Truly Canadian: 18 foods that are 100% Cannuck

When one thinks of maple syrup, one thinks of Canada! The First Indigenous people in what is now Canada and the United States are responsible for discovering this delicious sweetener. However, these days, Quebec alone is responsible for 75% of the maple syrup distributed worldwide!

Bannock is a traditional First Nations quick bread. Some prepare it flat, cooked in a cast-iron pan. However, growing up, we were taught that the most traditional method was to twist the dough around a stick and cook it over a campfire. There are many recipes online if you want to give it a try. It is a fun camping activity with kids too!

Pemmican is a high-energy, highly nutritious food invented by the Indigenous peoples of North America. Later, European fur trappers and Arctic explorers adopted it and made it their own. Pemmican is usually a mixture of tallow, dried meat, and dried berries.

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Nanaimo Bars are named after Nanaimo, British Columbia. They consist of a delicious mixture of chocolate, custard, coconut, and cookie crumbs. If you are a chocolate lover and you haven't tried them, you are in for a little piece of heaven.

Peameal bacon, also known as Canadian bacon in the rest of the world, is back bacon made from boneless pork loin and rolled in cornmeal.
William Davies is said to be the inventor of this delicious cured meat. The story goes he wanted to ship some brine-cured pork loin to relatives in England and rolled it in ground peas to help preserve it. Everyone loved it, so he continued to prepare pork in this way and sell it in Toronto as well.

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Poutine is the second most famous dish in Canada. Created in Quebec, French-Canadians had the wonderful idea of covering french fries with fresh cheese curds and topping them with gravy. While this dish may not be good for cholesterol, it certainly is good for the soul!

Even though the US is probably more well known for peanut butter production, it was patented in Montreal in 1884. Marcellus Gilmore Edson obtained a patent for a method of creating peanut butter from roasted peanuts, and his cooled product had the consistency of butter. Sugar was added to the paste to help give the peanut butter a thicker consistency.

Created by James Lewis Kraft, a native of Fort Erie, Ontario, Kraft Dinner is a Canadian household staple. No, he didn't invent pasta or the idea of putting cheese on pasta, but he had the very clever and convenient idea of putting it all in a non-perishable format in a box. It's pretty yummy too!

Hawaiian pizza has provoked many a passionate debate about whether it is "real" pizza or not. It doesn't matter if you love it or hate it; Hawaiian pizza is definitely a Canadian invention. Greek-Canadian Sam Panopoulos came up with the creation in Chatham, Ontario, in 1962. Panopoulos worked at the Satellite Restaurant, and one day while experimenting with pizza topping, came up with the idea of putting ham and pineapple on a pizza. And thus, a Canadian pizza restaurant staple was born.

A beavertail is fried dough in the shape of, well, a beaver tail! It can be topped with an endless variety of toppings, but the classic is cinnamon sugar and a squirt of lemon juice. Yum! The chain, 'BeaverTails' was started by Grant and Pam Hooker in Killaloe, Ontario, in 1978 when they sold them for the first time at the Killaloe Craft Fair. Two years later, they opened their first stand in Ottawa.

A truly Canadian comfort food! Originating in Quebec, split pea soup is traditionally made with dried peas, pork, and herbs. Every household has its own variations, and this filling dish is just what you need after being outside on a cold winter's day!

The origins of the Canadian butter tart go all the way back to the pioneer days, making it a genuine Canadian treat. Butter, sugar, syrup, eggs, and a flaky pastry crust all go into this tasty treat. Some people add raisins, some add nuts, whatever the family recipe is, it is hard to stop at just one!

Some call the Caesar Canada's national cocktail. It was invented in 1969 by Walter Chell, who worked at the Calgary Inn. He was asked to come up with a signature drink for the restaurant, so he mixed vodka, clamato juice, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce. Hugely popular for its uniquely spicy flavor, it has been a favorite at Canadian brunches ever since.

John J. McLaughlin of Ontario created Canada dry, and it is now produced in many countries around the world. Many children were offered a glass of flat Canada Dry when they had a bad tummy growing up, but it is also very refreshing on a hot summer's day.

New Yorkers and Montrealers have butted heads more than once over who has the superior bagel! Montreal bagels are baked in wood fire ovens and are thinner, denser, and sweeter compared to their American cousins. A fresh one from a Montreal bagel shop will make your day!

(Photo: Instagram@stviateurbagel)

Try the pie made with the berries the city of Saskatoon is named after! That's right; Saskatoon is named after Saskatoon berries! Many describe the berry as having an almondy and sweet taste; combine that with a flaky pie crust, and you have a winning combination!
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The 'poor man's pudding' was invented by French-Canadian housewives during the Great Depression. It is a basic cake covered in hot syrup, but it is a delicious and comforting dessert.

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The French Canadian tourtière is a savory meat pie made with potatoes, pork, veal, beef, or game meat. Popular in Quebec and New Brunswick, it is traditionally eaten at Christmas and New Year's Eve in French-Canadian households.

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