Mezze Mordor and Mountains
Lunch in Taupo was a good falafel roll made from spiced chickpeas. “It’s a popular form of fast food in the Middle East where it is also served as a mezze. Mezze (pronounced mez-ah). The origin of the word mezze is unclear. It may be derived from the Persian ‘maza’ meaning ‘taste, relish,’ or from the Arabic ‘mazmiz’ which means to nibble at food.
It may have also come from the Assyrian word ‘mez’ meaning table, and it would take many small tables to serve mezze. However, whatever the origin, it represents the pleasure of savoring little pieces of food. The mezze tradition extends from Turkey into the Balkans, including Greece, and spreads to Middle east countries. Almost anything that is small and tasty qualifies as a mezze dish.
A basic mezze table can be as simple as a basket of warm pita bread, a plate of fresh herbs, another plate of feta cheese or yogurt cheese, a dish of olives, some dips and salads and a pitcher of iced water. You can also find hummus, a dip made of ground chickpeas, fattoush, a salad of green vegetables mixed with pieces of pita bread, grilled eggplant and zucchini.
Other popular dishes are tabouli, a bulgur wheat salad, and kibbeh, made from freshly ground lamb and/or beef, a dish which can be eaten baked, fried or even raw. Mezze can include miniature versions of main dishes.
We chose ours served in pita bread which acted as a pocket and topped with tabouli (a combination of bulgar wheat, vegetables and herbs that is light, tangy and refreshing) pickled vegetables and hot sauce, all drizzled with a tahini-based sauce. There was a lovely atmosphere in the cafe, decked out like a Moroccan tent and with strong earthy tones. The customer service was attentive without being obsequious while I’d rate the food as okay. The falafels were a little on the dry side for my liking but food can often be a hit or miss expedition when you’re on the road.
For me the benchmark is quite high since this style of Lebanese food happens to be among my favourites. I got the great Lebanese food eating habit right in the heart of Lakemba (a suburb in south-western Sydney). I was thoroughly spoilt by some of the most melt-in-your-mouth morsels from the Jasmin Lebanese Restaurant located at 30B Haldon St. Lakemba, in NSW. It’s the benchmark, completely fresh food served daily, when it runs out in the kitchen (and trust me it does it’s that good) that’s it.
Unlike the decor in our Taupo host’s establishment, the Jasmin Lebanese Restaurant borders on kitsch in the extreme (and this is not only my opinion) BUT you don’t eat there for the decor, you eat there because the lingering smokiness of dishes like their baba ghannouj have you salivating the moment you walk through the doors. Salivating why? Three words, previous personal experience.
Taupo’s a great place to sit and have a bite a while and if you didn’t already know, it was really put on the map when the area was represented in “scenes involving the dark lord Sauron’s domain of Mordor in the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) films by the rocky plateau of Tongariro National Park, a dual World Heritage Area dominated by its three active volcanoes, Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu.
Other worldly formations, sulphuric pools and hot springs added to the strangeness of the barren landscape. Though the summit of the famous volcano, Ruapehu, is not to be seen on screen, out of respect for the wishes of the native Maori people to whom it is sacred, nearby Mount Tongariro served as the menacing Mount Doom.
The area was also used to film the prologue of The Fellowship of the Rings (the battle marking the end of the Second Age of Middle Earth) that was shot in the off-season at Whakapapa ski area, on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. The slopes near Pinnacle Ridge and the carpark are where the orcs attacked Elrond and his army, and digital ‘characters’ were later added to create the vast orc host.”
I love that New Zealand has really found its feet with regard to embracing diverse food styles and even more, have realised the true strength of its locally grown fruit and vegetable produce. I feel this is now reflected in the freshness and quality that is served up to international visitors and home people alike. I like it. A quick walk around the block to stretch our legs, a change of drivers and we’re back on the road. I love the blue of Lake Taupo’s eyes today, they’re drop dead gorgeous!
