Flipper pie, also known as seal flipper pie,[1] is a traditional Eastern Canadian meat pie made from harp seal flippers.[2][3][4] It is similar to a pot pie in that the seal flippers are cooked with vegetables in a thick sauce and then covered with pastry.[2][5][6] It is specific to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador[2][3][4][6][7] and primarily eaten in April and May, during the annual seal hunt.[8] Although in the past, seal flippers were usually acquired directly from the boats that were used for the seal hunt (since they were considered a by-product of the seal fur trade), today they are usually purchased in grocery stores.[9] Seal meat has been described as tasting like rabbit or dark meat chicken, and fans of its flavor tend to be people who grew up eating it.[10]

Flipper pie
Flipper pie as served at Woodstock Colonial Restaurant
TypeMeat pie
Place of originCanada
Region or stateNewfoundland and Labrador
Main ingredientsHarp seal flippers

History

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Flipper pie has been prepared and eaten during Lent and the annual seal hunt since at least 1555.[3][7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Clarkson, Janet (April 15, 2009). Pie: A Global History. Reaktion Books. ISBN 9781861896773.
  2. ^ a b c "Seal Flipper Pie". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  3. ^ a b c "Flipper pie | Traditional Savory Pie From Newfoundland and Labrador | TasteAtlas". www.tasteatlas.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  4. ^ a b Hunter, Michael (October 6, 2020). The Hunter Chef Cookbook: Hunt, Fish, and Forage in Over 100 Recipes. Penguin Canada. ISBN 9780735236950.
  5. ^ Smith, K. Annabelle. "On the Menu This Easter in Newfoundland: Seal Flipper Pie".
  6. ^ a b McCartney, Jennifer (June 25, 2019). So You Want to Move to Canada, Eh? Stuff to Know Before You Go. Running Press. ISBN 9780762495061.
  7. ^ a b Magazine, Smithsonian; Smith, K. Annabelle. "On the Menu This Easter in Newfoundland: Seal Flipper Pie". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  8. ^ Sinclair, Charles G. (1998). International Dictionary of Food & Cooking. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 206. ISBN 1579580572.
  9. ^ "A family love affair with seal cookery - Macleans.ca". 23 April 2013.
  10. ^ "#TBT 1976: Flipper pie, a unique delicacy - CBC News".