What is that one childhood treat that still calls out to you?
My mind often goes to a special treat my grandmother used to make for us — stewed wild blueberries ladled over a puff of dough and topped with whip cream called blueberry grunt.
What is Blueberry Grunt?
Blueberry grunt is a dessert with French origins that I grew up eating in my home Provence of Nova Scotia. Wild blueberries (and now cultivated ones) grow all over the province and are used in a lot of local desserts. “Grunt” gets its name because of the grunting sound blueberries make while being stewed. Which is funny, not just because of the sound, but because I thought the grunt was the little dough boy that the stewed berries are ladled over.
Of course within the province of Nova Scotia you can find lots of variations of this dessert. But here is the best part! When you’re in New Orleans, Louisiana (2200 miles and one right turn from Halifax) you can find the exact same dessert. There, it’s called Blueberries n’ Dumplings. But it tastes just like home to me. 🙂
Personally, I love that there is so much history and legacy in one recipe. We can trace it from Nova Scotia to the then much bigger territory of Louisiana when the British expelled the French between 1755 and 1764. Those that remained in Nova Scotia would continue to make and share the recipe. And those that left, took it with them.
I’m so curious about how something like recipes can survive so many years. And I have to believe that some piece of that has to do with the tastes of home, and how food is very much a part of our culture.
A Tasty Home Visit
Blueberry Grunt was on the long list of treats I planned to indulge in when I arrived home for a visit. A little poutine, a couple of mud-ball cookies (okay maybe a dozen), a hot turkey sandwich covered in gravy, a medium sized donair (that could feed a family of 4), a derby style steak, a Tim Horton’s yeast donut with chocolate frosting and sprinkles and oh, some ketchup chips… just to name a few.
Sure I can make some of these things, and sometimes I can find the taste of home on this side of the border, but there is something about “home” cooked that fills me in more ways than one. It’s the added bonus of sharing it with family, over memories and stories. (I shared my cousin’s favorite and somewhat embarrassing story she likes to tell about me in the newsletter)
The Legacy of Food is Connection
Food connects me to home, but it connects me to a lot of the places I explore. On my last trip to Paris I made a point to stop in and see our friends at Les Antiquaires, eat my favorite meal there, and chat with the people that had become so important to us during our last stay.
And during my trip home, 40+ family members got together for a pot-luck, to visit and break bread (and eat lots of desserts). I’m so grateful for these moments to connect and to experience home.
When I think about all the times we share stories, its often over or around food and drink. A lot of my memories of trips come from the places where we grab a bite and the people we meet. And it is magical to seeing something on the menu that looks familiar, especially when you’re far from home.
So I’m prompted to ask again, what is that one childhood treat that still calls out to you? And I’m curious, have you ever tried to recreate it? Tell me everything!
Our stories have power and I can’t wait to hear yours!
Let’s start talking,
Tami Lynn
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