Nova Scotia Lobster

At this time of year, when many in the world are having visions of chestnut-stuffed turkeys and sugar-plum pies, the typical Nova Scotian’s table will also include lobster. This favourite indulgence can be enjoyed year-round, but is so often connected to family celebrations, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, or simply a family member returning home, wanting to recapture a taste of his or her childhood memories. Smushed between slices of Wonder Bread or glazed in butter a sauce on the end of a silver fork, there is always a sense of celebration when Nova Scotians enjoy this gastronomic delight, harvested from the frigid ocean depths that surround this moody North Atlantic peninsula.

Located on Canada’s east coast, Nova Scotia is a rugged and craggy terrain, steeped in Scottish traditions and Celtic spirituality. It has long been a land of ship-builders and fishermen. It is here, in the icy grey waters off its foggy shores, that the best lobster in the world is found. The local fishermen must respect the rhythm of the seasons, just as the farmers do on land, and fish in harmony with the ocean and the cycles of the heavens, the stars and the moon in order to protect this valuable natural resource for future generations.

These odd little sea creatures from the ocean’s floor surrounding Nova Scotia, are in high demand the world over. Many of these expat crustaceans end up on the finest china in Europe and Asia, especially during high holidays and when calendars complete their cycle and give way to the New Year. The lobster has not always lived such a celebrated existence. A few generations back in Nova Scotia, it was considered poor man’s food. Affluent children would take peanut butter or balongna sandwiches to school for lunch while the kids with the hand-me-down winter boots would clandestinely consume their lobster sandwiches as if drinking beer from a brown-paper bag.

Maybe it is this varied past that makes these brilliantly coloured creatures (deep orange once cooked) duly at home at a Corn-Boil or in Thermidor sauce. Invariably, on every visit to Nova Scotia, Queen Elizabeth II, is served a lobster dinner. Usually Her Majesty and Her entourage are offered tender white tails, delicately removed from the shell and exquisitely served on a bed of something Royale. Other visitors to the province, no matter their place on the social ladder, equally enjoy a lobster sandwich at a seaside take-away, eating in the great outdoors with the smell of sea salt in the air, sand between the toes and mayonnaise running down the chin.

This humble and not-so-attractive sea creature is much loved in Nova Scotia. The natives fiercely defend their particular source, be it a local fisherman selling from the back of his boat or a lobster wharf that will steam them upon request, so you can pick your catch up, freshly cooked and ready to eat. It is not uncommon to hear debates among Bluenosers (a nick name for locals, derived from the famous Nova Scotia built schooner, the Bluenose, whose profile is featured on the back of the Canadian dime) over whether steamed or boiled is best, whether one should add sherry to the cooking broth or not, and exactly how long is long enough to cook a lobster to perfection.

Whether you like your lobster steamed or boiled, a trip to Nova Scotia is well worth the journey. East Coast Canadian hospitality is warm and welcoming — go ahead, dip into that butter sauce.