Canada is home to many regional delicacies, and if you’ve tried at least 10 items on this list of quintessential Canadian foods, you can officially brag about being a fan of Canadian cuisine.
Butter tarts
Thought to have originated in Ontario, butter tarts are mini pastries filled with a mixture of butter, sugar and eggs. Some say raisins are essential, others will vehemently argue against it. Whether you love them plain or with raisins, butter tarts are one of Canada’s favourite homemade desserts.
Nanaimo bars
Cream squares get their name from Nanaimo, British Columbia. These no-bake chocolate dessert squares have a chocolate-coconut crust, custard-flavoured centre layer, and topping of chocolate. Canadians from coast to coast will know these buttery squares just by their taste.
Donair
Donair is particularly common in Halifax, as well as throughout much of Atlantic Canada. Originating from the Middle Eastern shawarma, donair is commonly seasoned meat served on a pita bread with tomatoes, onions, and a sweet garlic sauce.
Tourtière
Tourtière is a classic French-Canadian meat pie that families have been making for generations, usually to enjoy around the holidays. The crust is made from flaky pastry and filled with seasoned meat. Every Québecoise family has their own recipe that has been handed down for years.
Jiggs dinner
This is traditionally eaten on Sundays in Newfoundland and Labrador communities. It consists of salt beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots and turnip boiled together and served all at once in large quantities to feed a family. This dish reflects Newfoundland and Labrador’s history and is one of the province’s cherished comfort foods.
Bannock
This is a simple bread that many people have come to associate with Indigenous peoples throughout Canada. Bannock can be fried, baked or cooked in an open fire. There are thousands of variations made by Indigenous people across Canada. Origins of the food are complicated, but it is a welcome sight at most gatherings.
Peameal bacon sandwich
Regarded as Toronto’s signature sandwich, peameal bacon is served on a soft bun. Peameal bacon is not actually bacon but rather made from lean cuts of pork loin that have been covered in cornmeal.
They’re particularly well-known at farmers’ markets where crowds of people will line up for a made-to-order sandwich.
Saskatoon berry pie
Prairies are home to the Saskatoon berry. A native fruit to western Canada, the sweet Saskatoon berry is often used in pies, jams, and desserts. For many who live on the Prairies, eating a slice of Saskatoon berry pie conjures up memories of berry picking in the summer and family gatherings.
Garlic fingers
Garlic fingers are popular throughout Atlantic Canada. Made similar to pizza, they are covered with garlic butter and cheese rather than typical pizza toppings. Garlic fingers are typically cut into strips and served with donair sauce on the side for dipping. Travelers are often surprised that this delicacy is not more prevalent throughout Canada.
Montreal smoked meat
Montreal smoked meat is a sandwich featuring Canada’s best-known deli meat. Beef is cured, seasoned, smoked and steamed, served piled high on rye bread with mustard. Citizens of Montreal will fiercely debate over where to find the best smoked meat sandwich and sampling one is considered a necessity when visiting Montreal.
BeaverTails
Similar to a hand-stretched, flattened pancake, this pastry is vaguely shaped like a beaver’s tail and topped with sweet sauces. Originally popular around Ottawa and eastern Ontario, BeaverTails are now a common snack across Canada at winter festivals, skating rinks and tourist attractions.
Rappie pie
Unique to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, this Acadian dish has quickly become known for having one of the weirdest textures of any food. Made primarily out of grated potatoes and meat or seafood, rappie pie leaves many newcomers scratching their heads. Don’t let its plain appearance fool you; many Acadian families regard it as comfort food.
Flapper pie
Flapper pie, made with graham cracker crust and creamy custard topped with meringue, is a dessert from the Prairie provinces that was once very popular. It was served regularly at family dinners and church functions throughout the Prairies, but remains only a comforting memory for many western Canadians. In other parts of Canada, many have never heard of flapper pie.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.