Kumara fries are the New Zealand sweet potato cut into thick wedges, roasted with rosemary salt and served with aioli. The orange-fleshed kumara is the Maori staple turned cafe standard.

Kumara (Ipomoea batatas) is the sweet potato brought by Maori from eastern Polynesia around 1300 CE. It was the foundational starch of pre-European Maori cuisine, cultivated in pa (fortified village) gardens across the North Island. The orange-fleshed variety dominates modern New Zealand markets; red and gold varieties grow in Northland. Through the 20th century kumara moved from Maori staple to national vegetable; today it sits in every Auckland cafe and brunch room as a chip or fry, often with aioli or lemon-thyme salt. Kumara fries became canonical brunch sides in the 1990s alongside the rise of the modern New Zealand cafe.

Where to eat Kumara Fries in Auckland

2 editor picks for Kumara Fries in Auckland, ranked by editorial score. All Auckland signature dishes · Kumara Fries across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves Serves 445 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 1kg orange-fleshed kumara, scrubbed, cut into 1.5cm thick wedges
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp flaky sea salt
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Aioli (homemade or shop-bought) to serve

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200C fan.
  2. Toss kumara wedges with olive oil, salt, rosemary and paprika in a large bowl.
  3. Spread on a heavy baking tray in a single layer with space between wedges.
  4. Roast 25 minutes. Flip wedges with tongs.
  5. Roast another 15-20 minutes until crisp on the edges and tender inside.
  6. Serve immediately with a bowl of aioli for dipping.

Editor tip. Kumara browns less aggressively than potato; the smoked paprika gives the colour fries get from frying.