What Is the Best Food in Canada | Adventures.com | Adventures.com (2024)

Canada boasts world-class products, from freshwater fish to maple syrup, but the country's culinary credentials deserve equal praise. Although suggesting a setlist of some of Canada's best foods is a bold step, we are up for the challenge!

Everyone has taste buds prone to certain flavors. Even so, some traditional dishes are loved by many and have brought Canadian cuisine into the spotlight. Perhapsfoodis not what brought you toCanadafor a visit, but it'll likely be what brings you back.

Suppose your intention has been to experience the country throughfoodall along. In that case, you have to visit either an eatery recommended by locals or a fine-dining restaurant, where you can order their tasting menu. But before you do so, let's start with a list of tasty dishes, so you know what to expect upon your visit.

1. Poutine

You'll find poutine on most Canadian menus, but its real home is in Quebec. The savory dish combinesfries, cheese, and gravy. Itemerged in the '50s in the Centre-du-Québec region.Aswith most dishes, not all are created equal!

The taste of poutine highly depends on the quality of the ingredients. You want your fries to be made using fresh potatoes, full-fat cheese curds, and beefgravy. Before indulging, let your poutine sit for a moment so that the cheese melts and the potatoes absorb the gooey sauce.

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2. Bannock

If you're looking for a quick bite whilesightseeing, bannock is ideal as a quick grab-and-go type of snack that is fillinganddistinctlyCanadian. Bannock is a flatbread that comes in various shapes, forms, and toppings. Elsewhere the dish is colloquially known as fry bread.

Even though the recipe's roots stem from Scotland, the unleavened bread was widely adopted by the indigenousin Canada.In recent years, bannock has regained its popularity across thefood industry in Canada, which brings joy to everycarbenthusiast.

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3. Butter tarts

Who doesn't love tarts?These sweet treatsare even better when theyare baked to perfection and have a crunchy top. These Canadian tart-shaped delicacies aremade out offlaky pastrycrustwith a creamy center consisting of sugar, egg, butter, and syrup.

The origins of Ontario's butter tartsdatesback tothe late 19th centurywhenthe earliest recipe was published in the women's cookbook.Locals tend to compare it to sugar or pecan pie but without the nutty notes. Whetheryou are in a small settlement or large city, you can find classic butter tarts in food establishments like restaurants, supermarkets, and wholesalers.

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4. Montréal-style bagels

Montréalis a foodie destination.The city isespeciallyfamous for its deliciousbagels. As the story goes, their sweet dough was brought by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. Soon after, in 1919, the first bagel bakery was opened.

In a never-ending competition with a New York bagel, Montréal-style bagels are different due totheirsolid texture and sweeter taste. They are not as thick either. The taste differs because Canadian bagels are poached in honey water and are baked in wood-fired ovens. You can enjoy a plain bagel with a spread or get an all-dressed one with toppings ranging from poppyseeds to raisins.

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5. Timbits

Ranked as Canada's most iconic coffee shop chain, Tim Hortons reinvented doughnut holes. Made from leftover doughnut dough, these bite-sized doughnut holes are called Timbits. They are fried in oil and available ina number offlavors such as cake, old fashion plain, chocolate glazed, blueberry, strawberry, lemon, or with a variety of fillings.

Thesemini-doughnutsmade their debut back in 1976. In the original campaignslogan,the bit standsfor Big in Taste. Don't be surprised when a Canadian fried dough ball is offered whenever you order a cup of coffee.

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6. Montreal-style smoked meat sandwiches

Resembling pastrami, Montreal's smoked meat is the secret ingredient behind these legendary sandwiches.Afterthe beef brisket is salted and seasoned for a week, then the smoking process begins. As the meat is smoked and carefully seasoned with black pepper, coriander, garlic, and mustard seed, it absorbs all kinds of comforting flavorswhich creates a unique and smoky taste.

Ifyou want to replicate this sandwich at home, add thin slices of meat on top of rye breadandsome yellow mustard and pickles on the side. For an original taste, visit Schwartz's Deli located in downtown Montreal.

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7. Nanaimo bars

TheNanaimo baris a classic Canadian dessert. The bar requires no baking and is named after the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. All ingredients are a mix of a coconutty crust, soft yellow custard icing in-between, and chocolate ganache on top.

Designed foranyone with asweettooth, these decadent no-bake bars are easy to make and can be found in most cafés and bakeries across Canada. Highly recommended by locals,Hearthstone Artisan Bakeryoffers the tastiest classic version of Nanaimo bars and some original spin-offs forthose withmore adventurous taste buds.

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8. Tourtière

Tourtièreis a Quebecois classic minced meat pie. Usually, the filling is made either from pork, beef, veal, or game. Herbs and spices are significant here. Seasonal spices like cinnamon, clove, and all-spice help create theunforgettablearoma of the bake.

The French-Canadian delicacy is served at Christmastime and garnished with tomato sauce and pickled beets. Every grandmother tends to have a secret recipe, so nothing compares to a home-madetourtière. But you can also purchase a pre-made version at anymajorgrocery store throughout the year.

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9. Bloody Caesars

The Caesar takes us back to 1969when it was first created bymixologist Walter Chell at a restaurant in Calgary. For the co*cktail, bartenders useClamato juice, vodka, and Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces. This drink is an inseparable part of a Sunday brunch and Canada Day celebrations.

TheCaeseris a Canadian take onaBloody Maryand hasa well-seasoned rim and poached shrimp garnish. Every year, over350 million Caesar-inspiredbeverages are sold, which makes it the nation's favorite and a must-try during your stay.

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10. Saskatoon berry pie

By now, we've established that Canadians are fond of all sorts of pies.TheSaskatoon berry pie is noexception and has been enjoyed in Canada's prairie provinces foryears.For this not-too-sweet dessert,locally-sourcedSaskatoon berries are used.They aresimilar toblueberriesbut taste a bit likeapples.

The fruity and nutty flavors of the pie make it a recommendable option if you prefer lighter desserts. While you can enjoy the pie all year long, nothing beats having a slice of fresh Saskatoon berry piemade of seasonal ingredients from a farmers’ marketduring a warm summer day.

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What Is the Best Food in Canada | Adventures.com | Adventures.com (2024)

FAQs

What is Canada's signature dish? ›

Poutine. Known as Canada's national dish, poutine is a French-Canadian meal featuring three ingredients: fries, cheese curds, and gravy. Created in the 1950s in Quebec, the dish can be found everywhere today.

What are 3 popular foods in Canada? ›

Popular Canadian Foods to Eat on Vacation
  • Poutine. Poutine is a classic Canadian dish. ...
  • Butter Tarts. Next up are butter tarts, a famous Canadian dessert. ...
  • Maple Syrup. Maple syrup is arguably Canada's most famous food product. ...
  • Montreal-Style Bagels. ...
  • Bannock. ...
  • Montreal Smoked Meat. ...
  • Donairs. ...
  • Nanaimo Bars.
Sep 16, 2022

What are 3 traditional foods in Canada? ›

Foods such as bannock, moose, deer, bison, pemmican, maple taffy, and Métis stews, such as barley stew, are all either traditional Indigenous foods, or originate from Canada with roots in Indigenous cuisines, and are eaten throughout the country.

What is the most popular drink in Canada? ›

Coffee. Coffee is Canada's favorite beverage, especially because it provides that energy boost needed to kick into action. In this country, we always appreciate a little help to wake up, especially in the heart of winter, Canadians don't really have a national coffee drink, they just love coffee a lot, in all its forms ...

What do they drink in Canada? ›

9 Uniquely Canadian Beverages
  • Bloody Caesar. This Canadian drink concoction is made using vodka, Clamato juice, seasoning (usually Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco, but sometimes horseradish) and garnish. ...
  • Coureur des bois, Maple Cream Liqueur. ...
  • Caribou. ...
  • Screech. ...
  • Ice Wine. ...
  • Sussex Golden Ginger Ale. ...
  • Canadian Beer. ...
  • Canadian Whisky.

What do Canadians eat for lunch? ›

An example of a typical Canadian packed lunch is a sandwich and fruit, leftover from dinner the day before like pizza, pasta, soup. Snacks like a piece of fruit, some cookies or cut vegetables are sometimes eaten between meals and may be packed in your lunch bag or you can “Help Yourself” if you are at home.

What is Canada's favorite meal? ›

Many Canadians consider poutine a true national dish. It is found anywhere from food trucks to fancy restaurants, and even at Canadian McDonald's. Poutine connoisseurs claim that the best versions are served at small roadside stands where the curds are fresh, rubbery, and melt easily.

What food is only sold in Canada? ›

Foods You Can Only Get In Canada
  • Cadbury Caramilk. Caramilk Bars are simply delicious. ...
  • Kinder Surprise. I was shocked to find out that the USA didn't have these! ...
  • Presidents Choice Chips. ...
  • Hickory Sticks. ...
  • Dill Pickle Chips. ...
  • Mars Bars. ...
  • Beaver Tails. ...
  • Nanaimo Bars.

What is Canada's largest grocery? ›

Loblaw Companies Ltd. set an all-time high for the second time this week as Canada's biggest grocer rallied on a fourth-quarter earnings beat and expansion plans.

What is Canada's national dinner? ›

What is Poutine? Poutine is Canada's national dish, which usually consists of french fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy.

What is Canada's national drink? ›

Canada's National co*cktail Turns 50 - And Here Are 4 Great Places to Drink It. It's as Canadian as maple syrup. The Caesar is Canada's national co*cktail. Created in a hotel bar in Calgary in 1969, it's been the only-in-Canada favorite game night, summer patio, and 'hair of the dog' Sunday brunch co*cktail.

How do you say hello in Canada? ›

A simple handshake, friendly nod, or easy 'hello' is a common way Canadians greet each other amidst the chummy crowd. Overall, Canadian greetings are as warm as a fresh stack of pancakes dripping with maple syrup. Interesting fact? 'Eh', an iconic term, often decorates their lively sentences like a cherry on top.

What is the #1 most eaten food in the world? ›

Rice is the staple food of more than half the world's population, and it's been that way for centuries. It's cheap, it's filling, and it can be easily grown in a variety of climates. Rice is so important to so many people that it's no surprise that it's the world's most-eaten food.

What is the #1 food eaten in the world? ›

Rice is a food staple for more than 3.5 billion people around the world, particularly in Asia, Latin America, and parts of Africa. Rice has been cultivated in Asia for thousands of years. Scientists believe people first domesticated rice in India or Southeast Asia.

What are the top 5 most popular foods? ›

popularity is the % of people who have a positive opinion of a american dish. Find out more
  1. 1 Mashed potatoes86%
  2. 2 French Fries86%
  3. 3 Hamburgers85%
  4. 4 Cheeseburger83%
  5. 5 Grilled Cheese82%
  6. 6 Steak and Baked potato82%
  7. 7 Hash browns82%
  8. 8 Fried Chicken82%

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