East Coast companies are always bringing out new goodies to try, from coffee to freeze-dried candy. Here are some of our recent favourites to tempt you.
Labrador Gem Seafood
From the sparkling cold waters of the North Atlantic comes the pride of Ramea, N.L. Labrador Gems Seafood produces vacuum-packed, frozen, small-portion packages of sustainably and locally caught seafood, including halibut, scallops, lobster, northern shrimp, and snow crab, plus farmed Atlantic salmon. The company also has several prepared products available, including popular bacon-wrapped scallops and cod au gratin, stylishly presented on a scallop half shell, with easy cooking instructions. The portions are ideal for one or two people and they won’t break your budget or crowd your freezer.
Candy Frost
Do you have a sweet tooth but are unable to eat certain types of chewy or gummy candy because of dental work? Candy Frost, based in Sydney, N.S., makes freeze-dried candy — everything from gummy worms to marshmallow strawberries to saltwater taffy. The process removes the moisture from the candy, which puffs up in size, making a normally chewy treat like a gummy worm melt-in-your-mouth crunchy. None of the flavour is lost and freeze-dried treats can last for years, if you can stop eating your stash.
Saltwinds Coffee
Saltwinds Coffee Company opened in Douglas, N.B., in 2022 and is already making its mark, creating its signature coffees with a secret “ocean air infusion,” which suggests a flavour harkening back to the days when coffee arrived in the region via sailing ships. The company roasts beans daily, offering whole-bean and pre-ground coffees (including decaf) in a variety of grind levels. Along with its signature blends, Saltwinds has a line of flavoured coffees, including chocolate orange, blueberry buckle, coconut macaroon, and banana bread, using their freshly roasted and ground Arabica beans.
Mad Gringo Hot Sauce
Maybe you need to spice up your life a little — in the culinary sense, of course. Mad Gringo Hot Sauce in Sambro, N.S., offers a range of heats, from sweet and spicy Midnight Harvest sauce with blueberries and ghost peppers, to Deadly Inferno, one of its most popular products. The company also has a spicy salt blend, hot pickled beans, and gift packs of three different sauces for the true aficionado. The latest creation is Dill Pickle Buffalo Sauce, capitalizing on a recent surge in popularity for all things dill. While the suggested use is for barbecued or grilled wings, it’s also a great addition to eggs, cauliflower, dips, or any other dish that could use a zap of piquancy.canadianhotsauce.com
Shed Coffee
The Shed Specialty Coffee, in Charlottetown, P.E.I., is the passion project of new Islander Hai Nguyen, who moved to the province with her husband and children from Vietnam a few years ago. Hai boasts specialty coffees from around the world, buying the beans green and roasting them to perfection, with tasting notes on every bag. Offerings also include Kool Brew Coffee Colombia, which gives the flavour of your favourite caffeine jolt in a canned cold brew. They’re perfect for picnics or hikes, or to sip in the car or at home when you need a little caffeine lift and don’t want to make a whole pot.
Waspu Oil
The Qalipu (Caribou) First Nation of Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the largest Indigenous bands in the country, spanning 60-plus communities. As part of its economic development, it’s released a new product, Waspu Oil. This oil comes from the harp seal, which Indigenous producers sustainably harvest, process, and market. Waspu oil is high in docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), a so-called super Omega 3, which research shows to be more readily absorbed than products from fish oils. Proponents say Omega 3 oil can help with inflammation from arthritis and related conditions, reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, reduces bad cholesterol, and boosts central nervous system and brain function, among other benefits. Waspu comes in easy-to-swallow gel capsules for humans and liquid for pets. One of the best traits? There’s no fishy aftertaste like you find with many oil capsules.