What do Canadians Eat?

Wet Coast wrote:

we import vegetables from China. It arrives quicker than from the US.

Yeah, that makes sense.

It's difficult to talk about traditional Canadian foods, partly because there isn't much of a culinary tradition in Canada, but also because what traditions do exist are quite different from region to region. Quebec, being French, has some obvious traditional dishes (tortiere, for instance). The East Coast, where the first settlements were, has developed some traditions - though many of them are more or less the same as what you'd get in New England.

On the whole, Canadian cooking tends not to be very exciting. The main influence is whatever resources are at hand. BC has a lot of salmon, so that's a good choice. Any kind of game would be good, if you can get it. Maybe shellfish of some sort? I'm told that BC now produces some quite good wines, so if you can't get any of their microbrewery beer I would definitely choose that over Molson.

Charming Charlie wrote:

They eat Americans for breakfast.

I thought they all ate baby seals and whale blubber. I thought that's what all eskimos lived on; that and snow.

Olympic Menu wrote:

Opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics is coming up Friday. As always, we're having a few guests over for dinner. We typically serve traditional food of the host country, which was fun with Greece, Beijing, etc., but I'm struggling with a menu for Canada's games. Any ideas for traditional Canadian fare?

I can't believe this thread has gone on so long.

Canadians eat only ONE thing...BACK BACON! Then they drink some Molson's or Labatt's Blue and go watch their favorite hockey club, the Leafs.

Bob and Doug McKenzie wrote:

Beer and back bacon, eh. Take off ...

Ah, sorry...you beat me to it.

You wearing a touk?

Salmon is popular and try nanaimo bars for desert

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanaimo_bar

You must have chips and vinegar.

Here's a menu to choose from, I'll skip some things like beavertails (deep fried donuts) which I imagine would be hard to find outside of Canada.

Appetizer:

Pea Soup, or

mini-peameal bacon burgers (mini buns, back bacon, cheese and a garnish)

Main Course:

Poutine

Fish - Salmon or Halibut

Brocolli - It's not particularly canadian, but I love it.

Dessert:

Finish it off with the BC touch with Nanaimo Bars and a scoop of Vanilla Ice cream with a dollop of maple syrup on top.

Drinks:

Rye and Ginger (Canadian Whiskey and Canada Dry)

Beers: There's lots, but my faves are sleeman cream ale and granville island winter ale (a local vancouver brew)

Red Wine from the Niagara Region (Niagra-on-the-lake)

Hot Chocolate and Bailey's Irish Cream

is there canadian beer

Have anything you wish, just pour maple syrup on it.

>>Sleemans<<

There are very few craft breweries owned by the little guys. I named off the few who are that I know of. I think Sleemans isn't the little guy any more nor is Granville Island. But saying that, maybe they aren't tainting the quality process with the big brewer's way. Hopefully.

Geez if we have tell people what we eat....c'mon.

Eclectic, like anywhere.

Do some research on what the Haida, kwaguilf (sp) Songhees and other indigenous people ate.

Salmon - a biggee.

For the west coast anyway.

West Coast: International in Vancouver, very English elsewhere.

Prairies: Albert to Manitoba, Polish, German, Ukraine.

Ontario: Eclectic.

Quebec: French - MOntreal is cosmopolitan, but Quebec City is European like.

East coast: Might want to call it New Celticland.

I met a real Canadian one time and he told me that poutine is served in their igloos, as a side dish, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its washed down with many Molsons and some Yukon Jack. The main fare is usually bacon, whale blubber, moose or baby seals covered with maple syrup.

Darn, doesn't look like the moose meat will be accessible for Friday, so right now, the menu looks like this;

Sushi apps with whatever B.C. microbrews I can find, French Canadian yellow pea soup, Maple/soy-glazed salmon with Yukon-gold, garlic roasted spuds, fresh greens, and for dessert, Nanaimo bars with ice cream and the Maple syrup drizzle as described above. I'm sure I can find a good B.C. wine at our local wine shop. The Fraser Valley must have some vineyards.

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

Olympic Menu wrote:The Fraser Valley must have some vineyards.

I am a real Canadian and Poutine is served in the igloo.

We do eat a lot of baby seal meat. Eye balls are often mistaken for Okanagan grapes where the best Canadian wine is made.

whale blubber is sacred and a delicacy. Only on holidays now.