Traditional Food In Canada

traditional food in canada
Swadeep Singh
Swadeep Singh 
Updated
| 4 min read

Canada is one beautiful country that gets a huge amount of tourism all year round. If you’re an outsider then probably you’ve only heard about the countless lakes of every shape, the mountain ranges, and maybe the beautiful bear-filled landscapes of Yukon and British Columbia. You might have also heard about the amazing accommodations such as green hotels and Airbnb vacation rentals. But from the perspective of a foodie like me, for visiting Canada, one major factor is the ‘Traditional True Canadian Cuisine’ which one can only get while in Canada. Our list is dedicated to foodies worldwide because we understand that you need one more reason to seal the plan, and you won’t be disappointed by our listings. Check out our curated list for some sumptuous traditional food in Canada.

1. Poutine

Food at WIkimanian 2017 02
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Camelia.boban used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Originated in the Canadian Province of Quebec, Poutine is a dish that surpasses all others. It is also one of the things Canada is famous for. According to a survey conducted by a Canadian newspaper, ‘The Globe and Mail’ 51% of users considered ‘Poutine’ as the national dish of Canada. The dish has many variations but we tell you a common recipe, start with cutting potatoes in French-fry style but baking them in the oven instead, cheese curd and brown gravy is added later to the mix and it is then cooked in a chicken or beef broth. This is eaten as both staple and fast-food.

NomNomNom Poutine

Address: 707 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5T 2W6, Canada

Contact:+1 647-636-0707

Website: NomNomNom Poutine

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2. Apple pie

Apple pie
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Dan Parsons used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Apple Pie has deep roots in the Canadian cuisine and one can get this common slogan for being too Canadian, that he is “as Canadian as apple pie”. This fruit pie has a filling of fresh spy-apples and the crust is glazed with butter and powdered sugar or maple syrup.

Wanda's Pie In The Sky

Address: 287 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M2, Canada

Contact:+1 416-236-7585

Website: Wanda’s Pie In The Sky

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3. Butter tarts

Pecan butter tart, May 2011
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Hisakazu Watanabe used under CC BY-SA 2.0

Butter Tarts have an eastern Canadian origin but it is also considered as the favorite food for pastry or muffin enthusiasts. This sweet-tart muffin cup is prepared with butter, lard, maple syrup and has walnut, raisin, currants and brown sugar filled in its core. This is an essential treat for you if you ever visit Canada.

Kawartha Buttertart Factory

Address: 895 Water St, Warsaw, ON K0L 3A0, Canada

Contact: +1 705-313-4190

Website: Kawartha Buttertart Factory

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4. Lobster rolls

Lobster Roll
Source: Photo by Flickr user Neil Conway used under CC BY 2.0

This roll is native to England but now it is Canada’s favorite fast-food. Lobster Rolls are hot-dog-style buns, filled with chewy lobster meat stuffing covered in a rich mayonnaise spread, pepper, and fresh spices. Even buns have their own flavor of butter and dill leaves. Do consider this fast-food when you feel hungry between meals.

Blue Mussel Cafe

Address: 312 Harbourview Dr, North Rustico, PE C0A 1X0, Canada

Contact: +1 902-963-2152

Website: Blue Mussel Cafe

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5. Tourtière

Greatest tourtière in the history of the universe
Source: Photo by Flickr user Al Mendelsohn used under CC BY 2.0

This meat-pie came with the French-Canadians and it is Canada’s favorite Christmas meal today. Quebecers love it so much that they consider Tourtière as their state-cuisine. There are no conventional fillings to be used for cooking Tourtière, hence you may find different stuffings used in different restaurants. Salmon meat, minced beef or pork - every experimental stuffing is right with Tourtière. Try as many varieties as you can, this meat pie tastes delicious with applesauce.

Le Papillon On Front

Address: 69 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1B5, Canada

Contact:+1 416-367-0303

Website: Le Papillon On Front

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6. Yellow pea soup

Yellow Split Pea Soup
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Qfamily used under CC BY-SA 2.0

We believe that the Canadian cuisine is largely influenced by the Quebecers. Hence, we present you another Quebecer essential that is served all over Canada, The traditional Yellow Pea Soup. This healthy soup came with the French but now it has a unique Canadian touch. Canadians prepare their version with whole yellow peas instead of split peas, with a ham bone, chicken stock, herbs, and flavoring. After cooking, they take out the bone and cut off any meat still left on it, the sliced meat is then added back to the soup.

Chez Boulay Bistro Boréal

Address: 110 Rue Saint-Jean, Québec, QC G1R 1S4, Canada

Contact: +1 418-380-8166

Website: Chez Boulay Bistro Boréal

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7. Doner kebab

Agreed that a Shawarma and the Doner kebab is a Turkish delicacy but believe us, this is different. The original Turkish ‘Shawarma Kebab’ was introduced to Nova Scotia in the 1970s. But Canadians quickly customized the recipe. You will see spiced ground-beef in the Canadian version and one special ‘Doneir Sauce’ that they have invented for this kebab. The sauce is mainly made up with milk, vinegar, salt, and spices.

Johnny K's Authentic Donairs

Address: 5246 Blowers St, Halifax, NS B3J 1Z6, Canada

Contact: +1 902-420-1010

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8. Montreal style smoked meat

Schwartz smoked meat montreal
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user chensiyuan used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Montreal style smoked meat is precisely prepared from beef brisket. The meat is cleaned and left to soak for a couple of days, then it is rubbed with different ground spices and again left for a couple of days. Finally smoked in a barbeque and rested overnight to allow the intense flavour to develop. Smoked brisket is now steamed to tenderize the flesh. Sliced flavored meat is served between slices of bread and smeared with mustard sauce. A good Montreal style smoked meat sandwich would take about 8 days from start to finish, but the wait is worthwhile. Anyway, you can always have this most delicious sandwich from a popular restaurant.

Schwartz's Deli

Address: 3895 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, QC H2W 1X9, Canada

Contact: +1 514-842-4813

Website: Schwartz’s Deli

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9. Oka cheese

Oka cheese 2
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Y6y6y6 used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

Oka cheese is also known as ‘Canada’s Finest Cheese’. This cheese was prepared in Canada by the Trappist monks in the late 18th century when they were experimenting with some Italian cheese preparations in the Oka village. Hence the cheese was christened by this unique name. It is prepared from cow milk and it has a distinctly Canadian flavor. The semi-soft cheese takes about three months to age. It’s a brilliant take-home product when you’re exploring Quebec.

Magasin de l’Abbaye d’Oka

Address: 1600 chemin d’Oka, Oka, QC J0N 1E0, Canada

Contact: +1 450-479-6170

Website: Magasin de l’Abbaye d’Oka

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10. Cretons

Cretons (French-Canadian Pork Pate)
Source: Photo by Flickr user Carol used under CC BY-ND 2.0

True Canadians start their day with Creton and toast, it’s a heavy breakfast meat spread that is served cold. Traditional Creton is made with extra-fat pork meat because the fat helps to make it a more spreadable paste. Ground-pork, minced onions, and mix spices are boiled in milk until it gets a soft consistency, and extra bacon fat is added to give it a glaze. Finally, the breadcrumbs help to bind everything together. Creton tastes really good with mustard sauce or pickle and is a great way to start your day.

St Lawrence Restaurant

Address: 269 Powell St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1G3, Canada

Contact: +1 604-620-3800

Website: St Lawrence Restaurant

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Canada is a foodie-paradise

Canada has a cosmopolitan society and the early settlers were British, French and Scottish. The former Canadian Prime-Minister Joe Clark once said ‘Canada has a cuisine of cuisines’. We would like to be clear that this list has only the ten most-favored dishes from Canadian cuisine because there are a lot more. If you ever feel that the list is too short, then do try the Game-Meat. Don’t forget to check out the halal restaurants and eateries inside shopping malls as well, for more food options. After all, Canada is not just pleasing to the eye, it’s a foodie-paradise too.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Also known as Bobby, Swadeep Singh is a businessman since 2013 but he has forever nurtured a passion for writing. Traveling never makes him exhausted, which is why he's never known turn down any...Read more

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