Canada imports many foods, but we have some homegrown classics so tasty, you’ll wonder why anyone looked abroad in the first place.
Montreal smoked meat
Montreal smoked meat brisket is unlike its sweeter American equivalent, pastrami. Instead of a liquid marinade, it’s dry-rubbed with a hearty blend of cracked peppercorns, coriander, mustard seed and garlic.
After curing, the meat is smoked, then steamed until it’s tender enough to fall apart. It tastes best when piled high on rye bread with a hefty smear of yellow mustard.
Tourtière
A hearty, warmly spiced meat pie with origins dating back to the 1600s, this classic French-Canadian dish is truly soul-soothing.
Traditionally, it’s enveloped in a tender, buttery pastry crust and filled with a mixture of very finely ground pork, beef or veal seasoned liberally with cinnamon, clove, allspice and nutmeg.
Bannock
Bannock is an important, historical quick bread stewed deep in Indigenous food culture. This flatbread can be baked over an open flame, in an oven, or fried lightly in a pan.
Plain bannock will create a crispy, gorgeous outside and a heavy, fluffy inside. It’s perfect to use as a blank canvas to enjoy with wild berry jam or big game stew.
Nanaimo bars
Made famous by home cooks across Canada, this no-bake square comes from Nanaimo, British Columbia.
It’s a three-layer treat, beginning with a crunchy, chocolaty graham cracker and coconut base, topped by a thick layer of creamy vanilla custard buttercream and crowned with a smooth layer of shiny chocolate ganache.
Peameal bacon
Peameal bacon is Toronto’s unique contribution to breakfast cuisine. It is not smoked side bacon or your typical back bacon.
Rather, it is an ultra-lean pork loin wet-cured with mild salt-and-sugar brine. It’s rolled in cornmeal to form a pretty crust. This cut is exceptionally juicy and best enjoyed grilled and on a soft bun with some mustard.
Saskatoon berry pie
Canada’s Prairies are home to one true delicacy: the Saskatoon berry. Like blueberries, these indigenous wild berries pack much more flavour. Their sweet taste has intense nutty, even almond-like notes. Baked inside a butter crust, the berry sings with sweetness and tartness.
Halifax donair
A delectable late-night East Coast icon, this dish serves up a Northeastern take on the gyro or kebab.
Very seasoned ground beef is spit-roasted and shaved into thin slices that are served atop tomatoes and onions on a fresh, hot pita. A sweet donair sauce made with condensed milk, vinegar, and garlic completes the sandwich.
Maple taffy
Nothing says springtime like this treat at the old-fashioned Québec sugar shacks.
Hot, pure, concentrated maple syrup is drizzled onto fresh, clean snow. When the liquid hardens into a chewy, gooey string, it is then rolled onto a stick, creating all-natural, sticky candy that’s rich, sweet goodness.
Montreal-style bagels
Smaller, thinner, and denser than New York-style bagels, Montreal-style bagels are an entirely different animal.
Sweetened by boiling in honey-water, Montreal bakers then plunge them into a fiercely hot, wood-fired oven. The result is a chewy, smoky-smelling bread topped liberally with sesame or poppy seeds and boasting an enormous hole.
Split pea soup
A true winter staple with French-Canadian origins, this meal was historically cooked with ingredients that would fill you up and keep you going.
Yellow split peas are simmered for hours with a cured ham hock, onions, and wild herbs until the liquid is ultra-thick and creamy. Salt-forward and smoky, it’s the perfect cure for a chilly day.