108 replies to this topic

[Marlene]

It occured to me tonight while I was fixing a drink that I was making something distinctly Canadian. Then I thought of a few other things that we seem to have or make only in Canada (besides Red Rose tea!)

For the purposes of this thread, we are Canadian. Not Western, Eastern or Central Canada. So what things can you add to the list below?

Bloody Ceasars
Peameal Bacon
Butter Tarts
Dry Ribs as appetizers


Carry on!

[Mayhaw Man]

It occured to me tonight while I was fixing a drink that I was making something distinctly Canadian.  Then I thought of a few other things that we seem to have or make only in Canada (besides Red Rose tea!)

For the purposes of this thread, we are Canadian.  Not Western, Eastern or Central Canada.  So what things can you add to the list below?

Bloody Ceasars
Peameal Bacon
Butter Tarts
Dry Ribs as appetizers


Carry on!

How about those peanut burger things? Surely (hopefully) those only exist in Canada.

[Mooshmouse]

Poutine
Tarte au sucre
Seal flipper pie
Tourtiere
Smoked salmon and candied salmon ("Indian Candy")
Montreal smoked meat
Maple syrup candy
Ketchup-flavoured potato chips
Coffee Crisp chocolate bars
Nanaimo bars

[barolo]

Rye whisk(e)y can't remember the spelling
Montreal style bagels
Saskatoon berries
MacKintosh's Toffee

[chromedome]

The old-timers love their flipper pie...personally I like the seal's liver best.

There are a few interesting Acadian dishes, like "Rappie Pie..."

And the traditional Newfoundland beer snacks, salted dried caplin and salted dried squid, served after heating on top of the woodstove. And hey, there's fish 'n' brewis; and damper dogs (though I believe the Aussies do something similar); and toutens.

...and I haven't seen anyone make pink potato salad outside Newfoundland (it's got pickled beets in).

All the Purity products...the lemon biscuits, peppermint knobs, etc.

I guess this has gotten all regional, hasn't it. Sorry.

[Marlene]

How about those peanut burger things? Surely (hopefully) those only exist in Canada.

Don't knock them till you've tried them Brooks dear.

[Marlene]

Beaver tails!

[maggiethecat]

Licorice Allsorts.

[Pan]

If you can claim smoked meat, surely you can claim maple syrup and maple candy, too.

[Mooshmouse]

If you can claim smoked meat, surely you can claim... maple candy, too.

Maple syrup candy

I did!

Almost forgot bison/buffalo burgers, not to mention bison hot dogs.

There's also bannock and fry bread (the not-so-sweet cousin of beaver/whale tails).

And I've been wanting to forget "Baby Duck"... "baby Canadian champagne".

[wattacetti]

Coffee Crisp chocolate bars 

Though now being secretly imported to the SFO area (and I have received a photo to prove it), Coffee Crisps are the great corporate equalizer.

Anyway, in a related note to Bloody Caesars, there's also Clamato juice.

[Marlene]

.  Then I thought of a few other things that we seem to have or make only in Canada (besides Red Rose tea!)

I don't think smoked meat, smoked salmon or maple syrup qualify under the above statement. I also recall seeing bison burgers in a restaurant in Wyomming somewhere once.

[Dave the Cook]

One of my favorite eG Forums topics, and one full of Canadian-only eats: Newfies.

[carswell]

Red River cereal (why it isn't exported is beyond me)
Mae West (the confection, not the person)
Ice cider
Lake Manitoba whitefish caviar
Any number of Quebec cheeses and surely a few from elsewhere
Matane shrimp
Spruce beer
Various oysters (Pickle Point, Malpèque, etc.)
Caribou

Edit: Removed poutine and Montreal-style bagels.

Edited by carswell, 27 June 2005 - 08:11 PM.

[carswell]

Chocolate-covered blueberries
Oreilles de Christ
Maple taffy ice cream
Hot Chicken (the sandwich)
St-Hubert/Swiss Chalet-type "barbecue"
Pouding chômeur
Cipâte
Salmon pie (pâte au saumon)
Herbes salées
Lobo and Melba apples
Montreal melons

Edited by carswell, 27 June 2005 - 08:35 PM.

[ludja]

Specialty from Montreal/Quebec:

trempette (bread soaked with maple syrup and topped with creme fraiche or cream)

[chromedome]

Oh, geez, we must have collectively blocked it from our minds...

Tim Horton's. God help us.

[Pam R]

Red River cereal (why it isn't exported is beyond me)

Lake Manitoba whitefish caviar
Edit: Removed poutine and Montreal-style bagels.

What is Red River cereal (asks one who lives along the Red River)?

Smoked Goldeye

Smarties


Shmoo!

[carswell]

Oh, geez, we must have collectively blocked it from our minds...

Tim Horton's.  God help us.

If TH qualfies, then so do nun's farts (pets de nonne).

[carswell]

What is Red River cereal (asks one who lives along the Red River)?

www.redrivercereal.com

[Dave the Cook]

Smarties

Smarties? These? If so, I beg to differ on their Canadiality.

Canadianity.

Canadianess.

[CaliPoutine]

Hawkin's cheezies

Oh and does anyone else put bacon in their cesaer salads? They do here in Ontario and I still find it kinda odd.

Edited by CaliPoutine, 27 June 2005 - 09:21 PM.

[CaliPoutine]

Smarties

Smarties? These? If so, I beg to differ on their Canadiality.

Canadianity.

Canadianess.

wrong smarties. When I first moved here, I was confused too. The smarties they are talking about are candy coated chocolates, kinda like the plain M & M's I think smarties are a bit flatter and they come in different colors.

[piperdown]

Smarties

Smarties? These? If so, I beg to differ on their Canadiality.

Canadianity.

Canadianess.

Exactly, those are American Smarties..these are Canadian Smarties

Smarties. Poor America.





That being said, they're actually British.

Edited by piperdown, 27 June 2005 - 09:25 PM.

[Dave the Cook]

My bad.

But they're still not Canadian.

[Pam R]

Smarties

Smarties? These? If so, I beg to differ on their Canadiality.

Canadianity.

Canadianess.

Yes. as everybody said those were the wrong smarties.

British - feh!

All I know is that when I went to university in the US I was forced to bring sacs of the things down for my American dormmates.... British, Canadian, British, Canada.... she's our Queen too - does it matter??

Edited by Pam R, 28 June 2005 - 05:53 AM.

[lexy]

Wow, I had no idea some of these things were not available outside of Canada - and so many good things too! (mmm, beaver tails).

I've never heard of Clamato juice outside of Canada (I always get funny looks if I try to explain - "Clam juice? You want clam juice?").

Also, la tire, Nanaimo bars (well, I'm guessing - they're named for a Canadian city after all), a sort of pickle/relish called chow-chow that only seems popular with Nova Scotians of my grandmother's generation.

Red River cereal is a mix of grains (mostly cracked wheat and flax seeds I think). I mix some with steel cut oats to make porridge, some people make a porridge just using Red River cereal.

[malcolmjolley]

White vinegar on our fries.

[carswell]

Also, la tire, Nanaimo bars (well, I'm guessing - they're named for a Canadian city after all), a sort of pickle/relish called chow-chow that only seems popular with Nova Scotians of my grandmother's generation.

La tire = maple taffy, right? Not uniquely Canajun, I'm afraid. Though incorporating it into vanilla ice cream is, as far as I know.

Can't vouch for the Nova Scotia product, but chowchow is a fairly common condiment in at least some parts of the US (e.g. the southern Midwest).

Red River cereal is a mix of grains (mostly cracked wheat and flax seeds I think). I mix some with steel cut oats to make porridge, some people make a porridge just using Red River cereal.

Cracked wheat, rye and flax. I make porridge with Red River and a few raisins and serve it with warm milk and brown or maple sugar. Yum.

Another candy to add to the list: Cherry Blosom. Only in Canada.

And what about KitKat, Mr. Big and Aero? Are they distinctly Canadian?

Edited by carswell, 28 June 2005 - 06:36 AM.

[piperdown]

Beaver tails!

I hate to admit this, as it's a little embarrassing, but if anyone will understand it's you guys. So here's the story:

I lived in Indiana for a year (a year too long), and went with a few friends to the Indiana State Fair. We had had a bit to drink wandered around eating, since I really only go to fairs for the food. We came across a booth selling 'Elephant Ears', which my friends said were awesome, so I get one, and it's a God damn Beaver Tail. I lost it, and went on a 15 minute rant on American's trying to lay claim to everything, and misappropriating the beaver tail, and how they were trying to hide the Canadianness of the Beaver Tail by changing its name, just like they do with everything else and there aren't even any elephants in America and blah, blah, blah fishcakes.

Did I mention that I had been drinking?

Not the most shining moment of my life, but sometimes you just got to set the record straight.