Of the 500 gastronomic experiences listed in Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Eatlist, published earlier this month, Kaikōura crayfish has ranked seventh in the world.
The “bucket list for foodies” rated the experience better than pizza margherita in Naples, Italy, and dim sum in Hong Kong.
And one local eatery in particular has been getting plenty of interest in recent weeks after being mentioned specifically in the entry.
Nins Bin, a blue and white caravan run by three generations of the same family since 1977, was described in the book as Kaikōura's “oldest and best” crayfish vendor. The eatery, however, isn’t set to reopen for the season until October.
Owner Johnny Clark told Stuff he has been inundated with messages in the weeks since the book was published.
“I think people like the real factor, they know where it’s caught,” he told Stuff. “There’s wicked scenery, you’ve got the ocean, the birds and the seals, dolphins … You just see it all.”
While Kaikōura was the only Kiwi location in the book's top 10, New Zealand did score five other spots on the list. Also included were whitebait fritters at No 54, hangi at No 304, the Hokitika Wildfoods Festival and No 346, manuka honey at No 438 and pavlova and No 429.
The pavlova listing was, controversially, jointly listed as delicacy equally delicious in Australia or New Zealand.
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