"Nova Scotian Cuisine... Past and Present"

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By Chef Kevin Wagner

Part 2 of 5

Last time we looked at Nova Scotia's unique location as a factor in how our style of cooking has come to be. Now, what's a geography lesson without a little history to round it out? You have to know where you came from to know where you're going, right? Here's a quick background on our ancestry, traditions, and their influences on Nova Scotian cuisine.

Thousands of years before the first Europeans came to our shores, Nova Scotia, like all of North America, was inhabited by aboriginal or First Nations people. Ours were called the "Mi'kmaq". I personally have many friends that are descended from this culture. They were hunter-gathers, and lived in stationary villages, as did most of the tribes of that time. Their diet included wild game, fish, fruit, berries, etc. The first visitors and settlers would never have survived if not for relying on the Mi'kmaq's ingenuity and knowledge of the land. Traces of their food still lives on in the salmon, wild game, and fruit we see in our menus today.

It's now 1605, and the French have begun a settlement in Port Royal, at the mouth of the Annapolis Basin. Samuel de Champlain has brought with him the gourmet traditions of his country and has created "L'Ordre du Bon Temps" (The Order of Good Cheer). They would take turns and hunt, catch or gather everything necessary... prepare the dinner... and host their companions for a feast. The spirit of good food and fellowship of this social club lives on to this today.

Not to be outdone, the British arrive on the scene, and will battle continuously with the French for control of this new land they call "New Scotland" (Nova Scotia). They destroy Port Royal in 1613, and the French rebuild as "Acadia".

Acadia is taken over for good in 1710 by colonists from New England and named, Annapolis Royal, after the British ruler of the day, Queen Anne. A major settlement is established in Halifax in 1749, the capital of Nova Scotia to this day, The British, as the French before them, bring their own culinary styles along with them. They may not like their enemies, but don't hesitate to create a little English-French- Mi'kmaq fusion cuisine of their own.

In our next edition, we'll recognize the importance of Halifax's stability and add the diversity of many other cultural influences on our food ... see you then :-)

Yours in Food & Friendship,
Chef Kevin

Kevin Wagner is Chef/Owner of "Cooking Solutions", providing personal culinary assistance and helpful, friendly advice. From catering services to cooking lessons, recipes to cookbooks... visit the web's friendliest food site at: http://www.cooking-solution.com

Email ChefKevin@cooking-solutions.com with questions or response to this article.

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