Where Brown Bread is brown bread

A very important aspect of rural life in the Maritimes (well at least Nova Scotia) is the church or community meal. Often these are dinners (that start at 4:30!), but lunches and breakfasts are also common. People will easily drive 20-30 minutes to attend one of these, especially those with a reputation for good food (the Bridgetown fish chowder pots are always drained to the last drop). So far, the farthest we have driven is about an hour to partake in the Fireman's Turkey Dinner with homemade cherry pie, during the Bear River Cherry Festival this summer.

At one of these community dinners tonight, I was reminded of another aspect of my cultural heritage, as I overheard a visitor from the US: Brown Bread. Here in the Maritimes (and probably parts of New England) what we call Brown Bread is made with oats and molasses, hence it's brown colour. Some of you may know it as Oatmeal Brown Bread, if you've ever bought the Dempster's version (I use this term loosely). Here we call bread made with whole wheat, Whole Wheat Bread, not brown bread. The first time I encountered this difference in food culture was shortly after I had moved to BC. I was buying a sub at Subway when they asked if I wanted it on white or brown. I was very excited and thought these West Coast people must be really advanced, because back home we only ever had the option of white or whole wheat for subs. Culture shock lesson one.

Why did Brown Bread even come up at this dinner tonight? The menu was ham, potato scallop and baked beans (with apple crisp or pumpkin pie for dessert). Of course Brown Bread is always served with baked beans here. The beans are made with a molasses sauce and pork fat, and are sometimes known as Boston Baked Beans (as opposed to southern baked beans which have a tomato sauce). Traditionally Saturday night was Baked Beans & Brown Bread night in the Maritimes & New England - which might account for all the draughts in the old churches here!