Preserved Bird Authority tier 1

Tītī / Muttonbird — The Southern Harvest

Māori

Overview

Tītī (sooty shearwater, Ardenna grisea, also called muttonbird) is harvested by Ngāi Tahu (South Island Māori) from the Titi Islands near Stewart Island during a strictly regulated April harvest season. The young birds are caught in their burrows, plucked, and preserved in their own fat in pōhā (kelp bags). Tītī is intensely flavoured — rich, oily, savoury-salty, with a distinctive gamey-marine character from the birdsʻ seafood diet. It is one of the most culturally significant Māori foods and is governed by customary harvesting rights (tītī birding rights have been held by specific families for centuries). Fiso features tītī at Hiakai.

Key Principles

1. Tītī preserved in fat in kelp bags, then prepared: roasted, or added to soups.

Pro Tips

Tītī preserved in fat in kelp bags, then prepared: roasted, or added to soups.

Source

Pacific Migration Trail

Cross-Cuisine Parallels

{'technique': 'HI-122', 'connection': 'Tītī preservation in fat parallels European confit and connects to the Hawaiian salt-bird preservation tradition (HI-122). → HI-122 / NZ-26 Toroi'} {'technique': 'HI-122', 'connection': 'Tītī preservation in fat parallels European confit and connects to the Hawaiian salt-bird preservation tradition (HI-122). → HI-122 / NZ-26 Toroi'}

Related Techniques