Newfoundland & Labrador: Top 5 Food & Drink You’ll Absolutely Love

Visiting Newfoundland and Labrador is very like stepping into a different world. The views are, in some respects, out of this world and the people are even better! That said, the food and drinks? Well, they really have a character all their own. The province’s location out in the ocean does a pretty good job of shaping its culinary identity. What that looks like, then, is an awesome and interesting mix of seafood, wild game, and local berries. So, if you are figuring out what to taste when you’re there, here is your short and helpful guide to what you might like. Consider these popular favorites that locals suggest.

1. Cod Tongues: A Local Delicacy

Alright, let’s get right to it. Cod tongues. And, very, very yes, you read that just right. This classic Newfoundland food, that everyone has heard of by now, really isn’t a tongue at all. That said, it is actually a piece of cod muscle that, usually, you fry up. Very like chicken nuggets but, in some respects, coming from the sea. So, locals really tend to dip them in batter and pan-fry them ’til they’re beautifully golden. I want to share an experience here: the first time I tasted these? To be honest, I had a bit of an eyebrow raise at the idea. But, actually, they are quite lovely, with this almost subtly sweet, rich taste, particularly if paired with a dab of scrunchions, which are fried pork fat bits, believe it or not, for an extra layer of amazing flavor.

The taste? Usually like a tender scallop or crab but a lot chewier, and you know they do come with their unique texture that is usually the thing you’re gonna note first. Cod tongues do very stand as a symbol of Newfoundland’s resourceful food culture and very like their respect for every bit of the cod, too it’s almost one that shows you how they are quite serious about what the ocean provides.

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2. Toutons: A Taste of Tradition

Toutons, those are quite like fluffy, pan-fried dough cakes that could be considered a classic breakfast thing or enjoyed at brunch. That said, made out of bread dough and so, generally, fried in butter (oh yes!), or, you know, the famous scrunchions (fried pork fat). Served warm, quite commonly, toutons, so they are rather enjoyed with molasses, maple syrup, or a little bit of that super tasty local jam. They’re that really lovely comfort food that’s, very really, quite simple but has an amazing taste, I mean it almost reminds you of that cozy, home feeling.

Too it’s almost a dish that links back to Newfoundland’s past. Those simple ingredients kind of make them a totally favorite in kitchens there, very often, I’ve seen it as a family thing to make or that the whole family has some kind of secret take or two that makes it different and totally its own thing.

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3. Jiggs Dinner: A Hearty Feast

So, the real MVP meal? It has to be Jiggs Dinner. And what exactly is this, you know, thing that every Newfoundlander knows about? Basically, it is like, traditionally, a Sunday meal consisting of salt beef, boiled vegetables (carrots, turnips, cabbage, potatoes), and pudding. Salt beef tends to be the main star here, slow cooked till tender, that then does an amazing job of flavoring those other veggies.

Every family does have its way to tweak this, maybe by adding a specific seasoning, very maybe it might just be making that cabbage that special way they know everyone enjoys. And, actually, it’s more than dinner, you see; so, it’s really that time that reminds everyone in that moment what being from Newfoundland truly looks like. It also could be those times they share some stories, catch up, and really enjoy each other.

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4. Bakeapple Berries: A Taste of the Wild

If there is that taste you could almost say embodies Newfoundland and Labrador’s unique landscape it, rather, should be the bakeapple. These pretty, golden colored berries? Actually, they are what grow on the bogland there and do taste sort of a little tangy but quite sweet, they sort of just have their way to refresh you so they tend to get super enjoyed by themselves or get turned into lovely jams, sauces, and desserts.

Actually, gathering bakeapples there is its sort of experience. If you are planning to go to the bogs, then that might almost tell you a story about those quiet landscapes. That experience, so it might also let you feel much more connected to the natural landscape there too. These berries usually are a total local treat that, in that season that they do become ripe, so locals do flock and find them, just because, to get all that taste and that season bottled, baked or eaten that moment, with love.

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5. Screech Rum: The Spirit of Newfoundland

What goes better with some local, hearty grub than that very own local rum, right? I am very talking about the Newfoundland Screech Rum. Basically, this one does pack a punch with that taste that makes most wrinkle a bit at first but then kind of enjoy the warmth of that sensation.

Screech became an icon there because it is often very deeply tied to the whole “Screech-In” ceremony that’s very Newfoundlandian to outsiders. To have the “Screeched In” rite, the newbie should usually get made to do a couple of things, so it means you do have to repeat this little phrase, grab a shot, and very definitely, kiss a codfish! Doing these quirky steps makes anyone that understands that history see that Newfoundland’s just made itself special by all those details. Because, the identity of this whole place and its peoples? All come down to a couple really important ingredients – that rugged vibe, friendly peeps, that great sense of humor. Newfoundland Screech rum actually just turns into what encapsulates all that.

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