Taste of Home: Food as a Form of Nostalgia Among Nigerian Migrants in New Zealand

For many migrants, particularly Nigerian migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand, culinary experiences often become emotional and cultural anchors, sustaining identity and continuity in unfamiliar settings. Although food has been extensively examined in relation to migration and identity, Nigerian foodways and their role in evoking nostalgia among migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand remain underexplored. This study investigates how Nigerian food evokes nostalgia among migrants in New Zealand, with particular attention to the intersections of food, nostalgia, identity, and cultural education. Adopting an interpretivist paradigm, the study uses autoethnography to examine the researcher’s lived experiences as a Nigerian migrant. Data were generated through reflective journaling and narrative accounts, capturing how everyday food practices shape memory, belonging, and meaning over time. The study also draws on secondary sources and document analysis related to migration, food, nostalgia, and cultural transmission to contextualise the experience and produce a holistic view. The study demonstrates how Nigerian food acts as a sensory bridge linking past and present, supporting cultural continuity, and enabling forms of knowledge-sharing that can extend beyond the migrant community. Ultimately, this study contributes to migration, food, and hospitality scholarship by offering nuanced insights into how culinary practices sustain emotional ties to home while shaping cultural learning in New Zealand and highlighting the role of food in fostering intercultural connection across diverse social and hospitality environments.