Traditional dishes of Canada not familiar to anyone, which is undeserved. The use of products familiar to any European – meat, vegetables, spices – for cooking makes the food of Canadians tasty, hearty and simple. There are original recipes that will appeal even to gourmets.
General characteristics of Canadian national cuisine
The Canadian menu represented by a variety of rich vegetable soups-purees, delicious meat delicacies, salads and snacks.
Also, do not forget about sweets – pastries, traditional tarts with a sweet filling of berries, jams with whipped cream or cream.
Main features
Canadian cuisine is a mixture of different national culinary traditions. First of all, French and Anglo-Saxon. Also loved by Canadians is Italian food – spaghetti, pizza, tomato sauces.
Spaghetti is a dish that is part of the national cuisine of Canada.
Asian dishes entered the diet of the inhabitants of Canada in the form of pumpkin soups and tomatoes. Chinese cuisine is popular here, as it is all over the world. Many establishments offer to taste Indian, Japanese, Ukrainian, Russian, Polish dishes.
History
The French and English were the first Europeans to master the territory belonging to present-day Canada. Therefore, the main traditions in nutrition have become French and English. The combination of European cooking recipes of new settlers and indigenous peoples who lived on the mainland before colonization form the basis of traditional Canadian cooking.
In the XVIII-IXX centuries. in connection with the migration of the population from other countries, the cuisine of Canada began to enrich with new, uncharacteristic for Europeans recipes. These are Asian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian dishes.
Regional culinary differences
Distribution in the regions of the cuisine of Canada inherited from the place of residence of the first migrants. In Upper Canada, the area of the seaside and southern Ontario, English and Scottish cuisines are predominantly common.
French cooking traditions are characteristic of the areas of Lower Canada – Southern Quebec, Northeastern Ontario and New Brunswick. Southwest Ontario is a territory where the influence of Scandinavian cuisine is great. Ukrainian, German and Polish gastronomic traditions are popular in the prairies. Before the First World War, residents of Eastern Europe immigrated here.
Chinese and Asian food is common throughout the country. Surprisingly, each region adapts recipes to their tastes.
Many “Chinese” dishes are the invention of Canadian chefs and are far from their original recipes.
Main Products and Ingredients
In Canada, they prefer natural meat products:
- pork
- beef
- bunnies,
- reindeer
- moose calves.
Traditional types of meat allow you to cook delicious and varied dishes.
Fish and seafood dishes are popular in the seaside areas. Traditionally, this is salmon and lobster. Canadians prefer to fry or bake meat and fish, especially in the form of a steak or stew with vegetables, and serve as a main dish.
Puree soups, vegetable soups and noodles prepared for the first time. Especially fond of pumpkin puree soup, tomato and pea soups.
A common product is potatoes. One of the favorite recipes in this country potato circles fried in an egg and rolled in a mixture of finely chopped pieces of ham, crackers and flour. Dishes with mushrooms often prepared – chanterelles, morels, raincoats.
Pies are in great demand.
Canadians love hearty fillings, meat, fish, prepared from several varieties of the product. Most often, shortbread dough prepared.
There are many recipes for sweets, pastries and desserts with chocolate. An important place is occupied by the famous maple syrup. This is not just a sweet treat or filler for baking. It has become a symbol of Canadian cooking.
What you need to try in Canada: popular dishes
Despite the small fame of Canadian cuisine, it has something to surprise guests.
Tourtière
Christmas hearty closed meat pie, named after the kitchen device for making pies. It prepared from several types of meat, less often – fish. The dish invented in Montreal, from where it spread and became popular throughout the country. Baked from shortbread dough and several types of minced meat with spices with the addition of potatoes.
Putin
It invented in the 50s. XX century. in Quebec. It belongs to the cuisine of French Canada. Putin is a french fries with meat sauce and pieces of cottage cheese. It is a fast-food snack. Before roasting, the potatoes soaked in water and fried 2 times until crispy. The sauce made from meat with spices and onions, with the addition of pieces of cheddar cheese or brine cheese.
Caesar cocktail
This cocktail received a non-traditional name for Canada from an Italian restaurant, for the opening of which in 1969 in the city of Calgary invented. Its creator inspired by the Italian cuisine of Venice – spaghetti with clams and tomato sauce. Initially, the cocktail prepared from vodka, tomato, shellfish and Worcester sweet and sour fermented sauce based on vinegar, sugar and fish with the addition of spices.
The cocktail turned out to be spicy and loved in different variations throughout Canada so much that sales of this drink are more than 3.5 million servings per day.
Today, instead of mollusc juice, klamato used – a mixture of reduced tomato and oyster juice with spices.
Beaver Tails
Translated literally as “beaver tails”. A sweet baked dessert consisting of deep-fried dough and various sweets on top. Nutella, chocolate, sugar can use. Until 1978, the recipe belonged to the family of G. Hooker, who opened a cafe in Ottawa and made his signature dish available to the public.
Pea soup
Traditional Canadian pea soup made from dried meat and dry peas in memory of the first travelers who came to the land of North America. In a long journey, these ingredients could store for a long time, and therefore became the basis of a nutritious soup. In the modern version, smoked ribs and dried yellow peas, spices and vegetables used. Pea soup is a dish of French Canada.
Nanaimo bars
This a sweet dessert that is prepared without baking. It formed in 3 layers. The first made from biscuit or biscuit crumbs and butter, cocoa, crushed nuts and sugar. The second layer is a cream of butter, cream, sugar. The third – made of oil and chocolate – is the top coating, glaze. The formed dish removed to the refrigerator for solidification and cut into small pieces.
There are more than 100 types of this delicacy. There even a competition announced in 1986 for the best cake recipe in the city of Nanamimo, hence the name.
Creamy tart
This portioned sweet delicacy is a tartlet or basket with non-riffleened sides, made from shortbread dough, with a filling. The tender core of a small cake consists of a mixture of oil, sugar, eggs with the addition of maple syrup. The tartlet baked until crispy, and the contents remain tender and soft.
The recipe for this dessert is valued as the property of national cooking and is considered one of the ancients that belonged to the first settlers of America.
Montreal-style smoked meat
To prepare this delicacy, beef brisket taken – as the juiciest part. The meat marinated for several days in salt and spices – ground black pepper, bay leaf, cloves, coriander – then smoked and at the final stage steamed. After that, the meat thinly sliced and served as a sandwich with rye American bread, pickle, french fries and mustard.
Bannok bread
Popular in Canada, USA. It prepared from oatmeal, barley, corn flour without the use of yeast. It looks like a flat flatbread.
Bannock bread a traditional Canadian dish without yeast, which baked in a frying pan.
It has ancient roots dating back to the peoples who inhabited North America before colonization. In those days, bread baked on a fire, wrapping the dough around a stick. The modern recipe came from Scotland. The dough kneaded on oatmeal and sourdough and baked on a grill or frying pan.
Canadian Bacon
Unlike traditional bacon, Canadian bacon made from lean pork fillet or loin without smoking. The meat rolled in corn flour, spices and salt. Instead of smoking, pork dried, this the main difference between Canadian bacon and traditional. Previously, for better preservation, yellow pea flour used instead of corn flour.
Maple syrup
Maple syrup for its fame has become a symbol of Canada. This is a favorite additive of local residents to pancakes, pancakes, coffee, buns, waffles and ice cream. Syrup added to the omelet, used in baking meat, for the preparation of sauces, vegetable dishes. It extracted from the juice of a special breed of sugar maple.
The invention of this syrup belongs to the indigenous inhabitants of the country. Canada produces 2/3 of the total volume of maple syrup in the world. In Quebec, there is a holiday “Sugar Hut”, dedicated to the preparation of this sweet delicacy.
