Cheese
Over a thousand varieties of cheese are produced in dairy farms across Canada. The most popular variety is standard cheddar, though Quebec's higher-class soft French cheeses are quite beloved as well.
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Foods
Canadian Foods
In a multi-ethnic, restaurant-heavy country like Canada, it can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to define what exactly counts as “Canadian food.” In general, most Canadians eat a largely “western” diet broadly similar to the diet of Americans and Europeans, with a heavy focus on processed grain and dairy products, farm-grown beef and chicken, certain cooked or fresh fruits and vegetables, and questionable amounts of salt and sugar.
Maple syrup is easily Canada's most iconic food, and one of the best-known stereotypes of the country. Harvested from the trunks of maple trees, raw maple sap is boiled at high temperatures until much of the water content evaporates, turning it into a clear, liquidy syrup. Most Canadian maple syrup comes from Quebec, and is sold in four grades of richness: Golden, Amber, Dark, and Very Dark. It's mostly eaten as a topping on pancakes.
The Canadian Diet
Canadians usually eat three standard meals a day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — each of which is quite distinct.
Breakfast is eaten first thing in the morning to provide fuel for the day ahead. Unfortunately a lot of Canadians tend to be too rushed in the morning to give the meal much effort, and as a result it tends to be the most widely skipped or half-hearted meal. Traditional breakfast foods in Canada are cooked eggs, fried pork sausages or bacon, fried or deep-fried potatoes, toasted bread, pancakes (or egg-battered French Toast) and syrup, cereals, or hot oatmeal. For those in a rush, a breakfast may only consist of one of the above; for those who take it seriously, it’s not uncommon for a “hearty” Canadian breakfast to contain almost everything mentioned.
Lunch can often be a light meal as well, as it’s traditionally eaten on or around noon, a time when most Canadians are still at work. Traditional Canadian lunch foods have tended to be those which are portable or easy to make, such as sandwiches, soups, or salads. On occasions when more time and effort is available (for instance, on the weekend or when visiting a restaurant), lunch meals can be largely indistinguishable from dinner meals.
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Canadian Breakfasts
A Canadian homestyle breakfast is one featuring eggs, meat, and toast, and often pancakes as well. If it's especially large, it might be called a lumberjack or trucker breakfast instead. A continental breakfast, by contrast, is a much lighter meal usually consisting of toast, pastries, juice, oatmeal, and other things that don't require much cooking.
Dinner is almost always the largest and most well-prepared meal of any Canadian’s day, something one looks forward to enjoying after a long day of labour. This desire to make the meal enjoyable and satisfying means Canadians tend to have a lot of different things for dinner, however, and it can be hard to summarize a “traditional” Canadian dinner food as a result. Broadly speaking, Canadian dinners will usually feature a large meat entrée of some sort, such as chicken breast, steak, pork chop, hamburger, or ground beef, cooked vegetables (most commonly carrots, peas, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, or corn), and a grain or starch-based “side” such as rice, pasta, potatoes, or bread.
A Selection of Typical Canadian Foods
Because a lot of Canadians tend to define their culture in contrast to the United States, many lists of “Canadian foods” only focus on relatively minor snacks that can’t be bought in the U.S., or other obscure foods Americans would be unfamiliar with. In an attempt to get beyond that limited perspective, the following list combines such “exclusively” Canadian foods with less exclusive ones that are nevertheless a common part of the broader North American diet.
Staples
Canola
The canola flower — once known by the less flattering name, "rapeseed" — is Canada's most profitable crop, grown all across the Prairie provinces. It's made into oil that can be used for cooking and frying food.
Corn
Native to the continent, corn is one of the staple foods of the North American diet. Canadians eat corn on the cob directly or serve the kernals as a side dish. Popcorn is a popular snack when watching movies and TV.
Beef
Canada has an ample domestic beef supply thanks to Alberta, the country’s thriving capital of cattle ranching. Canadian steaks and burgers will often brag about being “Alberta-fresh.”
Bread
Canada is home to enormous fields of wheat and rye, which have been harvested for centuries to make high quality breads. The most iconic Canadian bread is “Canadian-style” rye, known for its light, fluffy texture.
Fish
Canada is one of the largest fish-producing nations on earth, with a wide variety of species harvested on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, including snapper, halibut, haddock, tuna, and — most famously — salmon.
Fruit
Warmer parts of Canada — particularly the interior of British Columbia — are home to large fruit orchards. Popular crops include apples, peaches, grapes, and a wide variety of berries.
Lobster
Harvested from Canada's Atlantic coast, boiled lobsters are considered a delicacy in Canada, and usually quite expensive as a result. A symbol of wealth and luxury.
Milk
Canada produces a lot of dairy products, particularly the province of Quebec. In the eastern provinces, milk is often sold in plastic bags which Americans find fascinating.
Potatoes
Potatoes thrive in winter climates and have remained another popular staple crop of farmers across the country. The tiny province of Prince Edward Island is known for little else.
Entrées and Side Dishes
Canadian Pizza
Originally from Italy, pizza has become a staple of the Canadian diet. It's a common food to get delivered to your door when you don't feel like making dinner. Most Canadian pizza chains sell "Canadian-style" pizza (seen here) which has mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, pepperoni, and bacon bits. Despite its name, Hawaiian pizza — with ham and pineapple — also originates from Canada.
Scalloped Potatoes
This dish, made of thinly-sliced potatoes oven-baked in a creamy mixture of butter, milk, and flour has been a staple of Canadian "comfort food" for generations. In 2015, it was voted one of Canada's most iconic tastes in a contest to pick a new potato chip flavor for Lay's.
Mozzarella Chicken Burger
Chicken burgers are common in Canada, with a fried or grilled patty covered with melted mozzarella and tomato sauce. In 2019, McDonald's introduced "Canada's Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich" to international locations as part of their "Worldwide Favorites Menu" promotion.
Burger
Hamburger beef patty sandwiches are a staple of Canadian restaurant dining and home barbecues. Common toppings include cheese, tomato, lettuce, onions, and bacon.
Hotdog
Beef weiner served in a special bun, topped with mustard, ketchup, pickle relish and onions. Popular at barbecues, picnics, and sporting events.
Fried Chicken
A popular fast food, but generally too complicated to cook at home. Breaded breasts, wings, and legs deep-fried in oil. Not the healthiest of meals.
Rotisserie Chicken
Slow-roasted chicken cooked in a rotisserie, an oven that uses a rotating spit. There are a number of popular chain restaurants that sell this sort of chicken, particularly in Quebec.
Pancakes
An incredibly iconic Canadian food served with an even more iconic one: maple syrup. Traditional Canadian pancakes are thick and doughy. Though they seem more like a dessert, they're often eaten as a breakfast meal.
French Toast
After pancakes, the second-most-common sweet breakfast meal is French Toast — thick slices of bread that have been dipped in egg and fried in the pan. Like pancakes, they're usually eaten with syrup, or sometimes berries.
Canadian Bacon
Canadian-style bacon, also known as circular, back, or peameal bacon, is a style of ham coated in cornmeal and thickly sliced. Many foods described as being served "Canadian-style," such as burgers or pizza, will feature back bacon.
Poutine
Probably the single most famous “Canadian food,” poutine is a rather unhealthy dish produced by smothering French fries with gravy and lumps of white cheese curd.
Onion Rings
Rings of deep-fried battered onion. A beloved salty accompaniment to burgers, and particularly beer.
Fish and Chips
A traditional British meal, now common in Canada. Deep-fried fish with French fries. Can be any species, but most common is haddock, cod, or halibut.
Garlic Bread
Thick cuts of white bread slathered with melted butter and garlic. Usually an accompaniment to Americanized "Italian" food like pasta or pizza.
Tourtiere
Another French-Canadian favourite, tourtiere is a savoury pie made with ground beef and spices. They come in both group and individual sizes.
Smoked Beef Sandwich
Combine beef and rye and you get a favourite offering of Montreal delis. Thick, peppery slices of spiced beef cold cuts served on equally thick rye bread.
Corn Dog
A hotdog on a stick, deep-fried in a corny batter. The sort of thing one normally eats at outdoor carnivals.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich
A cheddar cheese sandwich that's been cooked in the frying pan, or, increasingly, a special sandwich-grilling contraption.
Chili
A hearty stew made of beans, tomato, beef, and spices. First enjoyed by cowboys on the Prairies.
Mac and Cheese
Macaroni noodles covered in melted cheddar cheese. Though high-class varieties exist, Canadians are known for preferring the cheap, boxed kind, particularly Kraft Dinner brand (often called simply "KD").
Nachos
Fun to share with friends at the pub. Mexican corn tortilla chips baked with cheese, jalapenos, diced tomatos, olives, and onions making a deliciously gooey mess.
Snacks and Sweets
Donut
Sometimes a breakfast food, sometimes just a sugary snack, these fried, sugary dough rings are available in an enormous rainbow of flavors and fillings.
Timbits
Bite-sized, round balls of fried dough. Available in all the same flavors as the real thing. Also known as "donut holes."
Fruit Pie
One of the most traditional deserts in North America. A flaky crust filled with fruit filling, such as apple, cherry, rhubarb, or even pumpkin. Best with vanilla ice cream.
Cake
Soft cakes with sugar or butter cream icing are a very common dessert treat at the end of a big meal, as well as the standard dessert at parties for a special event, like a birthday or wedding. Common flavours are chocolate, vanilla, or "Red Velvet."
Butter Tart
A flaky pastry shell filled with a rich, sugary mixture of buttery baked cream and raisins. Delicious!
Cupcakes
Though just a muffin-sized cake with thick frosting, recently these things have become a trendy food known for unusual flavors and stylish decorations.
Sugar Pie
Tarte Au Sucre, or sugar pie, is a traditional French-Canadian dessert in which a pie crust is filled with of a dense, rich goo made of eggs, butter, and brown sugar. Not terribly unlike butter tarts, just bigger.
Cinnamon Bun
A large, swirled bun filled with cinnamon goo and covered in cream cheese icing.
Nanaimo Bar
Originating from the British Columbian town of the same name, these treats are made from a thick, buttery cream sandwiched between two kinds of chocolate.
Bread Pudding
A somewhat old-fashioned desert made from cut-up bread and raisins softened with milk.
Cotton Candy
Also known as candy floss, cotton candy is simply flavored sugar spun into a sitcky cotton-like substance through a special machine.
Snack Cakes
According to a recent newspaper poll, individually-sized, store-bought snack cakes are one of Canada’s favourite foods. Usually chocolate frosted with white icing inside. The most popular brands are Jos. Louis and Mae West.
Syrup Taffy
Maple syrup taffy is a simple-to-make treat that's been popular in Canada for centuries. All you do is pour fresh syrup on cold snow, then scoop up the semi-hardened goop on a stick.
Maple-flavoured Sweets
The national symbol you can eat! Along with the ubiquitous maple syrup, Canada is home to all sorts of maple-flavoured cookies, candies and treats.
S'more
The iconic snack of Canadian campers. Made by smooshing a campfire-toasted marshmallow between two graham crackers and a few squares of chocolate.
Beaver Tail
A thick piece of deep-fried dough, often covered with cinnamon and sugar or chocolate spread and banana slices. A popular treat at tourist-heavy areas.
Popsicle
Fun for kids in the summer months, popsicles are made of frozen fruit juices, cream, or chocolate. Often sold from the back of a touring ice cream truck.
Chips
Potato crisps are perhaps Canada's most common snack food. Available in a vast variety of flavors including sour cream, barbecue, pickle, "all-dressed," and ketchup.
Cheesecake
Cheesecake is a standard, somewhat classy desert made out of copious amounts of sweetened cream cheese sitting on a crust of cookie crumbs.
Drinks
Coffee
Coffee remains the go-to morning drink for many Canadians. It's often provided for free at workplaces and can be bought at all manner of fast-food restaurants and corner stores. A "double double" is coffee with two cream and two sugar.
Glacier Water
Canada is home to some of the largest freshwater reserves on earth, due to an abundance of lakes and glaciers. "Glacier fresh" Canadian bottled water is sold just about everywhere.
Beer
Homegrown beers, particularly lagers, are perhaps the single proudest Canadian drink. Mega-corporations Molson and Labatt's dominate the market, but most major cities have their own local breweries as well.
Wine
Canadian winemaking has undergone a bit of a renaissance in recent years, mainly in warm regions of B.C. and Ontario. Chardonnay, Cabernet and Pinot Noir tend to be standard fare.
Ice Wine
A delicacy of many cold countries, ice wine is produced by pressing grapes while they're still frozen. The result is an extremely sweet wine usually drunk as a dessert.
Whisky
Rye whisky has long been Canada's most famous hard liquor, with Canadian Club and Crown Royal among the most well-known brands.
Caesar
Dubbed the "only truly Canadian cocktail," the Caesar is a mix of Vodka and Clamato juice, sometimes accompanied by various other spices and garnishes as well.
Ginger Ale
Ginger ale is a somewhat bitter, ginger-flavoured soda invented by a Toronto pharmacist in 1919. Canada Dry remains the leading brand.
Spruce Beer
At one time, spruce beer was literally beer made of fermented shoots from spruce trees, brewed by desperate Canadian pioneers. Today, it's a soda with a mild, pine-like taste.
Root Beer
Root beer is another odd soda with a taste that's hard to describe — something like a mix of licorice and vanilla. Many Europeans find it gross.
Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate, or cocoa, is a hot drink made out of some form of chocolate powder that's mixed with heated milk (or for cheaper folks, water). For extra deliciousness, top it with whipped cream.
More About Canadian Food
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Serve Yourself
A buffet, also known as a salad bar or smorgasbord, where diners serve themselves from a long table of many heated dishes, is a common sight at some Canadian restaurants. It's a particularly familiar sight at hotels and weddings, as well as restaurants that offer a special Sunday morning "brunch buffet."
JGA/Shutterstock
Serve Yourself
A buffet, also known as a salad bar or smorgasbord, where diners serve themselves from a long table of many heated dishes, is a common sight at some Canadian restaurants. It's a particularly familiar sight at hotels and weddings, as well as restaurants that offer a special Sunday morning "brunch buffet."