From hāngī pies and dumplings to pork steam buns, Hāngī Master Rewi Spraggon has taken his passion for traditional Māori cooking to new heights with the world’s first hāngī pizza.
Teaming up with Hell Pizza, Spraggon’s latest creation, “Unearthed,” will debut in over 80 stores across Aotearoa this Friday in celebration of Māori Language Week.
Spraggon, who has spent years mastering the art of hāngī, says his mission is to make New Zealand’s oldest dish accessible to a wider audience.
“Pizza was once seen as a commoner’s dish in Italy, much like hāngī here in Aotearoa, but both bring whānau together—it’s the perfect combination,” he says.
“I’ve cooked hāngī for fine dining but now I can share it on a massive scale.”
The Hell hāngī pizza is packed with traditional ingredients including pork belly, kūmara, a pumpkin and kawakawa puree, and smoky stuffing. All of the ingredients are sourced locally, cooked in Spraggon’s hāngī pits in Auckland, and then distributed nationwide.
New generation of hāngī fans
The collaboration with Hell Pizza, co-created with its founder Callum Davies, is designed to introduce hāngī to a new generation of Kiwis. Spraggon believes the pizza could help break down barriers for those unfamiliar with the traditional method of earth cooking.
“Hāngī is soul food. It has a smoky, earthy, and subtly sweet flavour when cooked traditionally, and I hope this pizza gives more people a taste of that.”
Davies is optimistic that if the demand for “Unearthed” is strong, it could become a permanent fixture on Hell’s menu. The hāngī pizza will be available from Invercargill to Whangarei, giving people across the country a chance to experience the unique fusion of Māori culture and pizza.
Bringing a taste of history
For Spraggon, this pizza isn’t just about food — it’s about connecting people with their roots. He recalls how hāngī was shared by Māori soldiers with Italian citizens during World War II.
“The Māori Battalion had a great relationship with Italy, and they cooked a lot of hāngī while they were stationed there,” he says.
The hāngī pizza “Unearthed” is to make its grand debut on Friday, marking a delicious new chapter in the story of one of Aotearoa’s most treasured culinary traditions.
