NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On the up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • One Roof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

Sign InSubscribe
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Travel

A chat with famous New Zealand cookbook author, Julie Biuso

NZ Herald
6 Apr, 2025 06:00 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Julie Biuso's tour will focus on South African flavours and cooking methods during a 14-day trip. Photo / Supplied

Julie Biuso's tour will focus on South African flavours and cooking methods during a 14-day trip. Photo / Supplied

For more than 30 years, Julie Biuso has played a central part in Aotearoa’s culinary scene as a cookbook author, food editor and journalist, even cooking for the likes of Luciano Pavarotti. Here, Biuso speaks to Travel about her latest venture, Uniquely South African; a 14-day immersive food and wine tour that shows food-loving travellers a delicious side of Africa

Julie Biuso. Photo / Supplied
Julie Biuso. Photo / Supplied

What role has food played for you beyond nourishment while travelling?

You know that moment when you’ve returned home and talk to someone about your travels? We both know that one of the first questions you get asked is, “How was the food?”. Other than the destination, it’s the most important part of the trip away. Food is part of exploration. Sharing food around a table brings people together, whether in a family home, a café, in your own neighbourhood, or while travelling. People relax while dining, let their guard down, and strangers can quickly become friends.

I’ve met so many wonderful people when travelling, all connected to food.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

What’s your best advice for stepping outside your food comfort zone when abroad?

Use your senses. If something smells great, it will usually taste good. But sometimes you have to flip that on its head because weird-smelling food is often the most delicious of all. If all that fails, don’t beat yourself up for passing on something that doesn’t appeal, just be polite about it!

Do a little research before you travel and seek out dishes the area is known for, such as barbeque in South Africa. Look for the classics and as your confidence and curiosity grow, continue to dive in.

I always choose fresh food, this usually showcases the best a destination has to offer. I also avoid battered or deep-fried dishes where I can only guess what lies beneath the coating.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
 Julie Biuso's trip will focus on South African cuisine. Photo / Supplied
Julie Biuso's trip will focus on South African cuisine. Photo / Supplied

Any tips for recreating meals you discover on holiday, back home?

It’s easy enough to photograph food with a phone, but a photo won’t capture the flavour. I take notes on my phone and jot down key ingredients or my impressions of the flavours and mouthfeel. These notes and pictures are invaluable once I’m back in my own kitchen. Then, I think it’s about capturing some of the experiences you enjoyed as much as the flavours. On this trip to South Africa, I will be the eyes and ears, recording our food experiences and adapting recipes for our home kitchens.

This is your first time visiting South Africa. What excites you most about this journey?

The stunning vistas and wildlife are, of course, alluring but what excites me most is the new wave of chefs taking the cuisine in an exciting new direction. Plus, I’m looking forward to sampling world-renowned wines. I also look forward to making new friends with my co-travellers and the people we meet on this trip – we’ll all be creating wonderful memories together.

What are one of the dishes or cooking techniques you’ll explore on the tour?

I’m excited to learn more about the ancient spice routes and how spices have given a unique flavour to Cape Malay dishes. We will learn how to make our own Masala blends and how to balance the delicate flavours of Cape Malay curries. Then there is that sparkling seafood sizzling on the braai, dressed with limes and coriander or a splash of tamarind. Fresh, zingy, healthy and deeply delicious.

 Julie Biuso's trip will focus on South African cuisine. Photo / Supplied
Julie Biuso's trip will focus on South African cuisine. Photo / Supplied

What do you hope travellers take away from this experience beyond great meals and wine?

When you go on an exclusive trip like this, you want to feel special, taken care of, and part of a group of friends. That’s my role: to make everyone feel welcome to ensure we all have a fun and memorable experience.

Many people make life-long friends on these tours, some even begin taking annual trips together. Group travel is great for people who might not necessarily feel comfortable about travelling on their own. I’ve felt a little apprehensive about going to South Africa in the past, and that’s why I have chosen to go with Travel Encounters. They specialise in this sort of intimate hosting, the itineraries are filled but not too busy, and the travel and experiences are seamlessly delivered; it is a well-oiled machine where your hosts have thought of everything!

Details

Uniquely South African is a 14-day, fully immersive food and wine adventure, designed by New Zealand business, Travel Encounters.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

For more information visit travelencounters.co.nz.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Travel

Travel

Want the ultimate wildlife experience in luxe surroundings?

06 Apr 06:00 PM
Travel

How my nighttime wanderings led to Washington DC’s best eateries

06 Apr 12:35 AM
Travel

The Corona Sleeper Train: An unfortunate name for one of Europe's best travel experiences

05 Apr 10:00 PM

Wild safaris and icy expeditions

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Travel

Want the ultimate wildlife experience in luxe surroundings?

Want the ultimate wildlife experience in luxe surroundings?

06 Apr 06:00 PM

Want the ultimate wildlife experience in luxe surroundings?

How my nighttime wanderings led to Washington DC’s best eateries

How my nighttime wanderings led to Washington DC’s best eateries

06 Apr 12:35 AM
The Corona Sleeper Train: An unfortunate name for one of Europe's best travel experiences

The Corona Sleeper Train: An unfortunate name for one of Europe's best travel experiences

05 Apr 10:00 PM
A backpacker, a bar, and a promise in Bali: Kiwi shares wild 16-year love story

A backpacker, a bar, and a promise in Bali: Kiwi shares wild 16-year love story

05 Apr 06:00 PM
40 truly remarkable years
sponsored

40 truly remarkable years

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP