New Brunswick's Food Delights

New Brunswick's food scene is heavily influenced by its diverse cultural history, including Mi’kmaq, Irish, English, Loyalist, Acadian, and Quebecois cuisines. The province is known for its delicious seafood, craft beer, and unique snacks.

Lobster is a local staple, with Shediac being known as the Lobster Capital of the World. New Brunswick is also a top producer of potatoes, and the Covered Bridge company makes popular kettle-style potato chips with unique flavours like Storm Chips. The province has a thriving craft beer scene, with nearly 50 breweries, including the dog-friendly Picaroons.

New Brunswick also offers a variety of unique snacks and dishes. Garlic fingers are cheesy breadsticks served with donair sauce, and dulse is a salty, tangy seaweed snack harvested from Grand Manan Island. Fiddleheads, the unfurled fronds of young fern plants, are a traditional seasonal delicacy for the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey People. Ployes, a mix between pancakes and crepes made with buckwheat and wheat flour, are a cozy comfort food served with butter and brown sugar or other sweet toppings.

For those with a sweet tooth, pets de soeur are baked pastry pinwheels similar to cinnamon buns, with a playful name that translates to nuns' farts.

Local lobster

New Brunswick is known for its lobster, with the crustacean being as much a part of the local cuisine as it is a part of the province's seafaring history. Lobster fishing is central to the economy of many of New Brunswick's coastal communities, and the launch of the fishing season always brings fanfare and celebration.

The lobster in New Brunswick is as fresh as it gets, and there are a variety of ways to enjoy it. You can buy lobster by the pound to cook yourself at your cottage or campsite, or you can try it cooked to perfection at a seafood shack, shoreside restaurant, or food truck.

For a truly immersive experience, you can even live the life of a lobster fisherman at Camping Val-Comeau, take an educational lobster dinner cruise with Shediac Bay Cruises, or learn more about lobsters at the Homarus Eco-Centre.

No matter how you choose to enjoy it, lobster is a must-try when visiting New Brunswick.

Where to Find Local Lobster in New Brunswick

• La Terrasse Steve in Miscou: This non-pretentious, simple, shack-like restaurant is located right when you come over the bridge to Miscou Island on the Acadian Peninsula. It started as a lobster market, and people started asking the owner, Steve, to cook the lobster for them. Now, in addition to selling live lobster, he also serves a delicious lobster casserole made with a 'secret sauce', lots of lobster chunks, and cheese melted on top.
• The Cabin Restaurant in Fredericton: This greasy-spoon diner serves a variety of lobster dishes, including a Lobster Club Sandwich, which replaces the traditional turkey with lobster.
• La Homard Mobile in Caraquet: This big red food truck parked along the main road in Caraquet serves up a delicious lobster poutine—fries, white seafood gravy, cheese curds, and a generous portion of lobster meat.
• Shediac Bay Cruises: Take a cruise out of Shediac Bay and enjoy an educational lobster dinner while learning about the local lobster industry.
• Camping Val-Comeau: Live like a lobster fisherman for a day at this unique camping experience.
• Homarus Eco-Centre: Get an up-close look at the life of a lobster and learn more about these fascinating crustaceans.
• Saint John Ale House: Featured on Food Network's "You Gotta Eat Here," this establishment serves up delicious lobster rolls that are not to be missed.
• Ellis Take-out in Stonehaven: This seasonal operation in the tiny community of Stonehaven gets rave reviews from New Brunswick locals for its lobster dishes.
• Shoreside restaurants and seafood shacks: Many restaurants along the coast of New Brunswick serve fresh lobster, often with beautiful water views.
• Farmers' markets: You can often find lobster for sale by the pound at local farmers' markets, allowing you to enjoy it in the comfort of your own home or campsite.

So, whether you're looking for a fine dining experience or a casual bite, there are plenty of opportunities to indulge in delicious local lobster during your visit to New Brunswick.

Fiddleheads

There are various ways to prepare fiddleheads. They can be boiled and then sautéed in butter, or steamed with lemon juice and butter. They are said to have an earthy, nutty taste similar to asparagus or broccoli. Fiddleheads can be enjoyed as a side dish or added to main dishes like pizza and fritters.

In addition to their culinary uses, fiddleheads also inspire artwork and architecture in Wolastoqey and Mi'kmaq cultures. For example, the Mah-Sos School in Tobique First Nation features fiddlehead-inspired designs.

Seafood chowder

The Caves Restaurant in St. Martins, New Brunswick, is known for its "world-famous" seafood chowder. In their review, Tripadvisor users have described the chowder as "excellent", "amazing", and "the best", praising the generous amount of seafood and the perfect soup texture.

Ingredients:

• Onion – finely chopped
• Celery stalk – chopped
• Potatoes – diced and boiled
• Chicken or vegetable broth
• Corn kernels
• All-purpose flour
• Peeled shrimp
• Fish pie mix (cod or haddock)
• Thyme sprigs
• Cream
• Salt and spices

Instructions:

• Rinse the clams and shrimp thoroughly and set aside.
• Sauté the onions and celery in olive oil for 3-4 minutes on low heat. Then, mix in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add the boiled potatoes, corn, broth, white wine, and lemon juice. Add the thyme sprigs, salt, and spices, and cook covered for 10 minutes on low heat.
• Add the clams, shrimp, and cream to the chowder, mix, and boil for 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with parsley and other herbs.

This recipe yields a hearty and delicious seafood chowder that is perfect for a cold day. It is important to note that the shellfish should be added towards the end of cooking to avoid overcooking, and the chowder should be stirred well to avoid any flour lumps.

New Brunswick is known for its delicious seafood, and chowder is definitely one of the province's most iconic dishes.

Poutine râpée

To make poutine râpée, you will need raw grated potatoes, cooked and mashed potatoes, and fatty salt pork. The salt pork should be soaked in cold water overnight to remove the excess salt. The grated potatoes are mixed with the mashed potatoes, and the mixture is seasoned with salt and pepper. A hole is made in the centre of the potato ball, and a tablespoon of the salted pork is added. The hole is then closed up, and the dumpling is rolled in white flour before being gently lowered into a pot of boiling salted water. The poutines are simmered for 2-3 hours.

Brayon and Acadian cuisine

The Brayon and Acadian cuisines of New Brunswick are a testament to the province's rich cultural heritage and the ingenuity of its people. With influences from France, Quebec, and the indigenous communities, the culinary traditions of these regions offer a unique and delicious experience.

Acadian Cuisine:

Acadian cuisine is centred around hearty farmland staples like potatoes and stewed meats, as well as an abundance of seafood. This cuisine has evolved over time, adapting to the available ingredients and the region's climate. After the deportation of the Acadians during the 18th century, the cuisine shifted to focus on ingredients that could be grown, hunted, and fished in the less fertile lands of eastern New Brunswick and the Upper St. John River Valley.

Some signature Acadian dishes include:

• Pâté Chinois: Mashed potatoes, ground beef, and creamed corn.
• Bouilli Acadien: A boiled dinner consisting of potatoes, salted beef or pork, carrots, green beans, cabbage, and turnips.
• Fricot: A type of stew with potatoes, onions, and meat, topped with dumplings.
• Coquille Saint-Jacques: Scallops poached in a creamy wine sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and cheese.
• Poutine Râpée: A traditional dish of boiled dumplings made from grated and mashed potatoes with a seasoned pork centre.
• Ploye: A hearty buckwheat pancake served with cretons (pork spread), maple syrup, brown sugar, or molasses.
• Rappie Pie: A combination of ground meat and potatoes.

Brayon Cuisine:

The Brayon cuisine of the northwestern Madawaska region has unique flavours and a diverse range of dishes. One of the most famous Brayon dishes is the "Ploye", a crepe-like pancake made from buckwheat flour and wheat flour. It is typically served hot off the griddle with melted butter and a sprinkle of maple sugar.

Another signature Brayon dish is the "Stew au Poulet", a chicken stew with vegetables and dumplings. The recipe includes ingredients such as chicken broth, diced potatoes, carrots, chicken, herbs, and spices. The stew is served with bread or ployes.

Additionally, "Oeufs Brayons" is a traditional dish from the Brayon region. It consists of scrambled eggs mixed with cream, salt, and pepper, baked in a ramekin, and served with a creamy sauce, toasted bread, and a garnish of chopped parsley.

Frequently asked questions