The one question that makes all Canadians ponder…what is considered a truly Canadian meal?
I know this challenging question has circled my workplace more than once – and aside from “poutine”, what do we consider truly Canadian? Honestly, we really had to think about this. Canada is such a melting pot that I feel our food has become the same. I’m not out to insult our great Canadian Chef’s, but this has been a burning question of mine for years. My interest was really tweaked when I came across this selection at my local book store – I was so intrigued that I asked to borrow my son’s phone to capture this photo (embarrassingly enough, he has the better camera)…
With my hospitality background, I’ve taken my fair share of cooking classes, but I don’t ever recall making a true Canadian meal, compared to numerous Italian or French cooking classes that various venues offer. For an experiment, we decided to Google “Canadian Cooking Classes”, the search provided me with the following:
- PC Cooking Classes (to my surprise) offering a variety of classes for young and old – touched on Poached Halibut Provençal and some British tarts, hmmm, doesn’t sound Canadian – but the Lobster Class sure does…
- Next site – Cook Culture based our of Victoria, BC – great variety of classes – Indian, Italian, French, with the Spain and Morocco class sold out, once again, doesn’t sound Canadian to me…
- Followed by – Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts School – need I say more…
Well, our search continued…this time we decided to search “Canadian foods”…entertaining to say the least. We discovered that (to my amazement) Kraft Dinner is a Canadian invention, along with Ketchup Chips…
That said, what constitutes as a “Canadian meal”, not just food items…? Feel free to share your thoughts; I would love to hear them!
Categories: Around Calgary, Opinions
The Road Trip Hound 
What about pancakes and maple syrup, with “Canadian” bacon strips. 😉
What an awesome combination!
Okay, so now that we take poutine off the table, and you probably put Beaver Tails in that same category. A few others would be the Nanaimo Bars, fiddleheads, Montreal Smoked Meat and my all time favourite, (though technically not a food item) is the great double-double Tim Hortons coffee! 🙂
Haha – only in Canada do we say “double-double”…!
So cool, eh? I love it! 🙂
Although I’m not Canadian, I would say that pea meal bacon is one of the most delicious things I ate in Canada and it’s found anywhere else. I vote for pea meal bacon! 🙂
I like your suggestion!
Is there a Canadian bacon in Canada?
Hi Lynn,
Yes, there is Canadian bacon and it’s yummy delicious! It doesn’t come in strips nor is it fatty like the regular bacon.