Fricot & Fiddleheads: A Taste of New Brunswick
- Ginger North
- Apr 4
- 8 min read
#30CanadianFoods: Simple, hearty chicken stew with a side of lemony fiddleheads
What’s warm, savoury, and totally comforting with a side of green that screams spring? Our next #30CanadianFoods feature: Fricot (Acadian Chicken Stew) with fiddleheads on the side. It’s simple, hearty, and just fancy enough that your aunt might make it when company’s over.
Fricot is an Acadian staple—though, full disclosure, many New Brunswickers (like yours truly) grew up eating it without ever calling it “Acadian.” We just knew it as something warm and good that showed up on the table when someone needed comfort or when potatoes were on sale.
And fiddleheads? They’re basically the rockstars of New Brunswick spring. Locals forage for them, fry or steam them, and argue over how many you can eat before it gets sketchy. (The answer is some, and always rinse them really well and cook them first, please.)
Maritime food overlaps so much that it’s easy to blur those culinary borders, but this combo feels like home. And if you’ve never had it? Get ready to fall in love with the East Coast one bite at a time.
👉 Need a refresher on why we’re doing this whole Canadian food adventure? Read the original post here or click here to catch up on all the provinces so far.
Welcome / Bienvenue to New Brunswick
New Brunswick is the kind of place where rivers meet oceans, forests stretch for days, and locals might greet you in English or French—or a mix of both. Tucked between Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Maine, New Brunswick is Canada’s only officially bilingual province. It’s part Acadian heart, part Loyalist legacy on Indigenous land, and entirely its own vibe. It’s also, I’m very proud to boast, my home province!
It’s got Acadian coastal towns where you can hear fiddle music drifting out of open windows, Loyalist cities with red brick buildings and epic river views, and wild, forested interiors where moose absolutely do have the right of way…or else!
A few cool you might not know:
It’s home to the Bay of Fundy, with the highest tides in the world. We’re talking walk-on-the-ocean-floor high.
Moncton’s Magnetic Hill is real and it will mess with your head.
The Reversing Falls in Saint John actually switch direction with the tides.
The official provincial fossil is the trilobite, and yes, that’s incredibly nerdy and wonderful.
The province’s name doesn’t come from Brunswick stew (though now we’re hungry again). It’s named after the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a German royal family.
Let’s not forget the natural beauty: salt marshes, red sandstone cliffs, covered bridges (including the world's longest one in Hartland), and endless green.
Also, NB folks have a wicked sense of humour. Friendly, lowkey sarcastic, and always down for a kitchen party.
First Nations Roots & Cultural Experiences
New Brunswick is home to 15 Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqey (Maliseet) First Nations communities. These are the original stewards of this land, and their stories, traditions, and knowledge are woven into the very fabric of the province. The province’s name comes from the traditional territory of the Wolastoqiyik, meaning "People of the Beautiful River" referring to the Wolastoq (Saint John River).
If you’re looking to learn more or experience Indigenous culture respectfully, consider a visit to:
Wolastoq Cultural Tours Paddle along the Wolastoq (Saint John River) with a Wolastoqiyik guide, hear traditional stories, and learn about medicinal plants and sustainable living. It’s peaceful, educational, and grounded in respect.
Metepenagiag Heritage Park Located in Red Bank, this award-winning centre tells the story of a 3,000-year-old Mi’kmaq community with immersive exhibits, trails, and sometimes live events or performances. It’s not a “museum”—it’s a living connection to place and people.
Elsipogtog Mi’kmaq Cultural Centre Offers opportunities to learn about Mi’kmaq language, tradition, and contemporary art.
Wabanaki Tree Spirit Tours & Events Based in Fredericton, these tours (founded by Elder Cecelia Brooks and her son Anthony) combine storytelling, medicinal plant knowledge, and Indigenous worldview for a deeply enriching experience.
Learning about First Nations culture in NB isn’t a checkbox activity—it’s a way to be a better guest, neighbour, and citizen. It’s not enough to visit—you’ve got to listen, learn, and show up with respect.
If You Visit: Must-See Spots in NB
Ever want to walk on the ocean floor? At Hopewell Rocks, you can—just check the tide charts first. These towering flowerpot-shaped rock formations were carved by centuries of Fundy tides. At low tide, you can stroll among them; at high tide, kayak right up. It’s surreal and stunning.
This park near Alma is home to waterfalls, trails, and mossy magic. Hike past salmon pools, camp under the stars, or soak in a wood-fired hot tub with a cliffside view. Fundy Park is wild in the best way.
Charming, historic, and very Instagrammable. This coastal town boasts a sweet downtown, whale-watching tours, and one of Canada’s oldest inns. Don’t skip Ministers Island—you can only drive to it at low tide.
Just outside Fredericton is a living, breathing 19th-century village where you can actually talk to the blacksmith, help churn butter, or watch someone fire up a woodstove to cook lunch like it’s 1855. The buildings aren’t replicas—they’re real heritage homes and businesses rescued from the Saint John River valley, each with its own story and charm.
I had the great luck to visit this living museum many times bewteen the ages of 2 and 13, until my family moved out of the province. So I practically grew up in Kings Landing and have many happy memories. What sets it apart is how real it feels. You’re not just seeing history—you’re in it. The interpreters don’t often break character, the farm animals aren’t for show, and if you time it right, you might witness a civil wedding, a militia muster, or a good old-fashioned town scandal.
Go for the drama, stay for the fresh-baked bread and perspective. Kings Landing reminds us where we come from—grit, grace, and all. Oh, and don’t skip the King’s Head Inn—the food’s legit, the ale’s cold, and the vibe? Colonial tavern meets East Coast hospitality.
Eat Your Way Through: Food Experiences Worth the Drive
The Happy Baker (Fredericton)
A local gem serving scratch-made breads, soups, and sandwiches with loads of NB-sourced ingredients. They’re known for their cinnamon buns and chewy cookies, but the real win is their daily lunch specials.
🥣 La Sagouine (Bouctouche)
More than just a restaurant—it’s a whole cultural village celebrating Acadian life. The meals are traditional (think fish cakes, pea soup, molasses cake), and the stories told here stick with you.
🎣 The Caves Restaurant (St. Martins)
Overlooking the sea caves, this locally loved spot serves fresh seafood with zero fuss. Their clam chowder is legendary, and the view? Unreal.
🥬 Belliveau Orchard Bistro (Memramcook)
Yes, it’s an orchard. Yes, they make wine. And yes, their little bistro serves up epic brunches made with their own produce. You can even pick your own apples in season.
Can’t Visit? You Can Still Taste the Province!
Here are New Brunswick-based small food businesses that ship Canada-wide, so you can get a literal taste of the province from wherever you are:
Made in Hartland near the famous covered bridge, with locally grown potatoes and kettle-cooked in small batches. Their “Smokehouse BBQ” and “Dill Pickle” flavours are addictive. You can find them in many stores or order online from their official store.
Indigenous-owned and totally swoon-worthy. They make barrel-aged maple syrup (bourbon, whiskey, or toasted oak-aged). Perfect for pancakes, cocktails, or licking off the spoon.
Website: ganong.com Canada’s oldest candy company (founded in 1873!) based in St. Stephen. They still make their signature chicken bones—spicy cinnamon candy with a chocolate centre. Sweet, weird, and a Maritimes holiday classic, and they ship!. Order here.
Fermented hot sauces, vinegar shrubs, and jams made from NB-grown ingredients. Small-batch, sustainable, and flavour-forward.
The Meal: Fricot and Fiddleheads
This one’s all about comfort. Fricot is humble food—chicken, potatoes, onions, and maybe dumplings if you’re lucky. But it’s more than just stew. It’s story and tradition, something that ties together Acadian families and NB kitchens. Fiddleheads, meanwhile, show up with the rivers and meltwater in spring. Served steamed, sautéed, or in a creamy side dish, they’re NB’s seasonal pride and joy.
Fricot
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 lbs. New Brunswick chicken pieces, raw with skin removed
10 cups water
2 New Brunswick onions, chopped
2 tbsp. New Brunswick butter
1 tbsp. New Brunswick flour
6 large New Brunswick potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. summer savoury
2 medium New Brunswick carrots, peeled and sliced
Dumplings:
1 cup New Brunswick flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 cup cold water
Directions (written by Andy)
In a large pot, simmer the chicken pieces in 10 cups of boiling water for 30 minutes. Remove pieces, save the cooking water and let the chicken cool slightly.
In a separate pan, sauté onions in butter for one minute. Add the flour and stir for another 1-2 minutes.
Remove the bones from the chicken and cut the meat into bite size pieces.
Put all remaining ingredients into the saved cooking water and simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To make dumplings, mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Gradually add cold water.
Drop the mixture into the fricot, a spoonful at a time and let sit 7 minutes before the fricot is ready to serve.
Lemony Fiddleheads Sautéed in Butter
I’m one of those Maritimers who used to go foraging the riverbanks and forest floor with my mom, looking for the little woodland ferns to make fresh fiddleheads each spring. Now, as an adult, I always grab a few from my backyard in spring but prefer to snag some from the grocery store.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 lb fiddleheads, well cleaned
1 tbsp butter
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice / or half a squeezed lemon
Directions
Prepare your fiddleheads by washing them four times in cold water to remove the chafe.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the fiddleheads and boil for 15 minutes until tender. Always make sure you’ve boiled them properly since undercooked fiddleheads can cause foodborne illnesses, according to Health Canada’s safety guidelines.
Drain fiddleheads (if you like, you can stop here and serve in bowls with a bit of butter and lemon juice for a classic "mess o' fiddleheads." OR rinse in cold water and continue on to the next step.
Over medium heat, melt a pat of butter in a saucepan. Add drained fiddleheads and saute for a few minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.
You can serve fiddlesheads as a side with anything. They pair wonderfully well with pan-fried trout or poached salmon.
Try It, Share It, Savour It
New Brunswick might be Canada’s quiet province, but it’s full of flavour, pride, and deep cultural roots. I hope you give this meal a shot, whether it’s a rainy Tuesday or a weekend with friends. Maybe it brings back memories. Maybe it makes new ones. Either way, it’s a true taste of New Brunswick.
And if you’re feeling curious? Treat yourself to a bag of Covered Bridge chips to snack on, or cinnamon candy, or order a jar of something small-batch and tangy. This is what the #30CanadianFoods challenge is all about—celebrating what makes us deliciously unique.
So go ahead: Try the recipe, share it with someone you love, and maybe send a little love (or an order) to one of these incredible New Brunswick businesses. You don’t need to visit to support local, you just need to choose it.
Stick around; next, we're heading to the heart of French Canadian culture. You don’t want to miss it. Get your forks ready. 🍁
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