Oatcakes sailed across the Atlantic with the Scottish settlers who landed at Pictou, Nova Scotia, in 1773, and they never left. In the Highlands they were baked on a griddle over peat; in the Maritimes they moved to the oven, but the honest graininess of oats stayed at the centre.
The result is a biscuit that is at once sandy and sturdy, buttery and faintly sweet, with a crunch that begs for a cup of strong tea. Maritimers eat them for breakfast, with cheddar at lunch, and by the handful whenever the tin comes out.

