While the country itself is huge and incredibly varied, many people notoriously unappreciated Canada in terms of food. Take a second to glance around, however, and it's easy to see why this country boasts so many curious delights with the fruits of history, diversity and fresh local fare to thank for its eclectically delicious fare.
We'll be exploring the strange and sublime foods of Canada - from ancient Indigenous fare such as pemmican bars to classic home-baked goods and modern fast-food staples.
Halifax donair
Halifax specialty donair consists of rotisserie-roasted spiced beef in a pita with a sweet garlicky sauce. Greek immigrant Peter Gamoulakos, the founder of the King of Donair restaurant, created this signature Halifax specialty, which resembles the popular Greek gyro or Turkish döner kebab, in which spiced beef is spit-roasted on a rotisserie.
However, the addition of a sweetened condensed milk sauce with garlic is unique to the Halifax donair. King of Donair has since opened numerous restaurants throughout Nova Scotia and further abroad.
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Coffee Crisp
Is there a chocolate bar that Canada simply cannot live without? Almost exclusively available in Canada, this sweet, flaky treat is a delicious medley of coffee cream, vanilla wafers, and a smooth coating of chocolate. The British confectionery company Rowntree's brought the Coffee Crisp to Canada in the 1930s (which is now part of Nestlé and is also the producer of the almost as enticing Coffee Crisp ice cream bars).
Montréal smoked meat
Eastern European Jewish immigrants introduced the specialty during the 19th century, and it has become one of the Montreal culinary icons. In its day, they created it by dry curing beef brisket, applying salt and spice, setting it in a brining barrel for a month, and then hanging it up to smoke.
Nowadays, chefs cure this iconic Montreal specialty in a salt and spice mixture for a bit longer, circa 10 days, and after smoking, they steam it and cut it to order (in opposition to the grain, always) and serve it piping hot in a rye bread sandwich with a healthy amount of yellow mustard and a tangy pickle on the side.
All dressed crisps
Don't know which crisp flavour you're craving? Use your Canadian ingenuity and choose the all-dressed type. The blend of barbecue, sour cream and onion, ketchup or salt and vinegar crisps, it's one of Canada's best sellers. Popular brands for all-dressed include Ruffles and the Old Dutch Ridgies – a classic Canadian brand first produced in Winnipeg in 1954 – making these potato chips favourites.
Yellow split pea soup
It’s rich, it’s filling and hearty – it’s one of the most comforting and delicious soups you can find. You’ll probably agree that it’s one of the most Qubecois dishes you’ll ever taste. In addition to the humble peas, this delightful soup contains so much else – a whole host of tasty things, not least the smoked ham hock, some wonderful vegetables and herbs and, of course, plenty of toasted bread.
Sushi pizza
I know, I know, Canada probably doesn't strike you as the birthplace of a trendy new sushi genre, but believe it or not it's where sushi pizza, also known as “unpleasant” if you don't like it, sushi, was created. It all began when a Japanese chef named Kaoru Ohsado, who works at Nami restaurant in Toronto, created the dish during the '90s, and today a rice paddy makes it (it’s fried) that usually comes covered with salmon, sliced onions and tobiko (fish eggs). The sky's the limit beyond that, from crab and spicy mayonnaise, to avocado and wasabi.
Nanaimo bar
It’s a no-bake marvel – sweet, indulgent Nanaimo bars take their name from a British Columbian city where the bar emerged after the war. While there’s a resemblance to millionaire’s shortbread, this Canadian tea-time staple is definitely a special kind of sweet! This layered delight has a base of buttery coconut and chocolate shortbread, a smooth vanilla-custard centre and a top layer of dark chocolate ganache. Heavenly, non?
Steamie
Another great, inexpensive Montreal institution is the steamie (or steam). This simple hot dog features both the sausage and the bun, which vendors steam until they become tender, creating a soft bun and a flavourful hot dog that you can then drown with all kinds of delicious toppings, like mustard, chopped onions, relish, and a tangy, vinegar-y cabbage slaw. If you’d rather enjoy a crisp hot dog, try the toastie (toast in French), which involves buttering and toasting the bun before the vendor stuffs the sausage inside.
Jiggs dinner
Another great Newfoundland meal is Jiggs dinner, which many people say resembles a British Sunday roast but adds a Canadian twist. Typically, the dish features salt meat as the main ingredient, and the vegetables—often including potatoes, carrots, turnip, and cabbage—are all boiled and served as is, without gravy, along with a side of pease pudding, and for dessert, there is figgy duff, a steamed pudding dotted with fruit. The dish interestingly takes its name from a comic strip character named Jiggs in the popular cartoon Bringing Up Father.
Conclusion
Canada has a lot of great food that people don't always give it credit for. Because of its history and different cultures, the country has created some really unique comfort foods. You have sweet things like Coffee Crisps and Nanaimo bars, and savory classics like Montreal smoked meat and Halifax donairs. All of these dishes show that Canadian food is way more than just standard fast food—it is full of local history and creativity.
Questions People Ask
What is the difference between a Halifax donair and a normal gyro?
The biggest difference is the sauce. A normal gyro uses a savory yogurt sauce, but a Halifax donair uses a sweet sauce made out of sweetened condensed milk and garlic. The meat is still spiced beef cooked on a spit, but the sauce changes the whole flavor.
Can you buy Coffee Crisp outside of Canada?
Not really. It is pretty much only sold in Canada. Rowntree's first brought it over in the 1930s, and even though Nestlé makes it now, it remains a uniquely Canadian snack.
How do they make Montréal smoked meat?
They take beef brisket and dry cure it in salt and spices for around 10 days. After that, they smoke it, steam it, and slice it against the grain. It's usually served hot on rye bread with mustard and a pickle.
What does "all-dressed" chip flavor taste like?
It is a mix of four classic chip flavors all thrown together: barbecue, sour cream and onion, ketchup, and salt and vinegar.
What is a Montreal "steamie"?
A steamie is just a cheap Montreal hot dog where they steam both the bun and the sausage together until everything is super soft. If you get a "toastie" instead, they butter and toast the bun so it is crunchy.
What comes in a traditional Jiggs dinner?
It is a big meal from Newfoundland that includes boiled salt meat, potatoes, carrots, turnip, and cabbage. It doesn't use gravy, but it comes with pease pudding and a steamed fruit pudding called figgy duff.
