Scrunchions are the tiny, golden cubes of fried salt pork fat that show up on top of everything in Newfoundland, from fish and brewis to toutons, soups and salads. They were born of economy — every scrap of salt pork was precious, and rendering the fat gave you both cooking fat and a crisp, salty garnish in one go. The name comes from the ‘scrunch’ they make when you bite into them, and that sound is music to any Newfoundland ear.
What makes them great is the way those little crispy cubes add a pop of salty, porky richness that transforms whatever they touch. They’re the finishing flourish that turns a plain dish into a proper feed, and the rendered fat left behind is the best frying medium in the province. Make a big batch, keep the fat, and sprinkle the scrunchions over everything for a week.
