10 popular Canadian foods you need to try

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With a diverse multi-cultural population, Canada’s varied food and drink scene is helping to transform it into one of the world’s hottest destinations for food travel. However, while it’s always good to know you’ve got a range of cuisines to choose from when dining out somewhere new, often one of the best things about visiting an unfamiliar destination is being able to sample the local cuisine for yourself. So, without further ado, here are ten of the most popular Canadian foods you simply must try when you visit Canada, whether you’re dining out on a restaurant or taking advantage of a catering service like Toronto catering. If this foodie bucket list makes you as hungry as it’s made me, you’ll be spending the next few hours scouring the internet for deals for a flight to Canada!

10 popular Canadian foods to try when you visit Canada

Poutine

Widely regarded as the national dish of Canada, poutine is the ultimate French Canadian comfort food, consisting of golden French fries topped with rich gravy and cheese curds. Said to have originated in Quebec in the 1950s, this indulgent treat can be found in poutine bars all over Canada, with most restaurants putting their own unique twist on the classic Canadian dish with different toppings, from jerk chicken and lobster to marshmallow and caramel.

Tourtière

Another typical French Canadian dish hailing from Quebec, tourtière is a shortcrust pastry pie stuffed with pork and veal meat and seasoned with salt, pepper, cloves and cinnamon. It’s aromatic flavour makes it especially popular at Christmas time, but most Canadians will happily eat tourtière at any time of the year.

Montreal bagels

Often likened to New York bagels, there are actually stark differences between Canadian Montreal bagels and their US counterparts. While both kinds of bagel are boiled prior to baking to produce a golden crust, the water used to boil Montreal bagels is infused with honey and the bagels are baked in a wood-burning oven to create a crispier finish.

Additionally, Montreal bagels are slightly smaller and denser than New York bagels, with a bigger hole in the centre.

Peameal bacon

Canadian bacon, also known as peameal bacon, is made using lean, boneless pork loin and is usually wet-cured in a simple brine of salt and sugar, creating a succulent, slightly sweet taste. After curing, the loin is coated in cornmeal, although originally it was rolled in ground yellow peas, hence the name ‘peameal bacon’.

Butter tarts

While butter tarts exist in many different forms and each baker tends to use their own tried-and-tested recipe, there’s no denying the status of these scrumptious golden tarts as one of the most popular traditional Canadian foods. Typically, butter tarts consist of a shortcrust pastry casing filled with eggs, butter, sugar, syrup and raisins. Some recipes also use walnuts or pecan nuts.

Ketchup chips

The go-to snack of choice for many Canadians, Ketchup chips can be found in convenience stores all across the country, although the best ones are said to be those made by Lay’s. These salty fried potato chips are covered in tangy red seasoning, so be sure to wash your hands after eating them!

Nanaimo bars

Named after the British Columbian city of Nanaimo, these decadent triple-layer bars feature a graham cracker crumb base which may also include coconut or nuts, followed by a layer of sweet custard and a crunchy chocolate topping. Irresistible!

Yellow split pea soup

A nourishing soup made using dried yellow split peas and a ham bone, yellow split pea soup is a classic Canadian comfort food dish. Most restaurants serve their own versions of the soup, but you can also find canned yellow split pea soup in most grocery stores.

Maple syrup-infused Canadian desserts

It wouldn’t be right for me to write about the most popular Canadian foods without giving maple syrup a mention. Canadian maple syrup is world renown for taste and quality. It tastes delicious drizzled over pancakes or waffles and Canadians also love to add maple syrup to cookies, cakes and candies, like the popular Canadian maple taffy (said to be a popular dish at La Buche restaurant in Quebec, Canada).

In fact, in parts of Canada, maple syrup is also used to flavour savoury foods too. Take Vancouver for example. Here, one of the most popular local delicacies you can try is maple-infused smoked salmon sushi, also known as candied salmon. You’ll find this dish at most leading restaurants, as well as at some of the Best hotels in Vancouver offering dining experiences.

Hodge Podge

Derived from Nova Scotia, Hodge Podge is a popular Canadian vegetable dish of potatoes, peas, green beans and carrots boiled in a milky broth with butter, pepper and salt. Typically, Hodge Podge is accompanied by canned corned beef to make for a hearty, comforting meal.

Have you ever been to Canada? Let us know your favourite traditional dishes in the comment box below.

Enjoyed reading this post? Take a look at some of my other foodie travel posts:

• Top 5 Nepali dishes and Nepalese food tips
• 10 Australian foods you simply must try
• A guide to eating out in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria
• A guide to eating out in Lagos, Algarve

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