Kiwi treats to take home
Skip the plastic kiwi and the tea towels. The best souvenirs from New Zealand are the things New Zealanders actually buy for themselves. Most are found in any supermarket, which is also the cheapest place to get them.
Quick list
- Whittaker's chocolate
- Pineapple Lumps and other Kiwi lollies
- Hokey pokey (honeycomb toffee)
- L&P soft drink
- Mānuka honey
- Feijoa anything
- Kiwifruit products
- Merino and possum-merino knitwear
- Pounamu (greenstone)
Whittaker's chocolate
Made in Porirua, just north of Wellington, by a family company, Whittaker's is the chocolate most New Zealanders reach for. Its blocks come in flavours you won't find elsewhere, and the Peanut Slab, a peanut-and-chocolate bar, is a classic. Supermarkets sell blocks at much lower prices than airport shops.
Pineapple Lumps and Kiwi lollies
"Lollies" is the Kiwi word for sweets. Pineapple Lumps are chewy pineapple-flavoured sweets coated in chocolate, and they divide opinion. Other favourites include Jaffas (orange-flavoured chocolate balls), Pinky bars and Chocolate Fish (marshmallow covered in chocolate, also a classic reward: "you deserve a chocolate fish").
Hokey pokey
Hokey pokey is crunchy honeycomb toffee. Hokey pokey ice cream (vanilla with small chunks of honeycomb) is often called New Zealand's favourite flavour. It doesn't travel, so eat it here; hokey pokey chocolate does.
L&P
Lemon & Paeroa is a lemon soft drink, "World Famous in New Zealand". Read its story, and stop at the giant bottle in Paeroa on a big things road trip.
Mānuka honey
New Zealand's most famous food export. Before you buy, read what the UMF and MGO numbers mean.
Feijoas
Feijoas are small green fruit, originally from South America, that many New Zealanders grow in their back gardens. In autumn (roughly March to June) people give away bags of them. Outside the season, look for feijoa chocolate, feijoa juice, feijoa cider and feijoa jam.
Kiwifruit
New Zealand made the kiwifruit famous: the fruit was once called the Chinese gooseberry and was renamed for export. Look for golden kiwifruit, kiwifruit chocolate and dried kiwifruit. Fresh fruit generally can't come with you through other countries' borders, so eat it here.
Merino and possum-merino
New Zealand merino wool is fine, warm and soft: base layers, socks and jumpers from local brands make useful souvenirs. Possum-merino blends are warmer still. The possum is a pest in New Zealand, introduced from Australia, and it damages native forests, so using its fur is encouraged here.
Pounamu (greenstone)
Pounamu, or New Zealand jade, is a taonga (treasure) for Māori. Traditionally it is given, not bought for yourself. Buy from carvers who work with New Zealand stone (Hokitika on the West Coast is the best-known centre), and ask where the stone came from.
Where to buy
- Supermarkets for chocolate, lollies, honey and snacks: the cheapest by far.
- Local shops and markets for honey, knitwear and crafts, often straight from the maker. Local shops that use the Tappl card give stamps and vouchers on your purchases.
- Airport duty-free for sealed food gifts if you have run out of time.
Before you pack
Each country has its own rules on bringing in food. Sealed, commercially made sweets and chocolate are usually fine; fresh fruit, meat, dairy and honey are often restricted. Check your home country's customs rules before you fly.
Checked in October 2026.
