Just the name of this snack is a strong contender for ‘weirdest food in the world’. Nose isn’t exactly a choice cut, but that hasn’t stopped some adventurous Canadians from experimenting with nasal gastronomy by boiling them up with onions and spices, removing the hair, boiling again, then slicing and covering with a broth that sets into a jelly. It certainly looks as bad as it sounds.
Jellied moose nose is a canadian delicacy made from the snout of a moose, cooked and cooled in a brothy liquid. This forms a block of jelly which can be sliced and served to guests.
Among many weird yet delicious foods eaten around the world, jellied moose nose is certainly up there! Similar to European head cheese consisting of both white and dark meat, jellied moose nose is considered a delicacy of northern Canada and Alaska.
It may seem unusual to many, but it certainly removes the need to throw the moose’s snout when it could be much better used to make a delicious dish!
How Did Jellied Moose Nose Originate?
In 1834, indigenous people of northern communities used to hunt moose for food, and every part of it was used. It was the time when wives were dependent on what their husbands brought after the hunt and couldn’t let anything go to waste.
Then those wilderness wives started experimenting and came up with jellied moose nose. This dish was also included in the Northern Cookbook, in 1967, a publication by the Canadian government.
Before cooking, the hair inside the moose nose should be removed. This can be done by heating it on a stick over a fire for 30 to 60 minutes, depending upon the heat.
Then you use a knife to remove the burnt hair and skin. Here you get smooth meat, which is now ready to cook. Or they can be removed after boiling when they are looser.
It has a gelatinous texture and likening the flavor of corned beef, as described by Chef Andrew Zimmern.
There are different ways to eat jellied moose nose. You can cut into slices, soak in salty water, cook it on a slow fire and then serve as a stew. You can also stew it in its own juice, chop up and then serve in gelatin. What an amazing culinary experience!
Eating jellied moose nose is mysterious to many, so you must solve this mystery and try this chewy nose cartilage and tender cheek meat.
