| Kānga pirau | |
| Alternate Name: | Kānga wai |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Type: | Porridge |
| Main Ingredient: | Maize (corn) |
Kānga pirau (which translates literally from Māori as rotten corn), is a fermented maize (corn) porridge dish which is considered a delicacy by many Māori people of New Zealand.[1]
The corn is traditionally prepared by soaking whole corn cobs in streams of running water in woven baskets for up to six weeks, until the corn kernels have settled to the bottom of the basket.[2] In modern preparations, the corn is soaked in containers filled with water.[3] The resulting fermentation process results in the corn having a rather pungent aroma, hence the name rotten corn. Historically, this fermentation process was also used for the preservation of fish and crustaceans such as crayfish.[4]
The resulting fermented corn is mashed before serving, and is often served with cream and sugar.
The dish dates back to at least the 19th century.[5]