CANADIAN CUISINE: FROM COAST TO COAST
BON APPETITE!

2014-09-22
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We can’t say it enough – one of the greatest pleasures of traveling is the food. But in Canada, it’s difficult to get the full gastronomical experience: the country is huge, and each region has a culinary tradition inspired by those who settled there, with suitable food that was available at the time. Some provinces have dishes inspired by the cuisines of Scotland, France and England, while others have flavors of Germany, Eastern Europe and even Asia. Here is a list of regional specialties available to any backpacker, whether for a quick bite or to cook yourself!

THE MARITIMES REINVENT THE SANDWICH
In the Maritimes and eastern Quebec, instead of a hot dogs on every corner there are Lobster rolls – baguettes packed with a salad of lobster (or shrimp), mayonnaise and celery.

The Döner Kebab is a roasted lamb sandwich with origins dating back to the Ottoman Empire in the 1400s. Who would have thought that Halifax was a distant cousin of Istanbul? The city has invented it’s own version of the Döner Kebab – the Donair, where lamb is replaced with ground beef drizzled with a unique sauce made from condensed milk, sugar, garlic and vinegar.

MYSTERIOUS ORIGINS OF QUEBEC DISHES
You can’t talk about Canadian food without talking about Quebec poutine, a dish we all seem to either love or hate. Its simplest version is a dish of fries covered with brown gravy and fresh cheese curds. Today, there are hundreds of varieties with different types of meats, sauces, cheeses and even fries (poutine with sweet potato fries is a must-try!) The towns of Warwick and Drummondville argue about who invented this dish in the fifties, and it is likely that the conflict will never be resolved.

Chinese pie was voted the national dish of Quebec, and although it is difficult to find in restaurants it’s the perfect dish to cook at a hostel. It’s nourishing, it’s cheap to make and there are only three ingredients: a layer of ground beef (we add in onion), a layer of corn (half corn kernels and half cream corn) and a layer of mashed potatoes. Roasted in the oven and eaten with lots of ketchup! The friend of every traveler, you’ll never eat pasta with butter again.

There are three theories about the origin of the Chinese pie. The first case dates back to the construction of the transcontinental railroad, where the Chinese leaders had only three ingredients for cooking: beef, corn and potatoes. For others, the Chinese would block Canadians of French immigrants in the city of South China, Maine, in the thirties. Finally, some believe that the Chinese pie was first a loin pork pie … and with time, “spine” has mutated into “China” …

ONTARIO, A SUGAR LOVER’S DREAM

The Butter Tart or butter pie is a classic Canadian cuisine. This pie is made with butter, sugar, syrup and milk, cooked until the center is semi-solid and crispy top. The most common varieties also include nuts or fruits. In Ontario, the Butter Tart is a serious matter. Muskoka Lakes has its Buttertart Festival, Wellington North’s Butter Tart Trail, Northumberland County’s Butter Tart Tour, and the City of Midland’s Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival and Contest.

Orchards in the valley of Niagara offer a more healthy option: fresh fruit including the famous Ontario peaches, juicy and sweet!

CANADIAN CHOW MEIN AND MORE SUGAR IN THE WEST

If you really want to eat your money’s worth, nothing beats the Chinese buffet.  But wait, aren’t we dealing with Canadian specialties? All Chinese food in this country are adapted to local tastes and have little to do with genuine Chinese cuisine. Just try to find General Tao Chicken in Shanghai … In short, the Vancouver Chinese buffet goes back to logging camps, where Scandinavian origin workers gathered around the Chinese leader who had great food dishes on a table where everyone could eat their fill.

Nanaimo bars, named in honor of the city on Vancouver Island, are another Canadian classic for lovers of sugar. This is a bar made ​​of an embossed crust, cream or vanilla buttercream, covered with a layer of melted chocolate. As simple as it is delicious.

FROM COAST TO COAST

Whether eating it in a sandwich, on a bagel in Montreal, in pasta or smoked – salmon is a legacy of First Nations that can be found everywhere, whether you’re on the Atlantic or Pacific coast. Who says backpackers can’t be refined?

Bon appétit!

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Article from YHA Canada