6 Distinctly Canadian Foods You Need to Try Right Now
Canada is known on a global scale for many things. Ice hockey and lacrosse are believed to have been first played in Canada; depending on whom you ask, either one could be considered the country’s national sport. Canada is the second-largest country in the world and has the world’s longest coastline, not to mention diverse and stunning natural landscapes and wildlife. Yet, outside of maple syrup, few foods and dishes have worldwide recognition as being uniquely Canadian.
However, like most countries, the Great White North has its own unique dishes as well as variations on popular recipes. Because the country is so large (3.8 million square miles), certain dishes are popular in various parts of the country.
Let’s take a look at six Canadian foods you need to sample, whether at home or on your next visit to Canada.
Poutine
While maple syrup is the most recognized Canadian ingredient, poutine is arguably the country’s most famous dish. Originating from the province of Quebec, the delicious and easy-to-prepare dish is composed of just three ingredients: French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. You can substitute mozzarella, but cheese curds are recommended for an authentic and more flavorful poutine. The fries should be deep-fried and crispy to stand up to the gravy. While it won’t score any points on nutrition, poutine is comforting and satisfying.
“It is the unofficial official dish of Canada. In fact, if they could make it look good on a flag, the maple leaf’s days might be numbered,” renowned chef Jamie Oliver once commented.
According to folklore, poutine was created in rural Quebec during the late 1950s when a diner customer asked for cheese curds on his fries. The French-speaking chef declared, “ça va faire une maudite poutine,” which loosely translates to “It will make a damn mess!” The gravy was later added to keep the fries warm longer. Now, poutine is a staple in Canadian restaurants. It is also served by street vendors and even at McDonald’s in Canada. Some establishments offer variations with toppings like smoked meat, pulled pork, or bacon.
Bannock
First Nations peoples in Canada have contributed enormously to modern Canadian society. Concerning cuisine, their most notable contribution is bannock, a doughy flatbread with flour derived from roots, corn, tree sap, and baking powder. A staple in early Aboriginal diets, bannock was originally cooked over a fire, but modern variations are either baked or fried. You can prepare your own bannock using all-purpose flour, baking powder, canola oil, salt, and warm milk or water.
Canada’s First Nations peoples originally prepared and ate bannock to add carbs to their diet. Today, the bread can be served on its own as a tasty treat or as part of a meal. Fry bread tacos are a popular bannock dish in which the bread is topped with ingredients such as ground beef, beans, iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and cheddar cheese.
Tourtiere
Tourtiere is another Québécois favorite. The sweet and savory meat pie is served at restaurants throughout Quebec, but it is also easy and affordable to make at home. The crust is made of all-purpose flour, butter, distilled white vinegar, and ice-cold water, while the filling usually involves ground pork and beef as well as celery, onion, potato, and garlic with a range of spices, including thyme, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground mustard. Tourtiere is best served at room temperature.
Nanaimo Bars
Nanaimo bars are an absolute must-try Canadian dessert. The sweet and satisfying no-bake three-layer bars feature a base of coconut and graham cracker crumbs, sweet custard buttercream in the middle, and rich melted chocolate ganache on top. They originated in and are named after the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia.
Nova Scotia Lobster
Lobster isn’t necessarily an authentic Canadian dish itself, but the province of Nova Scotia serves up some of the freshest and juiciest lobster in all of Canada. Some restaurants in the waterfront city of Halifax, Nova Scotia’s capital, serve lobster right out of the tank or, in some cases, straight from the ocean. Nova Scotia is also known for its delicious lobster rolls, which feature fresh but cold lobster with mayo, celery, and lettuce on a buttered bun.
Cod Tongues
Cod tongues may sound like an atypical dish, but the traditional Newfoundland and Labrador food isn’t actually made from the tongues of fish. Cod tongues are part of the cod’s neck and are typically served fried in bite-sized pieces with lemon wedges. They’re meatier and denser than the meat in cod filets. In Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada’s easternmost province, they’re usually served in buckets as an appetizer.
If you make a trip to Newfoundland and Labrador, be sure to check out some other authentic regional dishes, such as fish and brewis (cod with hard biscuits and fried salted pork rind) and toutons (pieces of bread dough fried in pork fat and butter).
