Eating (and Drinking) Our Way Through Newfoundland

David kisses the cod in Newfoundland GypsyNester.com
Yes, David’s kissing a cod! More on this later, read on…

As with everything about life in Newfoundland, the food revolves around the sea.

In fact, seafood is the main reason that settlers from Europe came to the island in the first place.

Just five years after Columbus sailed the ocean blue, King Henry VII of England sent the Venetian explorer Zuan Cabotto in search of new lands to the north of Christopher’s discovery.

Veronica kisses the cod in Newfoundland GypsyNester.com

The captain, better known by his English name of John Cabot, came upon Newfoundland and wrote, “the sea there is full of fish that can be taken not only with nets but with fishing-baskets.”

Those fish were cod, and cod became the backbone of the economy, as well as the staple of the diet. It was only fitting that we would dive right in to some cod on our very first night.

How Many Ways Can You Cook a Cod?

Before dinner we heard stories about the fabled fish, some involving kissing them. Well, we can truthfully testify that not only will a Newfoundlander kiss a cod, they aren’t shy about using some tongue.

Eating cod tongues in Newfoundland

Cod tongue was our appetizer, and the first bite of food we consumed on the island. Fried tidbits straight from the fish’s mouth, served with scrunchions; deep fried bits of pork fat.

The tongues taste like cod, with a very slight gelled consistency. And everything’s good with a little pig fat on it… so down the hatch.

Fisherman's Brewis at St. Christopher's Hotel in Port aux Basque, Newfoundland

We were starting to feel like real live locals, so we ordered up the Fisherman’s Brewis for the main course.

This was a slightly fancier version of the Newfoundland classic Fish & Brewis, which consists of salt cod and hardtack, boiled, broken up, and mixed together.

The embellished variety we found at the St. Christopher’s Hotel in Port aux Basques was dressed up with potatoes and corn, and a handful of scrunchions for added flavor.

Cod cakes at St. Christopher's Hotel, Port aux Basque, Newfoundland

There was none of that on the traditional plate we found a few days later, but either way, it tastes way better than it sounds… or looks.

Just in case we hadn’t had enough the night before, breakfast was focused on the fish too, cod cakes and eggs.

Cod au gratin at Pirate's Haven, Robinsons, Newfoundland

Then at lunch with Paul and Ruth Gale at Pirate’s Haven was another Newfoundland favorite, cod au gratin.

See all about our rip-roarin’ ATV ride along the sea cliffs of Pirate’s Haven!

The next day we got to catch, and even kiss, a cod with Darren Park of Four Seasons Tours when he took us for a spin in his traditional dory around the Bay of Islands and Cox’s Cove.

Putting Some Mussel Into It

A traditional Newfoundland dory! We took a took of Bay of Islands in it!

We are happy to report that all tongues stayed in their mouths, and the fish were set free.

We were finally going to eat something other than cod! Don’t get us wrong, — we love it — but as non-Newfoundlanders, our bodies craved a little variety.

Fresh mussels at the fishing cabin in Newfoundland

Darren grabbed a bucket of mussels he had gathered nearby and scooped some water from the bay into it. At low tide, he simply walks along the shore and picks the shellfish up.

Seafood lunch with Four Seasons Tours in Cox Cove, Newfoundland

Toss in some fresh snow crab, give it a few minutes on the stove, and we were ready for a feast.

This was the first of several times that we would eat a meal fit for the finest gourmet restaurant while sitting at a picnic table by the water’s edge.

See more about our day in the dory!

Getting Jiggy With It

Jiggs Dinner in Newfoundland

At some point we had to eat something other than seafood, and we finally found a time-honored alternative at an establishment with an unlikely name, Fisherman’s Landing in Gros Morne National Park.

The special of the day was Jiggs Dinner, which features salt beef, and is kind of like a Newfoundland version of the good ole Irish corned beef and cabbage. Jiggs Dinner includes carrots, turnips, and pease pudding — a pudding in the British use of the term.

Made from split yellow peas and cooked in a pudding bag along with the rest of the ingredients, it is almost like a dumpling.

All we know is that we got downright jiggy with it.

The Non-Fancy Version of Fish & Brewis

Fish and Brewis in Newfoundland

Of course fish was also prominent of the menu, and this is where we found the more traditional Fish & Brewis,

Both of the dishes date back to the days before refrigeration, so they are based on easily kept ingredients like salted meat, root vegetables, and dried bread or hardtack.

See all about beautiful Gros Morne National Park

Grand Toutons

In the town of Twillingate we discovered another classic Newfoundland treat served during intermission of The Split Peas show at the Touton House.

Toutons are a traditional fried bread, served with molasses or partridge berry jam and washed down with tea

Between sets of homespun humor and harmonies by this group of women who have been entertaining for over twenty years, we tried toutons, a traditional fried bread accompanied by molasses or partridge berry jam.

See all about breathtaking Twillingate

Lobsters Have Pools?

A lobster pool restaurant in Newfoundland Canada

A lobster pool in Newfoundland

After our break from seafood we realized that we had not sampled the island’s most popular non-cod offering from the water, lobster.

They are so common in the area around Twillingate that folks remember it in their lunch boxes as children. Some say they actually got sick of it, like we did bologna or PB&J sandwiches!

There are signs all along the roads advertising lobster pools, so we stopped off to check one out.

The name is quite accurate, think swimming pool filled with lobsters, hundreds if not thousands of them just waiting for someone from a restaurant or store to haul them away.

Lobster picnic lunch in Newfoundland

As a sideline, and happily for those of us who are not sick of lobster, most of the pools sell steamed lobsters to curious wanderers like us.

We picked out a couple of beauties and settled in at a picnic table on the shore.

No five-star establishment could have been better – and the view was unbeatable.

Discover more of exciting Central Newfoundland!

Life’s a Screech

Screech from Newfoundland

Of course food is not the only thing consumed in Newfoundland, libations have a long history too.

Distilled spirits played a big part in the early fishing trade as salt cod was shipped down to the Caribbean and rum made its way back up.

One of the most common types became known as Screech, allegedly for the sound a person makes after downing a shot.

Somewhere along the way “Screeching In” took hold as a way to induct folks who “come from away” but would like to become an honorary Newfoundlander.

This is a revered practice on the island, and as such must be performed properly by a registered screecher.

Veronica kisses the cod as she gets Screeched In in Newfoundland

After a week or more crisscrossing the land we felt pretty close to real live locals, so we took the plunge, and the pledge. With a shot of Screech and a kiss of another cod, we were initiated.

Click here to see how we became honorary Newfoundlanders by, yes, kissing a cod!

Iceberg Booze

Iceberg Beer, iceberg martini and Iceberg Vodka, Newfoundland

We would never dream of tampering with tradition, but we did wish that perhaps one of the island’s iceberg infused beverages could have been substituted for the Screech.

Yes, up in iceberg alley, as the sea along the northern coast is called, vodka and beer are made with melted icebergs.

The Vikings discovered Newfoundland in the same place we discovered Iceberg Beer!

Resourceful captains have created a cottage industry of harvesting the bergs, hauling them ashore, and selling the pristine water. The Auk Island Winery is even using it to make wine.

Funky Puffin and Moose Joose are offerings at Auk Island Winery in Twillingate, Newfoundland

The Elusive Moose Strikes Again

Moose sign in Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, Canada
“Moose” sign

We were definitely noticing that land animals were rarely found on the bill of fare in Newfoundland, so when we saw moose steak on the menu at Chucky’s Seafood and Wildgame Restaurant in the town of Happy Adventure.

We figured we ought to take advantage of the opportunity.

One problem, moose are supposed to be thick all over the island — warning signs for motorists are everywhere — but the only time we got a good look at one was on our plate.

Moose steak at Chucky's Seafood and Wildgame Restaurant in Happy Adventure, Newfoundland

So this meal had no bearing on Veronica’s long held belief that the existence of moose is actually a myth perpetuated to fool tourists.

In any case, for all we know we could have been eating donkey.

See all of our adventures in Newfoundland!

Cod Omega

Fish and chips at the Gannet's Nest in St. Brides, Newfoundland

Our last meal on the island was one of the best, a park ranger at Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve recommended the nearby Gannet’s Nest restaurant for the best fish & chips in Newfoundland.

He was most certainly right about the restaurant, fantastic fresh, crispy, lightly breaded fish right out of the nearby water. So we began and ended with cod, the Alpha and Omega of gastronomy in Newfoundland.

Be astounded by the Birds of St. Mary’s!

Bottle Moose for sale at the Gannet's Nest in St. Brides, Newfoundland

But the Gannet’s Nest offered something quite different too.

Something we had never seen before and doubt we ever will again, Bottle Moose.

A problem leapt to our minds — above and beyond our doubts that moose actually exist, or perhaps this confirms them — how could one fit in a bottle?

We are so grateful to Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism for making this adventure possible. As always, all opinions are our own.

See all of our adventures in Newfoundland!

YOUR TURN: Have we inspired you to visit Newfoundland? What would be the first thing YOU would order?


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34 thoughts on “Eating (and Drinking) Our Way Through Newfoundland”

  1. I just finished dinner, and reading this report has actually made me hungry! I think I’ll have me some of those cod tongues and wash them down with some of that Screech.

  2. Looks like some fun eating through Newfoundland. I’ve only been to the St. John’s area in Newfoundland. That trip was short and I didn’t get to sample as much of the local delicacies as you did. I remember the people as being very friendly and fun. I don’t find the cod tongues as strange a food as some of your other readers. After all, on the prairies, pickerel cheeks are a treat.

  3. I think I’d have to pass on the cod tongues–As Ricky Waters, a highly paid Philadelphia Eagles football player, once said when asked why he hadn’t tried harder to catch a pass, “For who? For what?” But, the other stuff you ate—-yeah, sure—-except I don’t like to see whole lobsters. It makes me feel like I’m eating a giant bug.

  4. I’m sorry, but growing up in Wisconsin makes me a fish snob and kissing cod sounds like people must have a very boring life. Give me Perch and swirled rye bread with a big honkin’ red onion any day. Fresh lobster would make me kiss my credit card maybe.

  5. Fish have tongues?! I’m allergic to shellfish, and aside from that, I’ve just never been a big fish eater. I can’t seem to acquire a taste for it. But, I will (and like) fish and chips but the fish has to be really fresh and deeply fried. Looks as if you had quite the food experience, but on the heavy side! 😉

  6. What a wonderful way to experience Newfoundland — where there’s somuch to take your breath away: screech, kissable cod, the amazing scenery, the feel of the place is something else. Thanks for this.

  7. Oh wow! I never knew that about the lobster pools, now I really do need to visit. I was just in Belize and it was cheap there, so I can imagine how much it must be in Newfoundland!!

  8. Wow, that’s some good eating you did in Newfoundland. Those cod tongues sound strange to someone like me from the prairies but you’re quite right everything tastes better with deep fried bits of pork fat!

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