Agri-food with Andy: #ThinkExport with Cape Breton oatcakes
Friday, March 12, 2021
We've been cooking a little something up with Andy Hay of The East Coast Kitchen. Andy is a chef, recipe developer and food/lifestyle content creator who, you guessed it, lives in Nova Scotia on the East Coast of Canada. He's also a current competitor in MasterChef Canada: Back to Win!
Nova Scotia is renowned for a variety of agri-food and beverage businesses that export products to destinations all over the world. And, in Nova Scotia, there's always something in season!
Andy is kicking things off highlighting our Cape Breton region with a recipe for a local favourite - oatcakes! Why oatcakes? Oatcakes are Scottish in origin and the preferred Cape Breton sweet and salty snack of choice.
Top-It-Off
While some prefer their oatcakes plain and crispy, we’re all about the toppings and getting a little dressed up with some preserves from Cape Breton's Galloping Cows Preserves.
With local fruit and field-grown vegetables, this more than 20-year-old company produces all-natural pepper spreads (Red, Hot, Wild Blueberry, Cranberry, Orange, Garlic), jams, fruit sauces, concentrated beverages, chutneys and salsas.
The ooey-gooey goodness of melted Cape Breton Fudge is another delish topping option. The fudge is made with real butter and cream and comes in more than two dozen flavours. Their Breton Whisky fudge is made with Glen Breton Whisky from Cape Breton’s Glenora Distillery. DYK: Cape Breton Fudge has been featured at the Golden Globes and the Country Music Awards!
To Dip or Not-to-Dip
One of the more popular ways to eat an oatcake is to dip it just slightly in tea – perfecting the timing is a highly sought-after skill. If that’s not your "cup of tea”, one can simply have oatcakes with tea on the side.
We spoke with Annette LeBlanc, a Tea Association of Canada Certified Tea Sommelier and she spilled the tea with us, recommending that a maple tea is the perfect flavour to serve (or dip) with your oatcakes.
If you’re looking for something a bit stronger, there are other Cape Breton-produced beverage options available to accompany your oatcakes. Alcohol producers in Cape Breton include:
- Glenora Distillery
- Big Spruce Brewing
- Route 19 Brewing
- Island Folk Cider House
- Eileanan Brèagha Vineyards
Quick Links
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