New Zealand customs for packaged cookies?

[Traveling Dot]

I am flying into Auckland to start my Cruise.  I want to bring some individual sealed packages of cookies that I will eat only on the ship.  Do I have to declare these and are they even allowed to be brought into New Zealand?

[lissie]

They  may need to be declared if they fall under the list of questions you get asked on the form on the plane. However even  so I very much doubt that they will confiscated - sealed commercial biscuits etc are fine. 

 

The real danger  are things like fruit, dairy, meat, honey, seeds and dirt 

 

Don't forget to get your NZETA  before you fly Information about NZeTA: New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority | Immigration New Zealand 

Edited February 15, 2023 by lissie

[Traveling Dot]

1 hour ago, lissie said:

They  may need to be declared if they fall under the list of questions you get asked on the form on the plane. However even  so I very much doubt that they will confiscated - sealed commercial biscuits etc are fine. 

 

The real danger  are things like fruit, dairy, meat, honey, seeds and dirt 

 

Don't forget to get your NZETA  before you fly Information about NZeTA: New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority | Immigration New Zealand 

Thank you for your response.  I already have NZETA approved.

[Over from NZ]

If in doubt.. just ask them at customs or declare it. They're good people.. more than obliging and it costs nothing to declare and err on the safe side. 

[NSWP]

NZ and Australia have nice cookies, although us oldies call them biscuits, lol. Buy the here, save the border issues.

[Jean C]

You'll have no problems bringing commercially packaged cookies into NZ, but tell MAF what you have regardless. Any commercially cooked cookies/biscuits are fine, but if they have icing with dried fruit decoration or raw nuts they may be looked at. lissie lists above the items they're more interested in 🙂

[Jean C]

16 hours ago, NSWP said:

NZ and Australia have nice cookies, although us oldies call them biscuits, lol. Buy the here, save the border issues.

Absolutely we have exceptionally tempting cookies for sale in the Antipodes, the range is mouthwatering, you'd be like a kid in a candy store 😋😋

[Traveling Dot]

I actually want to bring a shortbread called Lorna Dunne.  They are prepackaged (6 to a pack or 4 to a pack) depending where I buy them.

[Traveling Dot]

Thanks to all who answered. 🤗

[Pushka]

It will depend on the ingredients. We lost some chai tea packets as they contained honey. Even dried. We have also lost commercially packaged muesli bars. They will inspect the ingredients.  Must be declared. 

[buchhalm]

Bottom line, if you can eat or drink it, declare it.

Better safe than sorry.

Even IF you have a prohibited item, the officers will be polite and friendly, even if they may confiscate the items. They wont fine you.

 

"Smuggle" something prohibited,  and they can get narky with you. 

[lissie]

19 hours ago, Traveling Dot said:

I actually want to bring a shortbread called Lorna Dunne.  They are prepackaged (6 to a pack or 4 to a pack) depending where I buy them.

You can buy any number of "shortbread" biscuits in any supermarket or corner store here.  Or you could buy decent shortbread in an actual bakery. 

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by lissie

[Jean C]

These are my absolute favourite shortbread in NZ supermarkets, expensive compared with good quality chocolate bikkies, but melt in the mouth delicious - life's too short to eat boring bikkies 😋

[SilvertoGold]

1 hour ago, Jean C said:

These are my absolute favourite shortbread in NZ supermarkets, expensive compared with good quality chocolate bikkies, but melt in the mouth delicious - life's too short to eat boring bikkies 😋

Sold!  Now, tell us what grocery stores you recommend, please!  And, "bikkies" are... cookies, right?

 

Any recommendations for good, dark chocolate cookies?

Edited February 17, 2023 by SilvertoGold

[lissie]

2 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Sold!  Now, tell us what grocery stores you recommend, please!  And, "bikkies" are... cookies, right?

 

Any recommendations for good, dark chocolate cookies?

OK New Zild 101 

bikkies = biscuits (UK usage) 

biscuits = cookies (US usage) 

except when they are soft and chewy and the coookies = cookies  -so we have cookies and biscuits. 

 

Also biscuits (US) are scones (NZ) and are NOT eaten at breakfast NEVER with grits and preferably in the variety cheese scones (severed warm with butter) 

 

My favourite dark chocolate biscuits are Griffins Chocolate Wheaten (dark version there is also a milk chocolate variation - infinitely inferior). 

 

The big supermarkets are  Countdown and New World  -both very similar - use the one you find first. 4 Square is smaller but there are lots of them and although more expensive its marginal for the amount of shopping you'll doing. 

 

Also check out Whittakers Chocolate - locally made, no palm oil - its the best Whittaker's Chocolate New Zealand - Whittaker's (whittakers.co.nz) - found in any supermarket or convenience store 

[lissie]

Oops - sorry I just noticed your're Canadians, so I don't know if you have biscuits (US) usage there? 

[GUT2407]

41 minutes ago, lissie said:

 

 

Also biscuits (US) are scones (NZ) and are NOT eaten at breakfast NEVER with grits and preferably in the variety cheese scones (severed warm with butter) 

 

I must disagree, a scone at brekkie can be wonderful, and of course a bikkie at brekkie is a right treat.

Edited February 17, 2023 by GUT2407

[SilvertoGold]

2 hours ago, lissie said:

Oops - sorry I just noticed your're Canadians, so I don't know if you have biscuits (US) usage there? 

Canadians have cookies, soft, hard, chewy, it is all the same thing to us.  Scones and biscuits are the basic baking powder biscuits (dough rolled out and cut into rounds,  triangles). Scones have a richer dough. Both are served anytime, with butter, jam, jelly, peanut butter.

 

Thanks for all the info :) I will be shopping for all the recommendations for taking home. Have not cruised NZ and look forward to learning about your food.

Edited February 17, 2023 by SilvertoGold

[Over from NZ]

5 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Sold!  Now, tell us what grocery stores you recommend, please!  And, "bikkies" are... cookies, right?

 

Any recommendations for good, dark chocolate cookies?

Ironically for a place where we call them biscuits.. one of the most popular is "cookietime" haha. Get the triple chocolate chunk cookie (which is actually a biscuit lol). 

[LittleFish1976]

2 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

I must disagree, a scone at brekkie can be wonderful, and of course a bikkie at brekkie is a right treat.

And if there's any cheesecake or rich chocolate cake in the house on a Sunday morning, that should always be eaten for breakfast (which, for the Americans & Canadians amongst us, is what we also call brekkie, not to be confused with bikkies).

[Jean C]

6 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Sold!  Now, tell us what grocery stores you recommend, please!  And, "bikkies" are... cookies, right?

 

Any recommendations for good, dark chocolate cookies?

Haha, you won't be disappointed. They're sold at all supermarkets and yes, bikkies are cookies. As regards dark chocolate cookies, best to scan the shelves yourself and pick what appeals most. For dark chocolate biscuits/cookies, not too sweet, I like Sultana Pasties - I tell myself they're healthy, hehehe. As @lissie says, Whitakers chocolate is heavenly, heaps better than Cadbury, it has a true chocolately flavour.  Enjoy browsing the treat aisles of our supermarkets 😋

[lyndarra]

2 hours ago, Jean C said:

Haha, you won't be disappointed. They're sold at all supermarkets and yes, bikkies are cookies. As regards dark chocolate cookies, best to scan the shelves yourself and pick what appeals most. For dark chocolate biscuits/cookies, not too sweet, I like Sultana Pasties - I tell myself they're healthy, hehehe. As @lissie says, Whitakers chocolate is heavenly, heaps better than Cadbury, it has a true chocolately flavour.  Enjoy browsing the treat aisles of our supermarkets 😋

You've just thrown another word difference into the mix. "Pasties".

Also, I met an American cruiser who wondered what sultanas were when I mentioned I have them in my porridge (oatmeal). The best I could explain was "white grape raisins". She was Alaskan if that makes a difference.

[yarramar]

If you want the best biscuits in the world, try Tim Tams. the best way to eat them is "The Tim Tam Slam"

 

[SilvertoGold]

5 hours ago, lyndarra said:

You've just thrown another word difference into the mix. "Pasties".

Also, I met an American cruiser who wondered what sultanas were when I mentioned I have them in my porridge (oatmeal). The best I could explain was "white grape raisins". She was Alaskan if that makes a difference.

Pasties are very Brit to Canadians and mean meat pies here. Sultanas I buy regularly to go with our porridge. 

I took a couple of courses in Linguistics in university and think they should have had a course in English dialects :)  Love the vocabulary differences. 

[SilvertoGold]

3 hours ago, yarramar said:

If you want the best biscuits in the world, try Tim Tams. the best way to eat them is "The Tim Tam Slam"

 

Yes! Tim Tams.  On sale here this week for 2 for $8 Canadian. Regular and Dark Chocolate.  Full of bad fat, however, so two packages last a long time for us.I love reading about ALL the MANY flavours you guys have down under!