Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/235863
cuisine focus Nova Scotia, a Land Shaped by the Sea A proud fishing and farming heritage matched by an appreciation for new techniques—such as aquaculture—help make this area a vibrant food destination and an important source of seafood exporting. BY JOANNA PRUESS C anada's second-smallest province is easy to navigate. And with its rich history, beautiful landscape and distinctive foods, there's plenty to see and savor. Driving along the undulating coves of the Lighthouse Route west of Halifax, one can see how the sea is such a commanding presence in Nova Scotia. The Gulf of Saint Lawrence is north, to the west lies the Bay of Fundy, southeast is the Atlantic Ocean, and southwest, the Gulf of Maine. Regional Offerings: Seafood and More Seafood is a mainstay of the economy, but the province is rich with plenty of goods. Nova Scotia produces 36 percent of Canada's seafood, "the largest proportion of any province," says Krista Higdon, a spokeswoman for the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. The export value of fish and seafood in 2012 was $922 million, with products exported to 78 countries worldwide. Fifty-eight percent of total fish exports go to the U.S., and nearly 400 aquaculture sites—concentrating on salmon, trout, mussels, scallops and oysters—span the province. Nova Scotia produces 36 percent of Canada's seafood, the largest proportion of any province. Shellfish. Varieties of shellfish such as lobster, scallop and snow crab account for 75 percent of total Nova Scotia landings. Other important species include haddock, herring and pollock. The industry is diversifying through the catch of nontraditional species like sea cucumber, kelp and sea urchins. Some of the best lobsters in the world can be found traveling north to the Annapolis Valley and the Bay of Fundy. At Halls Harbor Lobster Pound, proprietor Lowell Simpson explains that, depending on which part of the lobster the meat comes from, there are seven or eight different tastes. Cheese. On a lane near Wolfville, Fox Hill Farm & Cheese House is where the Rand family of dairy farmers produce 20 varieties of cheese using milk from their own Holstein cows. Melissa Rand is (continued on p. 139) WINTER 2014 123