The Huhu Grub: A New Zealand Maori Delicacy

If ever you are out tramping in the New Zealand bush and are concerned your food supplies may run low, or you may get lost, there is no need to worry. A natural bush food supply is probably lurking not too far from the path you’re on. Look closely into the tiny cavities of rotting fallen logs of native trees and you may be lucky enough to see an amazing wood munching creature, the huhu grub.

Similar to Australia’s witchetty grub, the huhu grub is creamy white in appearance and can grow up to about 7 cm long. They are more likely to be 4 – 5 cm long. The grubs are the larvae of the New Zealand native huhu beetle and emerge from eggs the beetle lays under the bark or in crevices of the fallen tree trunks. Huhu grubs remain in the larvae stage for two to three years before pupating for 25 days and completing their life cycle as adult huhu beetles.

Photo credit: Photo by Charlotte Simmonds of huhu grubs in a rotten pine wood.

In the past huhu grubs, although they have the appearance of large maggots, were high on the list of delicacy foods for Maori people. They are high in protein and fat, and can be eaten alive and raw, or cooked quickly on a fire.

Huhu grubs should not be thought of as a food from the past though, and are no longer consumed only by Maori people. Like many cultural practices throughout the world, the finding and eating of these so called delicacies has become part of the New Zealand tourist market. Local tourist guides specialising in bush adventure will often include huhu grub experiences as part of their itinerary. Many of the wild food festivals that have become part of local culture in many parts of New Zealand have stalls where huhu grubs can be cooked and tasted, or eaten raw if you want to try the real thing.

In the past, eating the grubs raw was the most common way of consuming them, and was considered a pleasurable experience by the Maori people. Now, they can be cooked by throwing them with a little salt onto a barbecue or fire to quickly cook them through. The taste has been described by some as being similar to peanut butter, while others tell of it being more like buttery chicken.

I confess I have never eaten a huhu grub either raw or cooked, mostly because I have never had an opportunity to do so. In the past the thought would have been repulsive, but attitudes change over time. I now like to think that, should I ever be fortunate enough to attend a wild food festival that has huhu grubs available, I will close my eyes, put on my bravest face, and be persuade myself to swallow one of these native New Zealand delicacies. After all, one shouldn’t turn away from new opportunities.