That is the question comedian Te Radar asks as he tours the country with a comedic celebration of food from the beloved and bizarre cookbooks of New Zealand’s past.
He says the show is "a really funny and fun, nostalgic look at how weird we were when it came to food".
"You don't have to like cookbooks, you don't have to cook, you don't even have to like food, because as was clear for many of the cookbook chefs, I'm not sure they did either," he said.
Te Radar asks why we once disguised mutton as poultry, and why Alison Holst thought fried brains were the perfect food for children, among other pressing culinary questions. He explores Hudson and Halls, Grant Kerr and Hilda Phillips, and "her amazing book called Recipes with Canned Foods.
Te Radar said his choice of "nostalgic" content was "a bit like a buffet" and the show is set out much like a "family dinner".
"Because, you know, sitting down and sharing stories over food is one of the oldest of all human traditions," he said.
