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Culinary
Tours
The flavours of Newfoundland and Labrador
revolve around the ocean and subarctic landscape. For 9,000 years, cod and seals were the
staples for successive groups of peoples. The summer and autumn's berry
crop added unique local flavours to the seal meat and sundried or salted
cod. Salmon, lobster, capelin, and caribou supplemented the dewberries,
bakeapples, partridgeberries, blueberries and crowberries which bloom in
profusion in various parts of the province. In ancient times polar
bears, black bears, arctic hare, walrus, squid, a variety of fish, and
whales were also on the list of local meal choices.
Today Newfoundlanders and Labradorians
maintain this interest in wild foods as we continue to eat more fish,
game, and wild fruit than anybody else in North America. Moose,
introduced to the island of Newfoundland in the early 20th century, have
joined caribou and hare as the most popular local game; while whale,
also known as Arctic steak, disappeared from the local menu in 1967 when
Canada abandoned whaling.
Because of the nature of Newfoundland,
every trip with Wildland Tours is a culinary adventure. Our Viking Trail
Experience often features recipes associated with the Norse. Guests
occasionally find themselves eating with knives and spoons only since
the Norse did not have forks. Everyone is encouraged to take advantage
of the delicious northern shrimp which are found in restaurants all
along the Viking Trail. These cold-water shrimp grow more slowly than
tropical shrimp and prawns, and they are more flavourful. Numerous
guests have commented that they were the most flavourful shrimp ever
eaten in their life times.
Fish is always on the menu on all of our
trips and we work to find fresh scallops and mussels to supplement the
cod tongues. Yes, cod have fleshy tongues and they are so delicious that
local folks have taken to importing them as cod fish numbers around
Newfoundland have declined. Some guests have suggested that cod tongues
are an acquired taste…you will have to decide for yourself.
Our Newfoundland Adventure features the
traditional homemade bread and home-cooked flavours of Nellie
Cunningham. The politically correct editors associated with our
province's tourism officials have informed us that we must describe
Nellie's cuisine as "home-made style" since it is produced in
her restaurant kitchen but local lovers of homemade bread and other
delicacies have been known to drive hundreds of miles to enjoy Nellie's
cooking. Her perfected-at-home, served-in-a-small-restaurant meals are
famous with our guests and we have had many folks return to Newfoundland
just to visit Nellie and enjoy the cooking. For years we have promoted
and celebrated Nellie as central Newfoundland's finest chef, and nobody
has ever come close to challenging this title.
Nellie and our other Newfoundland
restaurateurs are able to provide a cosmopolitan selection of dining
options. While guests can eat whatever they want on our holidays, we do
highly recommend the local foods. We are usually able to find moose
stew, fresh lobster, salmon, fresh halibut, and other choices designed
to please the palate. Sometimes we can even find fabulous locally-grown
organic produce. We also make sure guests have the opportunity to wash
down these local meals with local wine. We tend to promote the
blueberry, partridgeberry, and bakeapple wines but our local wineries
have developed a selection of additional flavours. Fermented without
chemicals or additives, our local wines join iceberg water and iceberg
vodka as popular, locally produced beverages.
Our Capital City of St. John's has had
the reputation as a "port for ports" since 1679 when a
Portuguese vessel carrying port wine to London encountered French
privateers. The privateers drove the ship off course and, in attempts to
escape, it ventured out into the Atlantic. After weathering severe
Atlantic storms, the ship arrived in St. John's where it stayed for the
winter months. The cargo of port wine was safely stored in caves in the
Southside Hills of St. John's. The following spring the vessel finally
completed its long arduous journey to England. They soon discovered that
the port that had over-wintered in Newfoundland had acquired a bouquet,
a smoothness and a flavour that it did not have before. From that point
on, the company decided to age Newman's Port in Newfoundland. This local
relationship continued until 1996 when the Newfoundland Liquor
Corporation stopped bottling Newman's Celebrated Port; however, the
province's association with this flavourful fortified wine has
contributed to the city boasting one of the continent's best assortment
of wines. The closeness of the French Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon
mean that Newfoundland residents have access to North America's closest
source of French wines including many rare French community and
specialty wines. Our unique geography and history means that our holiday
leaders can host private wine tasting events with our guests that are
superior to wine tastings elsewhere in North America.
Over the years additional alcoholic
beverages have become associated with Newfoundland. The most famous
alcohol originated in the mid-20th century when our unnamed Demerara rum
earned the title "Newfoundland Screech" from American military
personnel stationed here. Today screech continues to be one of the most
popular rums in the land where there are more rum drinkers per capita
than anywhere else in North America. In addition to several outstanding
local recipes, there are many medicinal uses for screech…and when
folks are interested these are discussed, and "occasionally"
sampled, on our holidays.
This section of our website is dedicated
to guest Bob Hainline who wrote that we should call our Newfoundland
Adventures the "Gourmet Food Tour." |
