Traditional Canadian Food
 

We're going to Canada (Niagara & Toronto) for a long weekend. I'd like to try some "traditional" food & drink from Canada (This is the first time we'll be in Canada). Can someone tell me what foods are "traditional"?

If you're coming from the US, I think you'll find most restaurants serve pretty well the same foods you'll find at home.

Maple syrup

Poutine - chips, cheese curds and gravy is a French-Canadian item but you might be able to find it in the Falls. Harvey's offers it, or used to.

Canadian bacon - back bacon as we call it - served on a bun in some places.

Drink...beer?? Bloody Mary: vodka and tomato juice.

Bannock - that's native Canadian bread which tastes, to me, like a scone/tea biscuit. Probably hard to the find in NF.

Arctic char

Butter tarts

Sally, I think it's the bloody caesar that's more traditionally Canadian (at least that's what I always heard) - it has clamato instead of tomato juice.

Thanks - since I don't drink them, I wasn't sure.

nanimo bars, sugar pie, butter tarts

cipaille, tourtiere, wild rice,

smoked cod, char, and salmon

blueberries, bakeapple and partridgeberries

There is no such thing as traditional Canadian food, as in a full balanced meal that you'll only find in Canada. There are regional dishes, just like there are regional dishes in the USA... salmon, for example, is a local speciality along the west coast of Canada. Lobster is the local dish along Canada's Atlantic coast. Alberta beef is the local favourite in, you guessed it, Alberta... Eastern European foods are common in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba due to the large Ukrainian/Polish immigrants that moved there early in the 20th century. Etc, etc, etc.

I'd say in general Canada's cuisine is more ethnic... Chinese food on Monday, Greek food on Tuesday, Italian on Wednesday, Japanese on Thursday, Thai food on Friday, steak/burgers on Saturday, seafood on Sunday, generally with regional differences infused. Montreal's cuisine, would be more European in nature with an emphasis on meat and sauces, whereas Vancouver's cuisine would be more Asian in nature.

Since you're going to Toronto, I'm not sure what would be considered regional cuisine there, however, the city itself is highly multicultural, so tasting a variety of different ethnic foods is probably the most authentic Canadian experience you could get.

If you'll be in Toronto on a weeknight (including Friday) and want to indulge in an upscale meal with regional produce served innovatively, check out Canoe. If it's a fairly clear day or better, it has a great view (it's on the top floor of a high-rise tower in the financial district). It's not touristy at all (unlike the restaurant on top of the CN tower). Great service, great food - it's one of my favourite restaurants for a celebaration. It's closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Rodney's oyster restaurant is very Canadian; but there are great oyster bars in the USA, too.

Poutine is Canadian -- I've avoided it for my entire life.

Tinmbits -- which purport to be the ceters of Tim Hortons donuts, are national in scope. And Tim Hortons donuts and coffee is about as Canadian as you can get.

I've never seen / tasted chicken and french fries as good, for such a low price, as at Swiss Chalet. Everything except the chicken can be bought elsewhere. Millions of Canadian children have celebrated special occasions at Swiss Chalet, and it is often the first place a kid will take his or her parents. It's where my daughter and her parents had her last Canadian meal before she left for a summer singing in Italy.

Harvey's for hamburgers, instead of branches of US chains.

Timothy's and Second Cup for upmarket coffee, instead of Starbucks. Not much difference, though.

Bagels are different, depending on locale. The "real" Canadian bagels are from Montreal, and the second-closest in Toronto are from St. Urbain, in the St. LAwrence market (which is worth a visit Saturday mornings) The best bagels in Toronto (based on being closest to Montewal bagels) are from Tdylor'd Bagels, in Oakville.

BAK

My take on Montreal bagels is they are
different from they typical New York style bagel. We have bought them right at the shop where they are made, hot out of the oven. They are slightly 'cakier' than a New York bagel, and have absolutely no salt in the dough, which makes them light but bland. Some people love them, but I'm not a fan.
Other Canadian foods (French Canadian?) I can think of are meat pies and ployes, which are a type of buckwheat pancake.

Bak beat me to it... I was thinking about it today.. I agree. For a family style restaurant that is totally a Canadian favourite is Swiss Chalet. YOu'll see them in many locations. Really good chicken dinners at a good price.

And Tim Horton's is SO Canadian. Go there for coffee and donuts, bagels or soup and sandwich for lunch. Good food, good prices. They are everywhere, and when returning from trips, many Canadian's can't wait to have their "timmy's coffee".

Instead of a chocolate bar, try Smarties.. similar to M&M's.

And I'll agree with butter tarts.. mmmm, good.

You know, I don't get the appeal of Tim Horton's coffee - I just don't like it. But I agree, it is popular and lots of people like it.

I agree with one of the posts - Toronto is a great city for ethnic restaurants.

Mmmm, Nanaimo bars and butter tarts - so good ..........

When my nephew comes home from the USA we get him clodhoppers, shreddies, ice wine and coffee crisp. Not available in US.

smarties and fiddleheads but not together of course...

We just did a Niagara/Toronto trip, coming from the NYC area. (I am Cdn but my husband is not.)

While not Cdn per se, we were impressed with the actual QUALITY of the food that we ate, especially fruits and veggies. I lived in Montreal briefly (even better food than where I grew up in Ontario, in my opinion) and I swear that the Diet Coke even tasted better. We also found Cdn portions in more upscale restaurants to be quite generous.

Harvey's make the best fast-food burger (I agree with BAK) and creme brulee lattes cannot be found in the US, but are at Second Cup. I was a piggie and had about 4 of these along our trip.

We saw caribou on the menu of some upscale restaurants in T.O., something I've never seen in NYC restaurants.

You probably won't be hitting any grocery stores, but when I'm in Canada I like to go to Loblaw's or Zehr's to get some President's Choice food items. They are a private label and I love their various products.

One Quebecois (not necessarily found in ON) thing my husband loves is cretons, which is basically pork fat (kinda like pate, I guess). He tried these at a Cora's in Montreal - which is a breakfast place that we love, and it also has a branch in Toronto (though I've never been to that location).

Salt and vinegar chips - how could I forget them

Rye and Ginger. Canadian rye whiskey and ginger ale.

Nanaimo Bars.

WOW! Thanks for all the input. I like to try different things, so I'll make sure to try some of these different foods.

Laura

mmmm Nanaimo Bars, Butter Tarts, REAL blueberry pie (the berries MUST be wild and fresh picked)
Tourtiere (French Canadian meat pie) - except NO ONE makes it like my mother
Baked beans, French Canadian style - except once again NO ONE makes them like my mother
Smelts - fresh caught, lightly floured and fried
lake trout - fresh caught, bacon wrapped and baked

Semiramis, I feel that way about my father's butter tarts - they are absolutely the best. So I never have them anywhere else but at home.

Semiramis - I know there is nothing better than homemade butter tarts especially if they are Mom's or Dad's!
My daughter loves mine but I think they always taste better if someone else bakes them!

I would love to know your mom's recipe for tourtiere. Everyone uses a different kind or combination of meat etc.

Now for something Canadian. I make the best Habitant Pea soup with yellow peas and double smoked pork hocks.

Traditional Canadian food?
Let us turn that around.
What would you say was a traditional US food? A hamburger?

Hunnym, we just discovered Cora's and LOVE it! WE went to the one in Mississauga on opening day. And there are others opening.
For anyone that loves good breakfasts and lunches, and loves fruit, you've got to try Cora's.

Bob, along with the hamburger, you have to add fries!

When a tourist guidebook features restaurants, and they list "Canadian" under "Cuisine: ", that is almost absurd, as there is no "Canadian" food.

I mean, you can talk about "French Fries and Gravy" or even "Canadian Bacon"... but has anyone ever seen a "Canadian Restaurant" ??

Alrighty then...


You could always try a "fried Mars bar" (sounds like something Elvis would have eaten). Some friends of mine insist that "Kit Kat" bars are better in Canada (with different chocolate).

But I think you should concentrate on other aspects of your visit, and avoid frustrating yourself while searching for that while barely exists.

And yeah, stop at the Duty Free and get some Maple Syrup for home consumption.

No one mentioned Saskatoons yet- Saskatoon pie- yum -
I'm from Saskatchewan - pretty easy to find around there but dont know about the rest of the country

Once upon a time, all the Canadian premiers were in Saskatchewan, and the provincial premier took them all to Yorkton for a special meal. All Ukranian food, with labels beside each dish so premiers from other provinces (the Alberta guy and the Manitoba guy already knew)could learn what was being eaten.

I can't remember if "ice wine" has been mentioned yet. That's a speciality, although fairly new on the market.

bAK

Where do you get a fried Mars Bar? Interesting.
Yup Canadian Kit Kat's are better than US. BUT not as good as British!! They really ARE different. I lined all three up at once and did a taste test!

Please tell me also what a Saskatchewan pie is? No one told me about it when I was there.

kodi: The pie is not Saskatchewan, but Saskatoon--made with saskatoon berries, which taste somewhat like blueberries.

Deep-fried Mars Bars are a Scottish innovation, and AFAIK have not yet appeared in Canada.

"French fries and gravy"-- that's clearly American. The Canadian dish is "chips with gravy" Same thing, different name.

As someone earlier pointed out, there are very few "Canadian" foods, but many many distinctive regional Canadian dishes.

"Deep-fried Mars Bars are a Scottish innovation, and AFAIK have not yet appeared in Canada."

They have certainly appeared in Canada, but they're not common, nor are they Canadian, as previously explained - they're a Scottish phenomenon. If you're lucky enough to find a carnival food fair serving one, I'd recommend trying it! The Mars bar turns into this oozing chocolate/caramel fudge held in by the deep-fried batter. Often they'll put whipped cream on top of it and will drizzle it with raspberry sauce. Yum!

So deep fried Mars bars have come to Canada! Well, that's globalization for you. First SARS, then avian flu, and now this!

I looked up the recipe for deep fried Mars bars on the internet and it sounds totally gross - like a fat embolus heading straight for your heart.

The recipe said for a seasonal variation you could try a deep fried
Cadburys egg
I think the Scots should stick with haggis

I had a deep fried Morrow Bar when I was in New Zealand and it was delicious.
Morrow bar is a favourite chocolate bar there.
Yup, not at all healthy, but , boy was it good!

Maybe I'll have to try the MArs Bar.... but only once!

Canada is indeed large, with a variety of regional dishes to try. BC smoked salmon and seafood, saskatoon berry ANYTHING, naniamo bars, Alberta beef, fiddleheads, poutine (I can hear my arteries slamming shut!), sugar pie (my teeth are screaming!), tortiere, smoked meat at Schwarz's in Montreal, Atlantic salmon and seafood, lobster, cod tongues/cod cheeks (seriously, from Newfoundland!), maple syrup ANYTHING, Canadian Back Bacon eh, Molson/Labatts beer (watch the alcohol content, as Canadian beer is much stronger than American beer), and, of course, the Temple of Tim's (Tim Horton's!). You will probably find Canadian "exotic" meat dishes, such as bison, caribou, deer, etc. at upscale restaurants, too, often served with local fresh veggies and maple-based glazes. Yummm...I'm going for a snack...

If you were coming out west to Calgary, Alberta, I would check out any of the restaurants recommended by John Gilchrist our CBC Radio Restaurant critic. He has a book out called "My Favorite Restaurants in Calgary and Banff".
The book lists (some examples I have tried and liked) coffee bars: Heartland Cafe; deli: Lina's Italian Market; traditional wildgame: Deer Lodge (Lake Louise); contemporary: Mescalaro; ; French: Jojo Bistro; Vegetarian: Marathon; Exotic & WildGame: Grizzley House (Banff); Greek: Pegasus; Thai: The King and I; and a lot more just as great I have not named.

I would say Saskatoon berry pie (homemade), prime rib (Outback, Calgary), and pyrogi and sausages from Country Cousins, a Mennonite restaurant in Linden, Alberta would be traditional food here.

Yay Alberta!!!!
Perhaps there are no restaurants called "Canadian restaurants" is for the same reason that you don't get restaurants labelled as "Italian Food Restaurants" in Italy, or "Chinese Food Restaurants" in China... :)

What about a "beaver tail"? This was mentioned in a post about walking along the canal in winter and stopping for hot chocolate and a "beaver tail"!

Hooker's Beavertails started out (probably 20 years ago) as a small business in the Byward Market area in Ottawa. It grew fast. Beavertails are now sold, on site, during most festivals that take place in Ottawa over the year. When skating on the canal one of the best ways to get warm and a little energy is with a hot chocolate and beavertail. Beavertails are basically doughnut dough....spread out till its about 10" long and 4" wide. It is then deep fried. Once cooked they brush it with lemon juice. You then have a choice of toppings. I think people favourate would be with sugar and cinnamen. You can also get jam or garlic butter and cheese.

Ah Dave,
I can see that we must visit Ottawa. I'm thinking cinnamon rather than garlic butter if it's paired with hot chocolate!

I was thinking the same thing about food and found a blog which mentions some food and drink specialties:

http://www.recipesprincess.com/local...or-in-canada/#

The pictures alone have made me hungry!

Speaking of Tim Hortons, I think their Iced Cappucinos and Boston Cream donuts are the best.

As for Alberta beef, I think it used to be the among the best, but not any more. I don't know what happened - maybe since the mad cow scandal they changed their food or treatment or something - but in the last 2 or 3 years the only decent steaks I've had were in the States (Utah and Arizona more specifically). I've tried many restaurants, steak houses, grocery stores, butchers and farms in and around Calgary and the quality is just not there anymore, with the exception of some tenderloin that I nowadays buy from Sobeys.

On the other hand, I have noticed that pizza is now much better than, let's say, 10 years ago. With better and fresher ingredients, thin crust and wood oven pizza are now much easier to find and enjoy. For example, try the "Roma" pizza at Earl's, which I believe is Canada-wide.

As other comments mentioned, there is no Canadian cuisine per se, but rather local flavors and specialties. I guess same as in the US.

OK, I've had SIX YEARS to contemplate this, so, OK, <b>What in the heck were all of the Canadian Premiers doing in <I>Saskatchewan</i> ????</b>


Heck, I've never even been there.

Is the most famous person in the province still <b>"Dick Assman"</b>????