150 Reasons Canada Rocks Pt. 3: Food & Drink
In honour of Canada's 150th birthday, I am documenting 150 reasons why Canada rocks on the blockchain. Each day leading up to July 1, I will choose a topic and give you the top 15 reasons I think Canada is awesome in that area.
Courtesy of GraphicStock.com
The first two topics were sports and health. Today we're going to move on to a duo that is much more delicious -- food and drinks.
Note: I was going to add some mouth-watering photos to this post, but my go-to site for stock pictures didn't carry photos of anything on this list. Which just goes to show you how Canadian these items really are.
15 Reasons Canada Rocks at Food and Drinks
Peanut butter. Because I am a lazy and impatient cook, a thick layer of peanut butter spread on toast is the main staple of my diet. Who do I have to thank for this simple, yet satisfying, snack? Montreal resident Marcellus Gilmore Edson, who first patented peanut butter in 1884.
Poutine. Crispy fries layered in squeaky cheese curds and thick brown gravy -- poutine is the epitome of comfort food. The Quebec classic is the perfect meal to warm your belly on a cold winter evening or -- since I ate poutine today -- a semi-hot early summer afternoon.
Coffee Crisp. Coffee flavouring plus chocolate. This made-in Canada chocolate bar is rarely spotted outside of the Canadian border, which kind of makes me want to shed a chocolate tear for all of you Coffee Crisp-deprived individuals in the rest of the world.
Maple Syrup. Canada is by far the largest producer of maple syrup. In fact, according to Wikipedia, the province of Quebec alone produces 70 per cent of the global maple syrup supply.
Beer Yes, I know. Everyone has beer. But Canadian beer is better. ;-)
Nanaimo bars. Wafer crumbs on the bottom, chocolate on the top, and a layer of golden-sweetness in the middle -- this is a classic Nanaimo bar. However, if you travel to Nanaimo, British Columbia to take the self-guided Nanaimo Bar Trail Tour, you'll be able to sample a wide variety of classic and specialty Nanaimo bars, whether your culinary tastes lean toward the deep-fried or the vegan, gluten- and dairy-free.
Tourtiere. This French Canadian meat pie is often served at Christmas -- at least, in our house -- but you can enjoy it year round. Made with seasoned, finely ground pork, the pies are often served with cranberries, dill pickles or ketchup. But be warned, choosing the wrong topping has torn many a friendship or family apart.
Saskatoons. Saskatoon berry bushes can be found in most of the country, from Ontario to British Columbia, and up to the Yukon. They are hardy, sweet and versatile -- like a typical Canadian. Nothing beats a fresh slice of Saskatoon berry pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (Take that, apple pie.)
Newfoundland screech. Newfoundlanders "screech in" or initiate visitors to the island by giving them a shot of this rum right before they pucker up to a cod fish.
Beavertails. A large, semi-flat piece of deep-fried dough covered in whatever toppings your heart desires -- sprinkles, chocolate or caramel, and candy. It's not good for you, but it's still so good. I once ate a beavertail while sitting on a bench watching the sunset over the Halifax harbour. It was a near perfect moment.
Tim Horton's coffee. Whether you order your coffee black, regular (one cream, one sugar) or as a double-double (two cream, two sugar), no coffee is more Canadian than the one you find at Tim Horton's. And if you really want to Canadian your coffee up, pair it with a Saskatoon berry muffin or a maple fritter.
Canadian bacon. In the U.S., Canadian bacon is basically bacon. In Canada, it's a lean, juicy meat that more closely resembles ham. Also, it's the name of a 1995 movie starring John Candy.
Butter tarts. Apparently, Canadians are all about their baked goods. These tarts boast a creamy filling made of butter, sugar and egg. Some choose to include raisins, but that's another Canadian controversy best left alone. FYI -- there's also a Butter Tart Trail tour in Ontario where you can decide which side of the raisin debate you fall on.
The Bloody Caesar. This cocktail was invented by Calgarian Walter Chell in 1969 and is officially Canada's national cocktail. It is so freakin' awesome that it now has it's own national holiday -- National Caesar Day. The main ingredients are vodka, Worchester and a salted rim -- and, most important, clamato juice -- but you can garnish it with pretty much anything, from pickled asparagus to a full-size cheeseburger.
Mott's, the company that makes clamato juice claims that more than 350-million Caesars are sold every year. So like, 10 Caesars a year for every Canadian man, woman and child. Sounds about right.
A smorgasboard. A smorgasboard is a Swedish term for a buffet-style meal with many different foods. Which pretty much describes Canadian cuisine to a T. Because one of the best parts of living in a multi-cultural country like Canada is that your taste buds get to enjoy many of the best foods the world has to offer, right here at home.
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Peanut butter. Because I am a lazy and impatient cook, a thick layer of peanut butter spread on toast is the main staple of my diet. Who do I have to thank for this simple, yet satisfying, snack? Montreal resident Marcellus Gilmore Edson, who first patented peanut butter in 1884.
Poutine. Crispy fries layered in squeaky cheese curds and thick brown gravy -- poutine is the epitome of comfort food. The Quebec classic is the perfect meal to warm your belly on a cold winter evening or -- since I ate poutine today -- a semi-hot early summer afternoon.
Coffee Crisp. Coffee flavouring plus chocolate. This made-in Canada chocolate bar is rarely spotted outside of the Canadian border, which kind of makes me want to shed a chocolate tear for all of you Coffee Crisp-deprived individuals in the rest of the world.
Maple Syrup. Canada is by far the largest producer of maple syrup. In fact, according to Wikipedia, the province of Quebec alone produces 70 per cent of the global maple syrup supply.
Beer Yes, I know. Everyone has beer. But Canadian beer is better. ;-)
Nanaimo bars. Wafer crumbs on the bottom, chocolate on the top, and a layer of golden-sweetness in the middle -- this is a classic Nanaimo bar. However, if you travel to Nanaimo, British Columbia to take the self-guided Nanaimo Bar Trail Tour, you'll be able to sample a wide variety of classic and specialty Nanaimo bars, whether your culinary tastes lean toward the deep-fried or the vegan, gluten- and dairy-free.
Tourtiere. This French Canadian meat pie is often served at Christmas -- at least, in our house -- but you can enjoy it year round. Made with seasoned, finely ground pork, the pies are often served with cranberries, dill pickles or ketchup. But be warned, choosing the wrong topping has torn many a friendship or family apart.
Saskatoons. Saskatoon berry bushes can be found in most of the country, from Ontario to British Columbia, and up to the Yukon. They are hardy, sweet and versatile -- like a typical Canadian. Nothing beats a fresh slice of Saskatoon berry pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (Take that, apple pie.)
Newfoundland screech. Newfoundlanders "screech in" or initiate visitors to the island by giving them a shot of this rum right before they pucker up to a cod fish.
Beavertails. A large, semi-flat piece of deep-fried dough covered in whatever toppings your heart desires -- sprinkles, chocolate or caramel, and candy. It's not good for you, but it's still so good. I once ate a beavertail while sitting on a bench watching the sunset over the Halifax harbour. It was a near perfect moment.
Tim Horton's coffee. Whether you order your coffee black, regular (one cream, one sugar) or as a double-double (two cream, two sugar), no coffee is more Canadian than the one you find at Tim Horton's. And if you really want to Canadian your coffee up, pair it with a Saskatoon berry muffin or a maple fritter.
Canadian bacon. In the U.S., Canadian bacon is basically bacon. In Canada, it's a lean, juicy meat that more closely resembles ham. Also, it's the name of a 1995 movie starring John Candy.
Butter tarts. Apparently, Canadians are all about their baked goods. These tarts boast a creamy filling made of butter, sugar and egg. Some choose to include raisins, but that's another Canadian controversy best left alone. FYI -- there's also a Butter Tart Trail tour in Ontario where you can decide which side of the raisin debate you fall on.
The Bloody Caesar. This cocktail was invented by Calgarian Walter Chell in 1969 and is officially Canada's national cocktail. It is so freakin' awesome that it now has it's own national holiday -- National Caesar Day. The main ingredients are vodka, Worchester and a salted rim -- and, most important, clamato juice -- but you can garnish it with pretty much anything, from pickled asparagus to a full-size cheeseburger.
Mott's, the company that makes clamato juice claims that more than 350-million Caesars are sold every year. So like, 10 Caesars a year for every Canadian man, woman and child. Sounds about right.
A smorgasboard. A smorgasboard is a Swedish term for a buffet-style meal with many different foods. Which pretty much describes Canadian cuisine to a T. Because one of the best parts of living in a multi-cultural country like Canada is that your taste buds get to enjoy many of the best foods the world has to offer, right here at home.
Happy Canada day.
I love this food and drink list. I was thinking of Canadians when I bought maplesyrup.eth! Never heard of The Blood Caesar before. Learn something new every day!
If you ever get the chance, you should try one. It's like a drink and meal in one -- perfect for a patio afternoon or after a night of too much other alcohol!
It's even delicious without the vodka. 🙂
Very good to know
Nice and excellent writing keep it up...
Upvoted and resteem
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