From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Canadian cuisine varies widely from depending on the regions of the nation. The former Canadian prime minister Joe Clark has been paraphrased to have noted: "Canada has a cuisine of cuisines. Not a stew pot, but a smorgasbord."[1]
The three earliest cuisines of Canada have First Nations, English, and French roots, with the traditional cuisine of English Canada closely related to British and American cuisine, while the traditional cuisine of French Canada has evolved from French cuisine and the winter provisions of fur traders. With subsequent waves of immigration in the 18th and 19th century from Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, and also from China, the regional cuisines were subsequently augmented.
Cultural contributions
The traditional cuisine of the Arctic and the Canadian Territories is based on wild game and Inuit and First Nations cooking methods; conversely bannock, which is popular across First Nations and Native American communities throughout the continent, is a method for making pan-fried bread introduced to their culture by Scottish fur traders.
The cuisine of the western provinces is heavily influenced by Italian, British, German, Ukrainian, Polish, and Scandinavian cuisine. Noteworthy is the cuisine of the Doukhobors, Russian-descended vegetarians.
The Waterloo, Ontario, region has a tradition of Mennonite and Germanic cookery.
The Jewish immigrants to Canada during the late 1800's also play a significant role to foods in Canada. The Montreal-style bagel and Montreal-style smoked meat are both food items developed by Jewish communities living in Montreal.
Canadian Chinese cuisine is widespread across the country, with variation from place to place. The Chinese buffet, although found in the U.S. and other parts of Canada, had its origins in early Gastown, Vancouver, c.1870 and came out of the practice of the many Scandinavians' working in the woods and mills around the shantytown getting the Chinese cook to put out a steam table on a sideboard, so they could "load up" and leave room on the dining table (presumably for "drink").[2][3] Ginger beef is a popular Chinese food purportedly originating in Western Canada.
The cuisines of Newfoundland and the Maritime provinces derive mainly from British and Irish cooking, with a preference for salt-cured fish, beef, and pork. Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia also maintain strong British cuisine traditions.
Regional
While many ingredients are commonly found throughout Canada, each region with its own history and local population have unique ingredients. These regional ingredients in turn and made into region dishes.
Wild game of all sorts are still hunted and eaten by many Canadians, though not commonly in urban centres. Venison is eaten across the country and is considered quite important to many First Nations cultures.[4] Seal meat is eaten, particularly in the Canadian North, the Maritimes, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Wild fowl like partridge and ptarmigan are also regularly hunted. Other animals like bear and beaver may be eaten by dedicated hunters or indigenous people, but are not generally consumed by much of the population.
Wild Chanterelle, Pine, Morel, Lobster, Puffball, and other mushrooms are commonly consumed. Canada produces good cheeses, many successful beers and is known for its excellent ice wines and ice ciders. Gooseberries, Salmonberries, Pearberries, Cranberries and Strawberries and gathered from wild or grown. Whipped Soapberry "Indian ice cream", known as xoosum (HOO-shum) in the Interior of British Columbia in most of the Interior Salish languages, whether in ice cream form or as a cranberry-cocktail like drink; known for being a kidney tonic. Called Agutak in Alaska (with animal/fish fat)
List of Canadian foods
Savoury foods
Although there are considerable overlaps between Canadian food and the rest of the cuisine in North America, many unique dishes(or version of certain dishes) are found and available only in the country. Some are more commonly eaten than others.
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Calgary-style Ginger Beef
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Québécois poutine: fries, curds and gravy |
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Rappie pie: grated potatoes and meat casserole
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Oreilles de crisse: Deep fried pork skin and fat
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Sweets
- Pets de sœurs (lit. "nuns' farts")—pastry dough wrapped around a brown sugar and cream filling
- Matrimonial cake and pork pies (date filled desserts)
- Maple syrup, especially tire d'érable sur la neige, also as flavouring, for example in Maple leaf cream cookies
- Jam busters (prairie jelly doughnuts)
- Apple pie
- Various black licorices
- Bumbleberry pie (Bumbleberry is "a mixture of fruit, berries, and rhubarb".)
- Nanaimo bars – most common in British Columbia
- Butter tarts – said to be invented in Eastern Ontario around 1915 . The main ingredients for the filling includes, butter, sugar and eggs, but raisins and pecans are often added for additional flavour.
- Beaver tails, also known as Elephant Ears, Moose Antlers or Whale Tails
- Sugar pie
- Persians—somewhat like a cross between a large cinnamon bun and a doughnut, topped with strawberry icing, unique to Thunder Bay, Ontario.
- Sucre à la crème—Québécois sweet milk squares.
- Nougabricot, a Québécois preserve consisting of apricots, almonds, and pistachios.
- Candy apple—also known by the British term "toffee apple", candied apples are far more popular than in the United States, where the caramel apple is common.
- Moosehunters (Molasses cookies).
- Figgy duff – a pudding from Newfoundland
- Flapper Pie (Wafer Pie in Manitoba) – A custard pie popular in Western Canada
Prepared food and beverages
Canadian bread is heartier than regular white bread, and has a thicker consistency
- Canadian Bread
- Chocolate Bars: Coffee Crisp, Mr. Big, Caramilk, Big Turk, Cherry Blossom, Crispy Crunch, Aero
- Other candy: Glosette Pieces (Peanut, Raisin, or Almonds), Bridge Mixture (bridge mix)
- Kraft Dinner (many purchase store brand mac & cheese, but still call it this)
- Canadian pizza: (mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, bacon, pepperoni, and mushrooms)
- Québécois pizza: (mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, green peppers, pepperoni, and mushrooms)
Alcohol
A bottle of aged Canadian whisky
- Canadian beer
- Canadian whisky
- Yukon Jack, a Canadian whiskey-based liqueur similar to Southern Comfort
- Canadian wine, Ice wine
- The Caesar, originally called the Bloody Caesar, is a cocktail made from vodka, clamato juice (clam-tomato juice), Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, in a salt-rimmed glass (table salt or celery salt), and garnished with a stalk of celery, or more adventurously with a spoonful of horseradish, or a shot of beef bouillon. The Caesar was invented in 1969 in Calgary, Alberta, by bartender Walter Chell to mark the opening of a new restaurant Marco's.[5]
Street food
While most major cities in Canada (other than Montreal, due to local by-laws) offer a variety of street food, regional "specialties" are notable. While poutine is available in most of the country, it is far more common in Quebec. Similarly, hot dog stands can be found across Canada, but are far more common in Ontario (often sold from mobile canteen trucks, usually referred to as "fry trucks" and the hot dogs "street meat") than in Vancouver or Victoria (where the "Mr. Tube Steak" franchise is notable and the term "smokies" or "smokeys" refers to Ukrainian sausage rather than frankenfurters). Montreal offers a number of specialties including Shish taouk, the Montreal hot dog, and Dollar falafels. Although falafel is widespread in Vancouver, pizza slices are much more popular. Vancouver also has many sushi establishments. Shawarma is quite prevalent in Ottawa, and Windsor, while Halifax offers its own unique version of the Döner kebab called the Donair, which features a distinctive sauce made from condensed milk, sugar, garlic and vinegar. Ice cream trucks can be seen (and often heard due to a jingle being broadcast on loudspeakers) nationwide during the summer months. Recently, the city of Toronto has allowed street vendors from around the world to sell their food. Because of this, Kebab, Falafel, Shawarma and other Halal foods are also a very popular street food.
Meals
- Chinese Smorgasbord: though found in the U.S. and other parts of Canada, this term and concept had its origins in early Gastown, Vancouver, c.1870 and resulted from the many Scandinavians working in the woods and mills around the shantytown getting the Chinese cook to put out a steam table on a sideboard, so they could "load up" and leave room on the dining table (presumably for "drink").[2][3]
- Lumberjack's Breakfast, aka Logger's Breakfast, aka "The Lumby": a gargantuan breakfast of three-plus eggs; rations of ham, bacon and sausages; plus several large pancakes. Invented by hotelier J. Houston c 1870, at his Granville Hotel on Water Street in old pre-railway Gastown, Vancouver, in response to requests from his clientele for a better "feed" at the start of a long, hard day of work.[2][3]
See also
References
Further reading
External links
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