Hiakai wins Ockham NZ Book Award
An "extraordinary" book on modern Māori cuisine has won best illustrated non-fiction at the 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
Chef Monique Fiso's book Hiakai: Modern Māori Cuisine was written with contributions from AUT Associate Professor Tracy Berno and food writer Lucy Corry, with photography by Manja Wachsmuth and Amber-Jayne Bain.
Associate Professor Berno's contribution was telling the narrative of the origins of Māori food and cuisine.
“The recipes in Monique Fiso’s first, extraordinary book occupy fewer than half of its pages. The rest is a tour de force of Māori knowledge, written from a Māori perspective," category judge Dale Cousens says.
“For many of us this will be our introduction to the indigenous cuisine of our own land, and its ingredients, practice, culture, history and knowledge. Monique Fiso’s text is hard-won, inspiring and utterly original in scope; the book is also beautifully designed and photographed."
Head of Hospitality and Tourism at AUT, Dr Warren Goodsir, says the award is an "outstanding achievement and recognition of Tracy’s expertise in the field of gastronomy".
"As co-author of Hiakai, Tracy has made a significant contribution to establishing the foundations of Māori food and the cultural origins of New Zealand’s food identity."
Associate Professor Berno says she is "thrilled "and "deeply honoured" that New Zealand food culture has been recognised with an Ockham.
"It was an amazing team of women to work with."