Ngā nuinga (abundance) by Jannine Rickards #ManaKai

Eat NZ Kaitaki Jannine Rickards (Ngā puhi & Ngā te Rangi) is a winemaker and wild food hunter, she shares her thoughts around the Mana Kai concept of abundance, as part of Mana o te Whenua – natural energy of the environment...

Ngā nuinga (abundance) - a collective mindset where everyone has joint responsibilities to share and trade local food resources (not limiting its access) so that abundance is shared and tasted by all.

Kaihaukai – is the sharing and exchanging of kai

For me these concepts are linked to community and a collective way of thinking that is positive and like in the world of Te Ao Māori about all living and non-living things being connected and part of a bigger picture.

Is your glass of milk half full or half empty? Mindset is critical to success right? So if we view our world as abundant and are connected to it we know when the ‘hungry’ months are in our growing seasons and when we need to be more cautious with our consumption. We will know when pāua or cray are spawning/ in berry, when berries are flourishing, when hāpuka are at their fattest and tastiest.

We would target various species when they are at their optimum not year-round and we can preserve these for leaner times to see our people through but also as our ancestors did before us. By trading our abundance with others when things are in season, we then get to live in a community that is successful because it is connected and the abundance is shared. This community will have a respect and understanding of the way our environment operates because we will be apart of it, not separate from it.

I live in a small wine community at the bottom of the north island in the region Wairarapa. This beautiful valley is hugged by mountain ranges on either side, the Remutaka and Tararua ranges to the west and the Aorangi range in the south east with vast ranges heading up the east coast that hug our coast line. It is kept fresh and real by the openness to the south that blasts the valley floor in the cooler months of winter (Hotoke) and spring (Koanga).

We have nine rivers (Tauherenikau, Waiohine, Mangatarere, Waipoua, Waingawai, Whangaehu, Waingognoro, Huangarua) contributing to our main awa the Ruamahanga and the moana (lake) of Wairarapa to the south.

We have a rugged and beautiful coastline in which kōura and pāua and various fish species thrive in the swift currents that surround this end of Te Ika a Maui (north island).

All of these spaces provide us with kai and if we can be connected enough with these spaces we can harvest in season and have an abundance for everyone to enjoy.

Nothing winds me up more than people who hoard, especially when it comes to kaimoana. It tastes like shit when it's been frozen. We never freeze anything more than one or two feeds of fish, never the kōura as it totally ruins the texture and sweetness of this this stunning creature.

Mick my partner and I usually have an abundance of venison hunted and harvested from the Aorangi Range. This beautiful lean introduced protein is a pest to our ngahere (bush) in Aotearoa so we target them quite heavily with increased numbers being noted since covid 2020 lockdown.

We target them in spring to have enough for ourselves, our family, our friends and our extended community. We have had 8 animals through our garage in the last 6 weeks and we aim to utilise as much as possible of the animal. But with the numbers coming through it is actually too much mahi for the two of us. So dog tucker and eel food is where much of the scraps and excess goes.

We gut, skin, age, break down, vacuum pack and then share this abundance with much of our community. We have become a bit more selective and I think this is related to the community vibe - one of give and take. Some people still live in a world where they just take and nothing comes our way in return. So we are now forming this network of people who understand like us that excess needs to be shared with like minded people.

It might be eggs, wine, or opportunity that comes our way, and in return it may be simply sharing with those who need it more than us or are struggling a bit and need some support. Then one day when they are in a better place they may be able to share their abundance.

Here are a couple of Whakataukī that sit in line with this kaupapa:

He kai kei aku ringa

There is food at the end of my hands.

Nā tō rourou

Me taku rourou

Ka ora ai te iwi

With your food basket

and my food basket

the people with flourish