hangi

thumb|right|alt=photo of food and stones in foil-lined containers|Putting down a thumb|right|alt=photo showing sliced meats and vegetables|Raw meat and vegetables for the thumb|right|alt=photo of cooked food on plate on serving tray| dinner '''' () is a traditional New Zealand Māori method of cooking food using heated rocks buried in a pit oven, called an umu (oven)|. It is still used for large groups on special occasions, as it allows large quantities of food to be cooked without the need for commercial cooking appliances.

==Process== To "lay a " or "put down a " involves digging a pit in the ground, heating stones in the pit with a large fire, placing baskets of food on top of the stones, and covering everything with earth for several hours before uncovering (or lifting) the . experts have developed and improved methods that have often, like the stones themselves, been handed down for generations.