Now New Zealanders are wondering what to contribute at potluck dinners without reverting to quiche and rice salad.
Sachie Nomura can help.
The Auckland-based Japanese chef is bridging the gap between Kiwis and the Asian cuisine we love to eat.
''It is my dream to take authentic Japanese and Asian cuisine to every home in New Zealand by making the complex simple,'' Sachie says.
She has established Sachie's Kitchen in Parnell, a cooking school for authentic Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Indian food.
And this year Sachie adds a television series to her cooking empire, through which she hopes to teach everyday New Zealanders about their favourite Asian dishes, as well as how to make them using ingredients from the local supermarket.
Each episode follows Sachie as she travels through different parts of Asia, sourcing and eating traditional and modern fare.
She explores Tokyo's tuna markets in the first episode, explaining the various ways the fish is used in Japanese cuisine, from the freshest raw slices (sashimi) to the dried, fermented and smoked flakes called katsuobushi.
Sachie then appears back in her Auckland kitchen, demonstrating how to prepare and cook different dishes, the ingredients for which she gets at New World - a sponsor of the programme.
She says New Zealand food culture has jumped ahead in ''leaps and bounds'' in the past five years and Kiwis are more inclined to try new things.
''New Zealanders are also well travelled, and with Asia being close, the flavours and tastes are naturally making their way over.''
Asian cuisine is simple, but can be complicated if people are unfamiliar with ingredients, Sachie says.
''Once we bridge that gap, as we've seen in our cooking classes, Kiwis take to Asian food like ducks to water. To me, some Western dishes look extremely complicated for the same reason, so I'm mindful of that and the television show focuses on demystifying Asian cuisine while having fun.''
Sachie makes sure her recipes use ingredients available in New Zealand and says the favourite Japanese dishes among Kiwis remain sushi, sashimi and tempura, although okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes) are becoming more popular.
Her effervescence is genuine and knowledge of food impressive.
Sachie grew up in Aichi, near the centre of Japan's main island, Honshu.
She moved to New Zealand as an 18-year-old university student 16 years ago, and was trained by the top Japanese chefs in Auckland.
Sachie uses her family's recipes, handed down through the generations.
''My mother and grandmother were both great cooks, and shared their knowledge with me.''
She is proud to share her Japanese culture and food with New Zealanders and hopes to return to different parts of Japan and Asia if a second season of the television show is developed.
''My goal is that everyone who watches tries one new dish or ingredient, and hopefully they get on a plane and see first-hand what I bring on screen.
"Asian people are also known for being quick and always on the move, and so my show mirrors who I am in real life - energetic, fast-paced and hopefully very entertaining!''
• Sachie's Kitchen premieres Friday at 9.05pm on PRIME.
