From Vancouver’s deserved reputation for Asian fare (in both its classical and contemporary incarnations) to the hearty variation on French peasant food that forms the basis of Québécois cuisine, Canada’s food culture has been shaped as much by generation after generation of immigrants as it has by its provenance, and the enduring legacy of its First Nations peoples.
In other words, diversity in Canada is not just some abstract concept – it is something you can taste. So it is with the 10 snacks, specialties and delicacies below, all of which are either immigrant foods that have become, in their own way, somehow Canadian (such as Ukranian pierogi and the smoked meat sandwiches of Montreal’s Jewish delis); or Canadian foods that could only have been imagined by immigrants (poutine, of course).
Some are regional specialties, while others are so widely available that you’ll find them on the menu in Canadian McDonald’s. Either way, no matter where you are in Canada, you’ll be able to find at least one of them to try.
Nanaimo bars
These decadent sweet treats consist of a chocolate crumb base covered in custard-flavoured butter icing and topped with a layer of chocolate. Different places do different versions, and often deviate from the original recipe (known as the classic), with everything from nuts to coconut to peanut butter thrown in. You’ll see Nanaimo bars in bakeries across Canada but, as the name suggests, they originated in Nanaimo, a small city on Vancouver Island. Visit there and you’ll find multitudinous interpretations of this much-loved treat. There’s even a 39-stop Nanaimo bar trail where you can sample Nanaimo bar martinis, cupcakes, waffles, spring rolls, and get a themed pedicure at a local spa.
Halifax donair
When you see your first Halifax donair you may wonder why this is considered special – after all, it looks like the same late-night food that is served in cities the world over – but there’s a delicious twist that makes it unique. A Halifax donair comes served not with tzatziki, but instead with a sweet garlic sauce that resembles runny icing, and is unbelievably delicious. The sauce is made up of evaporated milk, garlic powder, vinegar, and sugar, and is what gives these kebabs their cult following. In recent years they’ve gone a bit gourmet, and you’ll find them served in other major Canadian cities – but always listed as a Halifax donair. You should absolutely try one, even if sober.
Fiddleheads
Every spring you’ll see fiddleheads on the menus of high-end restaurants and at farmers’ markets across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and occasionally other eastern provinces. Fiddleheads, the curly, edible shoots of the ostrich fern, are usually foraged along marshy riverbanks and woodlands (although there are a few places growing them commercially). Like so many regional delicacies, they are an acquired taste, but their flavour varies greatly, depending on how they are prepared.
Beavertails
These massive flat doughnuts originated in Ottawa back in 1978, and are found sold at Beavertails stands and stores across Canada. Served regular, Beavertails come sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, but there’s a whole range of toppings from chocolate banana or apple cinnamon to hazelnut, maple and more. All are, of course, delicious, and are especially tasty when eaten on a cold day with a cup of hot chocolate.
Poutine
This combination of fries and cheese curd smothered in gravy is a Québec classic that you’ll find served throughout the country – it’s even on the menu at McDonald’s outlets across Canada. So, it won’t be hard for you to try some version of this very Canadian street food. However, you don’t need to settle for straight-up poutine because you’ll find elevated versions pretty much everywhere. Many restaurants in Nova Scotia serve lobster poutine (which is amazing), and there are plenty of places in Québec – such as La Banquise in Montreal – that have entire poutine menus, where the options for topping include everything from roast chicken, peas, and stuffing to smoked beef brisket.
Cod tongue
As unappetising as tongue sounds to many, this Newfoundland delicacy is actually a muscle from the back of a cod’s throat – if that makes it sound any better. Served pan-fried with scrunchions (bite-sized fresh pork scratchings), cod tongues are delicious and tender, if a little gelatinous. Like lobster, cod tongues used to be considered a poor man’s food, but now you’ll find them on menus at fancy restaurants up and down Canada’s east coast, often listed as a starter.
Butter tart
The ridiculously rich butter tart is a Canadian staple. The consistency and taste is somewhat similar to a treacle tart, but not quite, and the topic of whether or not butter tarts should contain raisins is rather controversial. You’ll find butter tarts everywhere, from the fanciest bakeries to gas stations in middle of nowhere, but if you want to experience the best of the best, head to Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival, held every June in Midland, Ontario.
Pierogi
There’s a huge Ukranian population in the prairie provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, so it’s no surprise that pierogis are a big thing there. These tasty little dumplings traditionally come stuffed with meat or cheese and potato, but now you’ll find them stuffed with everything from blueberries to caramelised onions and all sorts of other things, because pierogi have gone upmarket. You’ll find pierogi food trucks and high-end restaurants doing them in interesting ways across Canada. If you’d prefer to go old school, look for homely pierogi joints when visiting Winnipeg or Saskatoon (which even has a pierogi drive-through, Baba’s).
Bannock
This flash-fried bread resembles a doughnut, and has long been a staple in the diet of Canada’s First Nations peoples, who produced their own variation by baking a wild plant called camas, before European settlers introduced wheat flour in the 17th century. You’ll see it served at traditional restaurants – or if you visit a reservation while in Canada – but also on the menus of fine-dining restaurants (sometimes served as a starter or in place of bread, and often with a ramekin of jam or some other delicious thing to slather it with). Bannock is extremely moreish.
Montreal smoked-meat sandwiches
The meat in one of these epic sandwiches is brined, spiced, and smoked brisket. This comes piled high in sliced rye bread and spread with mustard, and is a carnivore’s dream. Schwartz’s Deli in Montreal is one of the best places to find an authentic sandwich (which comes with fries and a pickle) and the real Jewish deli experience – it has been using the same recipe since 1928 and the interior doesn’t look like it’s changed much in decades. If the queues at Schwartz’s look daunting, then cross the street and join the locals at the Main Deli Steak House. It’s where Montreal-born Leonard Cohen would get his fix whenever he returned home.
For more information and inspiration, see explore-canada.co.uk
