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Story: Māori foods – kai Māori

Horopito oil

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Horopito oil

This rich-tasting avocado oil has been infused with the dried and crushed leaves of horopito, sometimes called the New Zealand pepper tree. The result is a spicy cooking or salad oil with a unique flavour. Horopito is traditionally prized by Māori for a range of healing properties. 

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by Emily Tutaki

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How to cite this page

Charles Royal and Jenny Kaka-Scott, Māori foods – kai Māori – Modern cuisine, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/40269/horopito-oil (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Charles Royal and Jenny Kaka-Scott, published 3 December 2012.