Canadian cuisine: 20 dishes that reflect the country's size and diversity

CNN

17 hours ago

Ask one of my fellow Canadians to describe our nation's cuisine and you may very well be met with a blank stare, followed by a few mumbles about poutine and maple syrup being awesome.
It's a tough question to answer.
Taking up a space of 3.8 million square miles, Canada is the world's second-largest country, its terrain and waters offering a diverse range of ingredients that have been incorporated into the culinary traditions of its multicultural population.
For example, skilled chefs from Canada's Indigenous communities have increasingly been highlighting traditional flavors, presenting them in new and delicious ways everywhere from restaurants to food trucks.
And then there are the many outside influences that have contributed a wealth of flavors to our national palate, some dating back centuries.
'To me, Canadian food is strongly defined by its multiculturalism and diversity, which is partly expressed through diasporic cuisines,' Clayton Ma, an editor with the Canadian Encyclopedia, which offers in-depth articles on many of Canada's most famous dishes, tells CNN Travel.
'For instance, the Chinese Canadian community has established strong roots in this country and, as such, the Chinese food scene in places like the Greater Toronto Area is really authentically excellent, easily on par with places like Hong Kong even.'
In addition to British and French influences, he notes Canada's settler cuisines 'have been shaped by multiple immigration cohorts over time. Some notable ones which come to mind are the Jewish, Ukrainian, Chinese, Portuguese, Southwest and South Asian communities.'
As for the question of whether there's one dish that could be described as 'Canada on a plate,' he says the country is far too diverse.
'That said, poutine, especially with the way it's been shaped by the Montreal scene, is a good icon because it allows different gastronomic cultures to meet,' he notes.
Naturally, we had to include the famed dish in the following list of top Canadian foods, put together in honor of Canada Day, which falls on July 1.
You know which dish didn't make the cut? Hawaiian pizza. It was indeed invented in Canada, but many of us are happy to let the US claim ownership of that one.
Poutine is one of those dishes that appears incredibly simple to make — French fries, squeaky cheese curds and gravy. But not all poutines are created equal and the taste depends on the quality of ingredients. (For instance, you're going to want to use Prince Edward Island potatoes for those fries.)
And like many great dishes, there's more than one claim about who invented it.
Most food historians agree it originated in rural Quebec in the late 1950s, and the word 'poutine' is Québécois slang for mess.
Today, you can find it anywhere. Diners. Pubs. High-end restaurants. And as Ma notes, there are now many variations.
'In Montreal, poutine ― while originally a Québécois dish ― has been reshaped by a number of other gastronomic cultures,' he says.
'Famously, you have things like smoked meat poutine which of course borrows from the Jewish community or Portuguese chicken poutine. Recently, I even tried a Vietnamese-inspired poutine which featured Vietnamese-style grilled meats! I can go on, there's also butter chicken poutine, Haitian-style poutine with griot and pikliz, etc.'
These much-loved pastries are oval, flat and long — just like a beaver's tail. The dough is deep-fried until golden, then topped with a variety of ingredients, usually sweet.
Looking to sample some of these sweet treats? Fortunately, though many people make their own at home, the original inventors now operate a chain of 'BeaverTails' restaurants, which can be found all over Canada.
According to the company, former US President Barack Obama enjoyed a beaver tail during a visit to Ottawa in 2009, and they were featured in a 2015 episode of South Park.
A staple at picnics, potlucks and celebrations in many Canadian homes, these no-bake treats are made up of three layers.
There are flavor variations, but a good Nanaimo bar should have a buttery custard filling that sits over the base, which is usually made of a mix of graham cracker crumbs and shredded coconut. This delectable combo is topped with a layer of chocolate ganache.
Pinpointing its origin is difficult and there are many claims to the recipe, including under different dessert names.
But, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia, it was the inclusion of Nanaimo bars in the official Expo 86 cookbook that helped expose the dessert's deliciousness to the world.
The city of Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, has understandably embraced its sweet fame and offers many options for those wanting to sample them in shops and restaurants.
The province of Quebec has contributed heavily to Canada's culinary scene, so much so that we could easily put together a separate list of classic Québécois dishes. Among the most famous is tourtière, a meat pie with a golden flaky crust that's often served at Christmas gatherings.
According to Canadian Food Focus, it was eaten as far back as the 1600s, when the French began settling in Quebec.
Fillings often include ground beef, veal or pork, as well as potatoes and various spices including cloves and nutmeg.
While we're on the subject of pie, this one is not savory but it's definitely tasty. Famous in Canada's prairie provinces, Saskatoon berry pie, as the name suggests, is filled with Saskatoon berries. It's even been featured on a Canadian postage stamp.
As for the taste, Saskatoon berries are often described as a nuttier version of a blueberry. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, 'Saskatoon' is derived from the Cree word for these berries, which thrive in cold temperatures.
A 2019 report by Canada's national broadcaster, the CBC, quotes Caroline Harris, a traditional knowledge keeper from Saskatchewan's Big Island Lake Cree Nation, as saying the berry has played a 'huge role in our culture for thousands of years.'
'We use them in soups, pies, to sweeten our teas, in bannock,' she said. 'You can also use them for dyes.'
Bannock is a traditional quick bread that takes its name from the early Scottish settlers who arrived in North America during the 18th and 19th centuries and cooked it on a bannock stone. Today, it is widely associated with Canada's First Nations communities.
It often makes an appearance at festivals and family gatherings, and is usually deep-fried, oven-baked or pan-fried. And according to the CBC, most Indigenous families have their own unique recipes, which are passed down from generation to generation.
Want to sample bannock during your next visit to Canada? There are plenty of restaurants and food trucks that have you covered, including Salmon n' Bannock Vancouver, Tea N Bannock (Toronto) and Bannock Express (Saskatoon).
Yes, the US has these too. And it may even have invented them, claim various food historians. But Canada's lobster rolls are delicious as well, and we're willing to bet the Atlantic lobsters caught to make them don't concern themselves with matters of maritime borders as they freely wander the waters of our great nations.
The provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are all excellent places to sample the country's famed lobster rolls.
Usually served on a grilled hot dog bun, in some versions the thick, juicy chunks of lobster are mixed with butter, lemon juice, salt and black pepper, while other variants use mayonnaise and can include chopped celery or scallions.
This is another comforting home-cooked dish that was born out of convenience.
The Canadian Food Focus organization notes the main ingredients — yellow split peas and pork — were easy to transport and store, making it a popular dish for French sailors and fur traders who began traveling to Canada in the 17th century.
Today, it remains a beloved staple of Québécois cuisine.
Right up there with Nanaimo bars, butter tarts are another beloved Canadian dessert.
These small sweet tarts feature a flaky pastry shell, which is filled with a buttery, sweet filling that typically includes some type of syrup.
Some prefer to add raisins, others like them plain. The rebellious among us will add pecans.
Butter tarts have been around for a while. The first published recipe appeared in 1900, in 'The Women's Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook,' reports the Canadian Encyclopedia.
'Ontarians love their butter tarts — they're like mini pecan pies, what's not to love! — while people out west favor Nanaimo bars, sometimes called smog bars or prayer bars in the US,' Andrew McIntosh, a senior Canadian Encyclopedia editor, told CNN in 2024.
British Columbia's wild Pacific salmon is legendary.
Famed for its rich flavor, there are various species in the province's coastal waters, including sockeye, coho and Chinook.
It can be prepared countless ways, with many ingredients, but sushi fans will want to give 'the B.C. roll' a try.
Said to have been invented by a Japanese chef in Vancouver in the 1990s, this 'uramaki' roll usually contains barbecued salmon skin and cucumber, with the rice on the outside.
A report published by the University of British Columbia notes that Pacific salmon provides far more than just food for many Indigenous Peoples across the Pacific Rim.
'They are part of traditions that go back thousands of years, such as the First Salmon Ceremony — a celebration to welcome salmon back from their journey into the ocean, and to pay them respect,' says the article.
Amongst our many flavors of potato chips, there's one that stands out as uniquely Canadian: Ketchup chips.
One can't help but wonder why they never caught on in the US, because these bright red tangy flavor bombs are addictive.
Thankfully some appear to be in the know. Back in 2023, an American father-son duo went viral for driving for two days from the state of Virginia in a vintage army jeep to reach Niagara Falls, where they stocked up on 40 bags of Ketchup chips.
Warning: The seasoning is so bright it stains your fingers — a telltale sign that someone has indulged in a bag. You can find ketchup chips in any convenience or grocery store, produced by all the major potato chip brands.
A traditional Newfoundland dish, fish and brewis features salted, dried codfish and a type of biscuit referred to as 'hard bread.'
Soaked and boiled, the mixture is sometimes served with 'scrunchions' — crispy pieces of fried salted pork fat.
The preparation offers hints of its origins — it was developed by fishermen who needed their meals to last through long voyages at sea.
Other popular foods visitors to the province should sample include Figgy Duff — a pudding that doesn't actually contain figs — and a traditional Jiggs Dinner, a reflection of Newfoundland's Irish influences.
Don't let the name fool you. Though Pouding Chômeur translates to 'poor man's pudding,' its humble origins overshadow the decadence of this dish.
A traditional Québécois dessert created during the Great Depression, it's made with cake batter, which is baked in a hot syrup (today that's usually maple syrup), creating a delicious caramelized sauce.
On the surface, Halifax donairs resemble Greek gyros or Turkish doner kebabs.
But this east coast fast food item has a taste all its own.
The spiced, ground beef, cooked on a vertical spit, is sliced onto a warm pita. The donair sauce makes it unique — it's made with condensed milk and has a sweet, garlicky flavor.
Originally a late-night treat in Halifax, donair cravings have since spread to all corners of the nation.
According to Tourism Nova Scotia, of which Halifax is the capital, the restaurant King of Donair was the first to introduce donairs, in 1973, and since 2015 it has been officially recognized as 'the official food of Halifax.'
Prince Edward Island, or just PEI, is Canada's smallest province but one of its top culinary destinations.
Fresh Atlantic mussels, clams, lobster, crab and fish and chips are all on the menu there, but the oysters deserve a special mention, thanks to the unique properties of the island's coastal waters.
Malpaques are the most famous variety, now found on menus all over the world thanks to the 1900 Exposition Universelle, a world's fair in Paris that​ declared it the best oyster on the planet, praising its clean and sweet finish.
The Malpeque Oyster Barn, in Malpeque Bay, has been shucking and serving since 1999. Meanwhile, Tourism PEI has put together a nice overview of other popular oyster varieties as well, including Raspberry Points and Valley Pearls.
Pierogies are hugely popular in Western Canada, thanks to its massive population of Ukrainian and Polish descendants, which has adapted them to local tastes over the years.
They're most commonly filled with mashed potatoes and cheese and pan-fried or boiled, then served with sour cream and bacon bits. There are sweet options too, including versions filled with Saskatoon berries.
The world's largest pierogy statue, fork and all, can be found in the small town of Glendon, in northern Alberta. It stands 27 feet tall and weighs 6,000 pounds, a testament to the area's history as a farming community; many early 19th-century immigrants from Eastern Europe settled in the Glendon area.
Sometimes touted as a healthier option to beef, bison meat is leaner but has a richer, earthier taste. Don't let the 'h' word scare you. It's delicious.
Often referred to as buffalo, bison has been a staple of Indigenous cuisine for centuries, also providing materials for clothing and shelter, among other uses.
Today, bison burgers are a popular menu item at restaurants in the prairies, where bison are raised.
Among the ones we would love to sample is the bison burger at the Feast Café Bistro in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a restaurant specializing in Indigenous cuisine.
Its version, served on a fresh bannock bun, features a hand-pressed Manitoba bison patty, alder-smoked bacon, wild blueberry BBQ sauce, red onions, dill pickles, fresh tomato, lettuce, mayo, mustard and cheddar.
Reflecting the city's Jewish deli culture, Montreal smoked meat is said to have been brought over in the late 19th or early 20th century by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.
It's made with beef brisket that's been cured, smoked and brined in a mixture of spices including whole peppercorns, coriander, mustard seeds and garlic.
The brisket is typically sliced by hand, piled onto slices of rye bread and topped with yellow mustard. But these days you can even find it on poutine, as Ma notes.
Tourisme Montréal offers an in-depth guide to the city's smoked meat scene, highlighting the debate around its origins and a few recommendations on where to try it, including the legendary Schwartz's Deli, which has been around since 1928.
All right New York, settle down. We're not here to argue about who does them best.
The bagel was first brought to North America by Jewish immigrants from Poland and other Eastern European countries. But there are a few subtle differences between the versions found in the two great cities that made them famous.
'The dough in a Montreal bagel is boiled in honey water, hand-rolled, then baked in a wood-fire oven,' explains the Canadian Encyclopedia. 'The recipe contains malt flower and no salt or eggs. The result is a crispier, slightly sweeter, flatter, more compact bread than what comprises the more puffy, smooth-surfaced New York bagel.'
Let's just celebrate their differences and agree they're all delicious.
You didn't think we'd leave Canada's most famous culinary staple off the list, did you?
Maple syrup is incredibly versatile and used for a lot more than just pancakes. Maple-glazed salmon, for example, is divine.
The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers group — often called 'the OPEC of maple syrup' — refers to it as liquid gold, noting that Canada's First Nations people were harvesting the sap long before Europeans arrived.
For a quintessentially Canadian experience, try snow taffy. Hot maple syrup is poured onto snow or ice, causing it to solidify into a sticky, chewy treat that's rolled onto a wooden stick.
Karla Cripps is a senior producer with CNN Travel. Originally from Canada, she has been living in Thailand for more than 20 years and plans to mark Canada Day with a meal at her favorite Bangkok poutine restaurant.