April 7th, 2012
Rose-coloured and Mark review some Oatcakes
Remember when Mark and I used to do occasional audio reviews of sweets, which I would then transcribe for your benefit? Well, that was a really long hiatus but I got some new batteries for the digicorder and some oatcakes from TWO provinces, so we are back at it–enjoy!
RR: The samples have been consumed, and now…the verdict: New Brunswick oatcake vs Nova Scotia oatcake…Mark Sampson?
MS: Well, as far as I’m concerned, this was a brutal first-round knockout for the Nova Scotia oatcake. I mean, no offense to the good people of New Brunswick, but you don’t put a smear of date inside what looks to be almost an oatmeal…cake*. It’s not an oatcake, it doesn’t have that crispyness, that baked sensation, that taste that just kinda melts in your mouth. No, the Nova Scotia oatcake owned the day.
RR: They [NS oatcakes] were quite delicious. And–and–we have three more! What is an appropriate accompniment for a Nova Scotia oatcake.
MS: I think the only thing that’s acceptable is to have half of it dipped in chocolate. To give you that option of having it without or with something on the side sort of. I would say that if you’re going to do something different with an oatcake, dip it in chocolate, leave the dates at home. But for purists, the straightup Nova Scotia oatcake is the way to go. These are delicious, I think, these are some of the finest oatcakes I’ve had.
RR: They are from the Just Us bakery in Wolfville….I’m sorry I ate the chocolate one before I got here.
MS: That’s quite all right–I’m very happy with what you did bring home.
RR: And the New Brunswick oatcake is from The Bridge Street Cafe in Sackville.
MS: Well, I’m sure they do good work. I’m sure that they are a wonderful bakery with all kinds of delicious things to eat. This oatcake is not bad, but when you’re comparing it to a Nova Scotia oatcake, which could’ve just come right across the border. I mean they are just so close, Sackville is right there next to Nova Scotia…but no, no comparison at all.
RR: But will we eat these plain, will we eat them with tea, will we put jam on them? What will we do?
MS: I’d like to have one of these with a coffee. I think these would go over very well in the morning with a cup of coffee.
RR: Breakfast oatcake.
MS: Yes, indeed.
RR: Would you like to melt the bag of chocolate chips and pour it over one of the oatcakes?
MS: Why, I think that’s a brilliant idea.
RR: Tune in next time for “Altering Your Oatcake”**.
*Perhaps the tactical error was purchasing the date oatcake at all–they had plain ones, but I was tempted by novelty. My bad.
**We completely failed to do this and just ate the rest of them unaltered.
Buy the book:
I recently bought a date scone and regretted it after the first bite. I definitely appreciate dates and dates filled with rockfort (yum!), but I’m beginning to think that dates & dough just don’t mix all that well. I’ll remember not to buy a date oatcake when I next visit the Maritimes.
April 8th, 2012 at 10:35 pmJulia, hmm…I think dates in baked goods are ok when they are the main attraction. Date squares, for example, can be good. It’s just that when they’re supposed to be an accoutrement that there’s a problem–dates tend to overtake the whole show (unlike the modest raisin, that plays second fiddle gracefully). I don’t think I’d like a date scone, either, though separately I love both dates and scones.
April 9th, 2012 at 11:50 amI’d like to say that… when comparing pastries it’s not fair to compare chocolate dipped oatcakes (which we do serve!) with the date oatcakes… which are actually very very different. Just Saying.
May 6th, 2012 at 9:00 pmGreg, thanks for responding. You’re right, this is an unfair comparison–the reviews on here are pretty silly. It is interesting, though, how the chocolate kind of seals and affirms the traditional oatcake-y texture, while the moisture in the dates infiltrates and alters it, making it chewier and moist. It’s very tasty, just not what I was expecting!
This is all coming from a wannabe Maritimer from southern Ontario, though, so take it for what it’s worth–not much!
You have a lovely cafe with–if I recall correctly–very friendly staff and cool bathrooms.
May 7th, 2012 at 7:59 amAt this very moment I’m sitting inside Bridge Street Café, eating a chocolate chip oatcake, half-dipped in chocolate, and I can’t imagine oatcakes being able to taste any better than this. NB oatcakes > NS oatcakes
June 4th, 2013 at 5:25 pmSusana, I think the important thing to remember is that there are no *bad* oatcakes (well, maybe the ones at Tim Hortons…but even they are sort of crunchily charming). Any oatcake is a happy thing! Enjoy!
June 5th, 2013 at 11:03 amLeave a Reply