Eating in Canada

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There isn't much food in Canada that's known as being strictly "Canadian". Some English Canadians may be unaware they have any national dishes, especially in the cities. Look for bistros that serve local cuisine to avoid embarrassment. Such places also often serve local game meat dishes such as venison, caribou, grouse, moose or wild turkey.

Here are some of the few true Canadian treats.

Nanaimo bars
It consists of a crumb-based layer, followed by a layer of vanilla butter icing or light custard on top which is then covered in chocolate.

Buttertarts
A pastry treat that consists of eggs, butter and sugar in a pastry shell (much like a pecan pie). Can also include pecans, walnuts, raisins, dates, coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch or peanut butter.

Beaver tails
Fried dough in the shape of a beaver tail sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar or topped with fruit sauce.

Fiddleheads
Unfurled fronds of a young fern, cooked and eaten as a leaf vegetable. They contain shikimic acid so cannot be eaten raw.

French-Canadian cuisine can be found all over that incorporates many elements of dishes found in France and North America. Ham, peas and baked beans are staples.

Here are some of the specialties:

Oreilles de Christ (fried larding bacon)
Plorine (pork pie)
Cretons (mince of pork drippings)
Cipaille (vegetable and meat pie)
Tourtière (meat pie)
Poutine (French fries with cheese and gravy)
Tarte à la farlouche (pie made of flour, raisins and molasses)
Croquignoles (doughnuts cooked in shortening)
Tarte au sucre (sugar pie)

In the larger cities you can find food to suit just about any ethnic taste.

For Eastern European and Jewish specialties, head for Montreal. It is well known for it's bagels and smoked meat.

In just about every small town you will find a Chinese-Canadian restaurant serving traditional Chinese cuisine tailored to the tastes of North Americans. In the cities you can find authentic Chinese cuisine that rivals that found in China.

Most of the American chain restaurants have a well established presence in Canada. The following is a list of chains that you're bound to come across at least once as you explore Canada.

A&W
Earls
Harvey's
White Spot
Second Cup
Boston Pizza
St Hubert
Mary Brown's
Kelsey's
East Side Marios
Montana's
Tim Hortons
Humpty's
The Keg
Yogen Fruz
Swiss Chalet
La Belle Province
Lone Star Texas Grill