Rewi Spraggon goes from hāngī buns to hāngī dumplings, and they are coming to a store near you

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Hāngī master Rewi Spraggon has again joined culinary forces with Asian bakery owner Amy Sevao to launch hāngī dumplings to coincide with Māori language week.

The pair collaborated last year to launch the popular hāngī buns - and sell around 25,000 a week from supermarkets.

Today, the pair are back with hāngī dumplings.

“We’re in collaboration with Master and Old Country Foods.

“We saw the demand for our steam buns, so we have developed this dumpling, and it’s awesome, and awesome to work with old country foods.”

Spraggon said he is always looking for ways to join cultures together.

“We want our brands and to get people eating the oldest dish in New Zealand, which is in an Asian fusion style.”

The filling for the dumplings is cooked by Spraggon at his home in Bethels Beach and transported to the bakery in West Auckland.

“The food is cooked at home in the pits, authentically in-the-earth ovens,” he said. “We have mānuka heat the rocks and actually smoke the pork in the pits.

“It’s different to the other process - smoking it a little bit and then putting it in the oven and with the cabbage, and then we’re covering the pit up with cloth and with sacking and then with dirt. That gives the earthy flavor, the smokey flavor in the dumpling.”

“Once the mix gets to the bakery, a few secret spices are added then put into the dumpling casing.”

But Spraggon says the proof is in the eating and the hāngī dumpling don’t live up to its hype, he will soon hear about it.

The dumplings go on sale this week.

Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter and news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and, prior to joining NZME, worked for 12 years for Te Whānau o Waipareira.