry the label 'NZ's Favourite', Throughout the 1990s, the company used the line 'You'll never be a Kiwi 'till you love your Wattie's sauce.'

Mcdonald's

Mcdonald's NZ has an off and on 'Kiwi Burger' sold every year. Kiwiburger is an attempt to recreate the traditional NZ style burger which includes a fried egg, a slice of beetroot (and a four-ounce beef patty, tomato, lettuce, cheese, onions, mustard, and ketchup on a toasted bun of course!).

Yet, if you still wonder why there is no kiwi in a kiwi burger, please read this article kindly written on the official NZ government page.

As you can see, every country has its little secret whether it may be funny slang or iconic food. That is why whenever we go to new places and meet new people, our inner world gets bigger. We get to see things we've never seen, learn things we've never known, and taste things we've never had. My time here in New Zealand has been filled with those grateful and eye-opening moments.

I'm still learning new things every single day, but I'll never forget the day I tried 'Kiwi dip' for the first time!

Kiwi dip - I'm lovin' it!

When I was working as a tour guide, I got a chance to stay in beautiful Paihia which is the main tourist town in the Bay of Islands. I was preparing dinner with Karen, the great first kiwi who invited me to the new world. And she asked me if I wanted to try 'Kiwi dip' with some 'chippies' before we had 'tea'. I honestly had no idea what she was talking about but said yes. And voila!

The soft and creamy base with aromatic onion taste, and fresh lemon touch on top! And it all happened in one minute. Only then, I got to understand why the cans of reduced cream were always on the same shelf with the packets of onion soup. And finally, I found out one more kiwi secret formula; The Original Kiwi Dip.

Since then, kiwi dip became my favorite game/party/picnic/no reason go-to snack. It is so easy to make, goes well with anything, and I can buy everything needed under $10, so why not? Also, whenever someone brings up any Kiwiana, well, I have a thing to say!

So, here's what I learned.

Ingredients and Recipe

-Reduced cream

-A packet of powdered onion soup

-Lemon juice / vinegar (optional)

If you have these 3 things above, you're one minute away from the ultimate kiwi dip, mate!

1. Pour reduced cream into a bowl

2. Add onion soup powder into the bowl

This powder looks fine, but it has plenty of tiny pieces of onion, so it adds rich texture and flavor.

And mix them together with a spoon until you don't see any chunks of powder.

3. Add 1 tsp of lemon juice (if you don't have it, vinegar is okay)

4. Ready for the party!

You can chill it in the fridge for about 30 mins to thicken it, or if you used chilled reduced cream, you can skip this step.

Enjoy with the chippies or if you're looking for a healthier option, what about some veggie sticks?

Who made it?

Kiwi dip has assumed an iconic status in New Zealand cuisine. According to Sam Boyer, a Kiwi journalist in Canada, reduced cream is apparently some weirdly exclusive Kiwi thing. The dip is often horribly missed by New Zealanders living abroad who may not have access to this magically particular dairy product. NZ Herald reported in 2019, cans of reduced cream are commonly found in the suitcases of New Zealanders as they travel overseas. So, how did this legendary dip start?

Luckily for us, there was a passionate journalist who decided to track down the hero and give them all the respect that they deserved.

Finding Rosemary: In search of the unsung hero who invented Kiwi Onion Dip by Hayden Donell

(His article is highly remarkable and I'm tremendously impressed by its depth of his understanding and respect for the inventor's career and life with the touch of humor. If you are interested in helping independent journalists like him as a companion, please check out this link.)

Here are some excerpts from the article.

It began when Rosemary Dempsey was freelancing as a home economist in the late-1950s. A call came from Nestlé’s New Zealand office. She was offered a job heading up the company’s fledgling test kitchen.

Her role was to come up with recipes that used Nestlé products in an effort to increase their popularity. About a year into her job, Dempsey heard onion soup was sliding down the charts.

It was the early 1960s and dip was on the rise. Dempsey decided to see whether she could insert onion soup into the fad. Her Eureka moment came when she tried one of Nestlé’s more obscure products – reduced cream.

So this is how it started, the dip that was in every party, game night, camping, or any Kiwi moment. I've had this dip on the beach, at a bush party, my friend's couch and there will be some more onwards. Try it when you can and you will never be sorry! Oh, I don't have any credit 'cause I'm not a Kiwi? Okay, what about a living legend talking then?