Rewena paraoa or Maori bread

Europeans’ attempts to reach the coasts of New Zealand came up against the Maori warriors, who had little desire to put up with them. Then under the influence of the English, who ended up annexing it in the 19th century and settling there, the lifestyle and culture of the native inhabitants of New Zealand changed its ways, and starting reinventing itself. For example, they traded fern roots for potatoes, which made up the foundation of their diet. Potatoes were easier to make into bread similar to that of the colonists, so they named it rewena parapoa.

There is no doubt that this Maori potato bread enchanted the great French thinker Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. Parmentier was responsible for introducing this tuber in France, even going as far as to propose bread made from potatoes. According to him, this was to reassure his contemporaries and to make them decide once and for all that potatoes were fit for eating. But his attempt failed, and the great thinker was crushed.

Maori bread is prepared in two steps, like all sourdough breads. It first consists of making a fermentation base using a mixture of flour and boiled potatoes (or kumara, the name for sweet potatoes in the Central and South Pacific). This leavening, called rewena, is left to rest for 2 or 3 days, during which it is often refreshed with slightly sugared warm water. On the final day of preparation, dough of wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and water – all ingredients, which are added to the potato leaven – are kneaded together. This dough is put into round baking tins and cooked in a hot oven for nearly 50 minutes.