Since mentioning our lobster-eating Christmas tradition in my last post, I feel compelled to reveal another Bay of Fundy food tradition oft witnessed at this time of year: eating chicken bones. And no, it's not random leftover body parts of real chickens that creep their way into our poultry-free season - it's the famous Ganong chicken bones candy.In case you're not from the Bay of Fundy, I should explain: "chicken bones" are a pink, tubular, cinnamon candy with a row of semi-sweet chocolate lengthwise inside. Chicken bones were invented by our Ganong Bros. chocolate company and are still available throughout the region (and the country!).
Based in St Stephen, New Brunswick, Ganong is actually Canada's oldest candy company (founded in 1873). It's still thriving; employing about 400 people and shipping throughout the world. Chicken bones are readily available here year-round but, somehow, they always remind of Christmas! (p.s. real 'chicken bone' connoisseurs are careful to avoid the 'knock offs' - not nearly as tasty the real thing!)
I have bought these chicken bones for 40 years for my 80 year old mom. It's also a christmas tradition in our home!! Maybe its a Parrsboro thing....
ReplyDeleteDefinitely also a fan of chicken bones at Christmas, but I'm pretty sure that the centre part is bittersweet chocolate, not semisweet. Maybe that's what helps tell apart the knockoffs from the real thing!
ReplyDeleteThey are actually not readily available in many places outside of the Maritimes. I am under strict orders to mail a couple of boxes of them to my mother in Ontario as soon as I see them in the stores.
ReplyDeleteI grew up 30 minutes from Ganongs and always looked forward to the bulk boxes of chicken bones that would arrive at my parents' pharmacy in November. One of the front store clerks would carefully weigh and bag them and put them out for sale. They didn't come in fancy boxes when I was a kid. They came in plastic bags with our pharmacy's name stamped at the top.
ReplyDeleteIt's still not Christmas without them. I don't think it's just a Parrsboro thing... I think it's a Maritime thing!
Mmmm... chicken bones.
My grandmother(from Advocate) used to send us(in Massachusetts, USA) a Christmas Box with all her homebaked goodies and always included a package of Chicken Bones!!
ReplyDeleteLove this blog! Brings back so many good memories!
I have been slowly but surely addicting my coworkers to this amazing treat.....now they start asking me for them in October! Not always so easy to find in Southern Ontario, but my Loblaws has them this year!
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