Horse meat pies are back on sale at Pakuranga Bakery in Auckland after being taken off the menu three months ago. The pies are inspired by lo’i hossi, a Tongan horse meat dish, and they quickly became popular when they first appeared over summer.
They had to be removed in January because the horse meat being used had not been approved for people to eat. Now the bakery is using horse meat from a registered New Zealand supplier, so the pies can be sold again.
The pies returned on Friday, and by that afternoon only two were left. Bakery manager Pho Bok said they had sold more than 100 lo’i hossi pies in one day. He explained that many customers had been asking when the pies would come back. He also said the bakery’s usual mince and cheese or steak and cheese pies sell only about 40 to 50 each day, showing just how popular the horse meat pies are.
Mr Bok said the bakery now prepares the filling itself on site instead of buying it ready-made. The horse meat is cooked for several hours until it is soft enough to shred by hand. It is then mixed with coconut cream and onions before being placed in pastry and baked. This gives the pie its special flavour and texture.
Although eating horse meat may seem unusual to some people, it is common in many countries. Mr Bok said the mix of Kiwi pie culture and Tongan cooking is what makes the pie so successful. Videos of the lo’i hossi pie have already started appearing on social media again. This suggests the bakery may have found a recipe that many people are excited to try.
