Canadian Cuisine Hunt

Tourtiere

Tourtiere, at its most simple, is a mouth-wateringly savoury meat pie

Though generally made of pork, onions and spices, this pie is a flexible and creative affair, leaving countless options open to experimental cooks. Whether it is bonus meats or flavours such as cinnamon and cloves, tourtière is a hearty dish that celebrates spontaneity. As long as it goes in a pie crust, it qualifies.

This dish is another traditional food of the Quebec region – it’s been associated with Saguenay since 1970, but the recipe for the pie dates back to 1600BC.

The historic Aux Anciens Canadiens is a fantastic place to try this dish for the first time.

Split Pea Soup

Did you know that yellow split pea soup originated in Quebec?

The dish, better known as Habitant soup, is made up of dried yellow split peas and ham bone or smoked ham hock, and is highly popular nationwide.

This dish is the perfect winter warmer for the colder months, but is also enjoyed as a light lunch year-round

Countless restaurants in Quebec City serve delicious split pea soups. Visit the up-market Chez Boulay Bistro and you are sure to find this soup in rotation.

Montreal smoked meat

A bit like pastrami, but with a noticeable pepper kick, Montreal-style smoked meat is one of the most popular dishes in the city.

This brisket-based, marinated meat is a labour of love, taking hours to prepare and slow-cook for the perfect texture and flavour.

If you’re a fan of smoky flavours and melt-in-the-mouth tenderness, you will love Montreal smoked meat.

To try the original product like the locals do, visit Schwartz's Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen, where for over eighty years the perfect smoked meat sandwiches have been created.

Montreal bagels

Montreal bagels are set apart from the American version by poaching in honey-infused water and cooking in a wood-burning oven for a sweeter taste and crispy texture.

Visit Fairmount Bagel to try this traditional breakfast food for yourself. Fairmount Bagels has produced famous baked goods since 1919, when it was the first bagel bakery in the city

Nanaimo bars

Nanaimo bars were created in the B.C. city of the same name, in a beautiful coastal location on Vancouver Island, and have become much-loved throughout the country.

Somewhere between a fridge cake, a tiffin and a chocolate bar, these indulgent treats consist of three layers: a crunchy base of graham crackers and chopped nuts, a custardy middle part, and a chocolate top.

These days cafes sell Nanaimo bars in all different flavours, from mint to mocha and, of course, maple.

To try the real thing visit Nanaimo where you can follow the city’s Nanaimo Bar Trail to sample the delicious interpretations of the Nanaimo Bar around the city.

Salmon candy

British Columbia has garnered a reputation in recent years for its fusion of North American and Asian flavours. More broadly, this comes from a spirit of experimentalism that defines the cuisine of the region.

B.C. smoked salmon candy is the perfect example of this.The freshly smoked fish is glazed with maple syrup creating a smoky, salty, sweet flavour which locals testify is rather addictive!

To taste the unusual snack for yourself, try some by Hardy Buoys, based out of Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.

This home-grown company is the biggest employer in the city, and their products are stocked in stores across the country.

Double-baked potatoes

The Keg Steakhouse is not only famous for its prime cuts - the twice-baked potatoes that accompany their steaks have become very popular with locals and visitors alike. That’s because these are not your regular baked potatoes – they hold diced bacon, sour cream, onion and garlic puree in a mouth-watering mixture inside the extraordinarily crispy skins.

The Keg Steakhouse has outlets across Canada, and was established in Vancouver in 1971, but today their potatoes are particularly well-loved in Alberta. So, if you’re visiting any area in Alberta, you must try out this moreish dish

Steak

Avenue Calgary claims that “no single food is more quintessentially Calgarian than a perfectly grilled slab of steak.”

Indeed, when people picture Alberta, they often imagine impressive mountains, luscious foothills and Alberta beef. The delicious, tender steak is one of the area’s most highly sought-after foods, and is served at restaurants across the province.

If you’re looking for a dish where beef is the star ingredient, then a traditional meat ‘n’ potatoes steak house is in order. Calgary is home to many of these eateries, from traditional Canadian fare to Brazilian fusion styles.

The Smuggler’s Inn is a great choice for those looking for a traditional choice or, for something slightly different, head to Modern Steak where local Alberta meat is transformed in their tartare bar.

Caesar

Not to be confused with the salad or a Bloody Mary, the Caesar is a unique drink that was invented in Calgary in 1969 by restaurant manager Walter Chell, and has since become one of the most popular beverages in the country.

he cocktail’s main ingredients are tomato juice, clam broth, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and a salted rim – often garnished with celery.

Today, over 350 million Caesars are consumed each year, so it will be easy to get your hands on one.

To sample the various flavours that have been added to the traditional Caesar, head to Boomtown Pub & Patio in Calgary to drink everything from an Applewood Smoked Bourbon Caesar to The Walter “Works” Caesar, which features the addition of horseradish, lime, tabasco and olives!

Scallops

Where there are spotless seas there are scallops, and off the shores of Canada’s Maritimes live the Eastern Canada sea scallop subspecies, which can grow up to 20cm in size. 

Digby in Nova Scotia is particularly well-known for its scallops, which are generally regarded as being second to none.

The town even hosts an annual Scallop Days Festival in the first week of August, celebrating the maritime heritage of the area with themed activities such as scallop shucking contests, art exhibitions and a parade. 

Head to Mariner’s Landing to taste their scallops cooked three ways, or visit Fundy Restaurant for perfectly-cooked specimens right at the dockside.

Image credit: Stu_Spivack (Flickr)

Nova Scotia Donair

The Nova Scotia Donair is a popular late-night street-snack, made of spicy ground beef, tomatoes, raw onions and a sweet sauce, all inside a moist pita. 

Similar dishes such as the shawarma, doner kebabs, and gyros use lamb, but the unique donair features beef.

This satisfying street food is a must-try at any time of the day or night, and, while most late-night eateries serve donairs, it is King of Donair that is said to have invented the Nova Scotia donair in the 1970s, and is well worth a visit.

Image credit: Morgan (Flickr)

Prince Edward Island Mussels

Prince Edward Island is famous for its waters and climate which give rise to some of the best produce in the world, from potatoes to mussels. 

The mussels cultured in the cool water surrounding the island have, in fact, become famous world-wide for their purity.

Suspended in mesh stockings from ropes in the water, these mussels never touch the floor, creating ideal conditions for growth and giving the mussels a sweet taste and a tender, plump consistency free of ocean grit.

Ayngelina Brogan from Bacon Is Magic says, “Maritime chowder is one of the iconic foods of the East Coast of Canada and every restaurant has to have one as it's common to have a cup of chowder and half a sandwich for lunch. Similar to chowder in Maine it is cream based but the ingredients can vary.”

Sourdough flapjacks

Did you know that sourdough is very popular in the Yukon Territory? 

Interestingly, it’s not just sourdough toast to accompany your hearty brunch that you can try - here, sourdough is made into flapjacks too.

These flapjacks might look like pancakes, but they pack more of a punch in terms of slow-release energy. They were eaten by prospectors ‘on the trail’, after all. They often used instead of bread at breakfast, as a delicious alternative... 

While sourdough pancakes are easy to come by in other areas of Canada, Yukon has maintained its Gold Rush tradition, and even celebrates a Sourdough Rendezvous festival every year.

Arctic Char

Arctic char is indigenous to the northern regions around Canada and is one of the most widespread species in the Arctic area. #

This freshwater fish is found in Manitoba, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and the Yukon Territory, mostly residing in deep glacial lakes.

Although Arctic char resembles a salmon, it is more closely genetically linked to trout. One of the main benefits of eating and cooking with Arctic char is that it has been confirmed as an environmentally-sustainable choice. Better yet, its taste is rich, often cooked with a crispy skin to complement the flaky texture. 

You can enjoy this versatile fish cooked in all sorts of ways – be it stewed, baked, or smoked.

Image credit: Southfork Kitchen (Flickr)

Bannock

The bannock is a variety of flat quick bread and can be cooked many ways. You can sample the bread across Canada but to get a real taste for the meal, you need to travel north. 

The word ‘bannock’ actually stems from the Old English word ‘bannuc’ which meant a morsel, and derives from Scotland! 

Food Day Canada explains that bannock was “the ultimate comfort food to the fur traders, voyageurs and early settlers of Western Canada.”

However, bannock was a First Nations dish in the beginning, and still has strong ties to the indigenous cultures of the Northwest Territories. Then, recipes were made of whatever resources were available, with ingredients such as maize, roots, tree sap and leavening agents. 

Meeting the local indigenous population is the perfect way to try traditional hand-made bannock.