CENTRE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND STUDIES TOTAL OF 10 PAGES ONLY MAY BE XEROXED (Without Author' s Permission) p CLASS ACTS: CULINARY TOURISM IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR by Holly Jeannine Everett A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Folklore Memorial University of Newfoundland May 2005 St. John's Newfoundland ii Class Acts: Culinary Tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador Abstract This thesis, building on the conceptual framework outlined by folklorist Lucy Long, examines culinary tourism in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The data upon which the analysis rests was collected through participant observation as well as qualitative interviews and surveys. The first chapter consists of a brief overview of traditional foodways in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as a summary of the current state of the tourism industry. As well, the methodology which underpins the study is presented. Chapter two examines the historical origins of culinary tourism and the development of the idea in the Canadian context. The chapter ends with a description of Newfoundland and Labrador's current culinary marketing campaign, "A Taste of Newfoundland and Labrador." With particular attention to folklore scholarship, the course of academic attention to foodways and tourism, both separately and in tandem, is documented in chapter three. The second part of the thesis consists of three case studies. Chapter four examines the uses of seal flipper pie in hegemonic discourse about the province and its culture. Fried foods, specifically fried fish, potatoes and cod tongues, provide the starting point for a discussion of changing attitudes toward food, health and the obligations of citizenry in chapter five. The fulfillment of such iii ideals through the utilization of wild berries is documented in chapter six, as well as berry products' appeal as markers of socioeconomic status and cultural capital. The concluding chapter includes a review of the main themes and contributions of the study, as well as suggestions for further research in this area. A major contribution of this thesis is its documentation and examination of the continuing links between social class and food consumption. Interviewees' and survey respondents' comments about Newfoundland and Labrador foodways, in combination with their own preferences and practices, reveal an intercultural dialogue about the pleasures and responsibilities of living in a society in which there is an abundance of food, but only if one has the cultural and economic means to access it. Thus, the study significantly expands upon the role of the socioeconomic Other in current constructions of culinary tourism. iv Acknowledgments Many thoughtful individuals contributed to this thesis. I am most grateful to everyone who took time to speak with me at convenience stores, jam stands, national historic sites and parks, restaurants, street corners and wharves. The hosts of bed and breakfasts where I stayed during my fieldwork were especially helpful and generous with their time. Special thanks are due to Barbara and David Adams at Tickle Inn at Cape Onion; Jeannie Billard at Jeannie's Sunrise Bed and Breakfast in Port au Choix; Rita, Cecil and Lisa Davis at the Lighthouse Cove Bed and Breakfast in L'Anse Amour; and Lerley and Rod Bryenton at Wildflower Inn in Rocky Harbour. The staff of the St. John's visitor information centre, and particularly director Kevin Gushue, were also of great assistance. I am fortunate to have the continuing friendship of a number of interviewees, especially Christine Foye, Doreen Forney, and Allen and Cathy Deyo. The project was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council doctoral fellowship, as well as research grants from the Institute for Social and Economic Research and the J.R. Smallwood Foundation for Newfoundland and Labrador Studies. My supervisor, Dr. Diane Tye, was enthusiastic and supportive throughout the research period, and the thesis is the better for her interest and suggestions, as well as those of Dr. Noreen Golfman, Dr. Diane Goldstein, Dr. Philip Hiscock, Dr. Neil Rosenberg and Dr. Paul Smith. I v am most grateful to Ms. Sharon Cochrane and Ms. Cindy Turpin for their encouragement at difficult intervals in the writing process. Fellow students who shared the travails of thesis writing and passed along important ephemera and references include Jane Burns, Kristin Harris, Jillian Gould, Marc Kuly, Anne Lafferty, Julie LeBlanc and Jodi McDavid. Finally, I continue to be humbled by the indefatigable support of my family. Profound thanks are due Linda Boyd, Walter Boyd, Christine Everett, Gary Everett and Lynda Everett. Peter, my husband, should be sainted for his assistance, encouragement, insight, patience and timely provisioning of caffeinated substances, and physically and spiritually nourishing stir-frys. vi Table of Contents Abstract Acknowledgments iii Table of Contents v List of Figures viii List of Appendices x Chapter 1 : Introduction 1 1 .1 Traditional Foods in Newfoundland and Labrador: An Overview 2 1 .2 Change and Consistency in Traditional Foodways 11 1.3 Toothsome, Troublesome Travel 13 1 .4 Participant Observation 19 1.5 Survey Summary 24 1.6 Other Methods 27 1. 7 Chapter Outline 30 1.8 Conclusion 34 Chapter 2: Culinary Tourism in the Canadian Context 42 2.1 Developing a Gastronomic Field 46 2.2 Epiphanic Eating 54 2.3 The Canadian Cuisine Conundrum 61 2.4 "Recipes for Success" 66 2.5 Newfoundland and Labrador 70 2.6 How Taste Works 74 2. 7 Conclusion 81 Chapter 3: On the Table 86 vii 3.1 Food and the Social Sciences 87 3.2 Food and Tourism 96 3.3. Folklore and Tourism 104 3.4 Authenticity in Tourism 109 3.5 Conclusion 116 Chapter 4: Flipper Pie Discourse and Cultural Control 126 4.1 It's a Newfoundland Thing 128 4.2 It Was in The Shipping News, So It Must Be True 136 4.3 The Real News about Mainlanders and Seal Flipper Pie 144 4.4 Conclusion 146 Chapter 5: The Good, the Fat and the Fried 153 5.1 Fit or Fat? 157 5.2 A Deep-Fried Paradox 168 5.3 The Cod Tongue Contact Zone 170 5.4 Conclusion 175 Chapter 6: To Berry or Not to Berry: There Is No Question! 185 6.1 Berry Bounty 187 6.2 Berry Picking Time 199 6.3 Berried Treasure 201 6.4 Domestic Traditions, Commercial Transitions 206 6.5 Conclusion 210 Chapter 7: Conclusion 220 7.1 Contributions of this Study 222 7.2 Directions for Further Research 224 7.3 Food for Thought 227 List of Works Cited 232 viii List of Figures Figures Page Fig. 1.1 Fish and brewis with fried onions and ketchup 36 Fig. 1.2 "Newfie Night" attendees at Joe Byrne Memorial Stadium 37 Fig. 1.3 "Newfie Night" menu featuring traditional foods 38 Fig. 1.4 Postcards featuring aspects of the food iconography 39 Fig. 1. 5 Seafood iconography on menu from Smith's restaurant 40 Fig. 1.6 Quantitative survey distributed in Gras Marne National Park 41 Fig. 2.1 Menu, "A Taste of Newfoundland and Labrador Luncheon" 85 Fig. 3.1 Lucy Long's realms of culinary experience 99 Fig. 3.2 The Anchor Cafe in Port au Choix beckons tourists 121 Fig. 3.3 The Anchor Cafe frames its culinary offerings with fishing paraphernalia 122 Fig. 3.4 Front view of the Anchor Cafe's prow 123 Fig. 3.5 Lobster traps line the parking lot 124 Fig. 3.6 Newfoundland and Labrador food depicted in the 2002 travel guide 125 Fig. 4.1 Seal flippers for sale on Harbour Drive in downtown St. John's 151 ix Fig. 4.2 Flippers and other items are weighed and sold from the back of the truck 152 Fig. 5.1 Jungle Jim's promotes its fish and chips on Good Friday 182 Fig. 5.2 Fish and chips are among the Good Friday offerings at the Lizard Lounge 183 Fig. 5.3 Advertisements for Good Friday fish and chips also appeared in the local newspaper 184 Fig. 6.1 Partridgeberry postcard purchased in Port au Choix 215 Fig. 6.2 Jam and craft stand run by Youth Ventures participant 216 Fig. 6.3 Pointing the way to wild berry jams 217 Fig. 6.4 Gillian's jam stand in Gunner's Cove 218 Fig. 6.5 Provincial travel guide emphasizes natural wonders 219 X List of Appendices Appendix Page One: Flyer 269 Two: Sample email questionnaire 270 Three: Sample mail-in questionnaire 272 Chapter One Introduction I arrived at the academic study of food almost by accident. Having brainstormed and discarded at least a few dozen doctoral thesis ideas, I decided to take a break from trying to come up with the perfect topic. I had comprehensive exams to study for, and classes to teach. My supervisor suggested that in the course of study, I might come across a topic area or idea that would inspire me. At the same time, she encouraged me to look for a common thread in the ideas I had previously discarded. Upon reflection, I realized that at a very basic level, each of these proposals had the expression of identity through customary behaviour at its core. Moreover, they concerned identity both constructed and viewed through the lens of regional tradition. Much of my previous work, focused on material culture, built upon similar ideas, examining the production or modification of artifacts (wedding rings, memorials, musical instruments), and the subsequent investiture of meaning in those objects. The investment of traditional, in the sense of collective, localized, meaning from both esoteric (ernie) and exoteric (etic) perspectives, in the context of globalization and monoculture, continued to draw my attention.