Ten Canadian Foods

When thinking of Canadian food, it’s hard to describe all the foods of the various first nations and immigrant groups that make up modern day Canada. Here are a few to try (some have similar counterparts “down south” in the USA).

Poutine: French fries covered in cheese curds and gravy.

The Caesar: that drink that I had fling with for a week.

Nanaimo bar: a fudge-like bar.

Bannock and Beaver tail: fried dough, a dish common in some first nations. When the dough is shaped like a beaver tail, then it’s called a beaver tail. (Timbits: donut holes from Tim Hortons, Canada’s mainstream coffee chain.)

Peameal bacon: Canadian bacon (which is ham, really. Well, the Canadians do have a history of preserving the loin by rolling in pea flour, hence the name).

Game and fish, smoked and dried: from salmon jerky to whale blubber.

FJVRNTeU_V0Qsg2PCEQdaZ6EQQWNXWGmpL4LA4W--0Spt_qqiyFPBQ_FWWmnPyrXdc8sAOXSQnMBqKZQk2QUDfifYmGEIAONEJP3u_EPJhmBjoyRyIiblUnRpvpRv7AlwCUUBG5QNaMw723pjzgS0p_PUylBWcjYzzgcG3n-aFiWR97gRqe-K3T3xGButter tarts: much like a pecan pie but with no pecans.

Montreal style bagel: a chewy, yeasty, smaller, free-form bagel.

lobsterNova Scotia lobster roll: like a New England “lobstah” roll.

Maple syrup: in candy, on pancakes, and on bacon…

Canadian Caesar Cocktail

Down “south of the border” as the Canadians say about the USA, the Bloody Mary is a brunch standard. Up “north” it’s the Caesar or “Bloody Caesar” a drink created in 1969 which is similar to a Bloody Mary but is spicier and includes clam juice. It’s sort of a homage to “pasta a la vongole” or spaghetti with clams (which is one of my favorite dishes).  Supposedly the cocktail is similar to a caesar salad… whatever, it’s delicious. The best so far has been at Edible Canada where they add maple covered bacon — it’s not just decoration because the bacon adds extra contrast to the Caesar. Other places add pickles, cheese, etc.

According to Wikipedia, Canadians consume 350 million annually. Make that 350,000,006… and counting.