Moose nose: Looks weird, tastes great

Gristly.Fatty.Meaty.

Of all the ways to describe moose nose one thing is certain: it's delicious, once you get used to it.

Just ask Joe Jeddore, who lives near St. John's, N.L.

"It is good, it really tastes good," he said in an interview with CBC's Wanda McLeod.

Jeddore is a Mi'kmaq cook who goes so far as to declare moose nose a delicacy.

But it's not for everyone.

"My wife won't eat it she would not touch the moose nose," he said with a laugh.

Jeddore says he first tried moose nose with his grandfather when he was just six years old.

"I didn't look at it as being something special. I just saw him doing the moose nose and I was quite interested in having it," Jeddore said.

Ever since, he's been licking his lips when the nose comes off after a fresh hunt.

"It's just good food."

Normally Jeddore singes the moose nose over a fire to get rid of the hair, but this year he wanted to try something different.

"This one, I used the propane cooker," he said.

He had hoped that it would have the same effect a propane barbecue has on meat, and he did end up with a nice smoky taste, but it wasn't the same as over a fire.

Then he boiled it.

"I placed it into a boiler and filled to within three inches of the top, placed a whole peeled medium onion and a tablespoon of salt, and cooked for one hour, then drained all the water, keeping the onion with the nose."

Then he dumped the water and did it all over again.

"I added [fresh] water because I didn't want the nose to complete its cooking in the extra smoky water," he said.

When it was done hedecided topost a couple pictures on CBC North's Facebook group, The Arctic Kitchen.

"This was my grandpas favourite! My aunt made me some before, so yummy!" said one member.

"Oh,I just COULDN'T," someone commented.

"How do you eat moose nose?" one member asked.

And there was Jeddore, with a perfect answer.

"[By] chewing very slowly and enjoying the ancient gristle, smoky fatty food taste," he said

"Exercise your jaw muscles then chew away like mad."