9 Acadian foods you have to try in New Brunswick
This post was originally published on the Tourism New Brunswick website.
You've heard of poutine... but what about poutine r?p?e? New Brunswick's Acadian community has a culture and cuisine all its own and there are some traditional dishes that every visitor should try. Acadian food is part of Canada's French heritage, and it's got a distinct history and flavours which are intertwined with neighbouring Qu?bec. Centered around farmland staples like potatoes and stewed meats plus plenty of seafood, it's hearty, homey, and delicious.
You'll find Acadian food served in restaurants, food shacks, grocery stores, and, of course, Acadian kitchens around the province. Here are 9 delicious ways to get a taste of Acadie.
1. Poutine râpée
This traditional Acadian dish isn’t the fries-and-gravy poutine you might know. Instead, poutine râpée is a boiled dumpling made from both grated and mashed potato with a tasty centre of seasoned pork.
2. Chicken Fricot
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Chicken, potatoes, celery, and carrots come together in this Acadian stew that isn’t just hearty – it’s simply the ultimate comfort food. Add pâtes (a.k.a. dumplings) for a little extra yum factor.
3. Crêpes râpées
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You may not think “pancake” when you hear “potato” but this savoury dish will change that. Grated potatoes are combined with onion, flour, egg, salt, and pepper before being cooked into a golden, crispy treat.
4. Coques frites
You’ll be happy as a clam when you try this dish! With New Brunswick’s abundance of fresh seafood, there’s no better place to dig in to some battered fried clams.
5. Cipâte
A meat lover’s dream, this dish found in Madawaska, Campbellton, and along the Appalachian route of New Brunswick spreads layers of venison or other meats, cube potatoes, and onions between six layers of dough. The dish is then slowly baked to bring out all the flavours.
6. Coquille Saint-Jacques
Scallops get the royal treatment in this recipe: they’re poached in a creamy wine sauce before being crowned with breadcrumbs, cheese, and then browned under a broiler.
7. Poutine à trou
This delectable dessert bakes apples, raisins, and cranberries into a ball of pastry that gets topped with a brown sugar syrup. It’s sure to make you go mmm.
8. Pets de sœur
These pastries, which are cousins to the cinnamon roll, have been enjoyed by Acadians for generations. Fun fact about these delicious treats: their colourful French name literally translates into ‘nuns’ farts’.
9. Ployes
A Brayonne favourite from the northwestern corner of the province, ployes are a hearty buckwheat pancake you'll want to butter then cover in maple syrup, brown sugar, or molasses before folding it up to eat.
Check out Food Network stars Chuck Hughes and Danny Smiles digging into an Acadian Feast from the East on Chuck & Danny's Road Trip.
Try a recipe or two of your own or head out and get a taste of Acadie here:
- Chez Memere Poutine & Rapee, Moncton
- Saint-Antoine Poutine Rapee, Saint-Antoine
- Menu Acadien, Shediac
- Poutine Acadienne, Sainte-Marie-de-Kent
- Chez Leo Restaurant, Shediac
- Le chaudron Acadien, Rogersville
- Restaurant la Sagouine, Bouctouche
- Lafiouk Restaurant, Kouchibouguac
- Chez Camille, Cap-Pel?
- Bel-Air Take-Out, Cap-Pel?
Want a side of cultural immersion with your meals? Head to Pays de la Sagouine to see food being prepared in Mathilda's Kitchen or grab a Sunday brunch Acadian-style at the restaurant. At Village Historique Acadien, get a glimpse into how food was traditionally made in the village houses, take a cooking workshop, or try traditional Acadian fare at their restaurant, La Table des ancêtres. In Memramcook, get a taste of the past at the Wood Chef Bakery: Boulangerie Pain du Coll?ge with wood-fired breads still prepared according to a hundred-year-old recipe used at the old Collage Saint-Joseph. And if you're in the Madawaska area, check out Acadie Gourmet for places to try local dishes.
Get inspired
