Tag: Canadian

Catalogue of Canadian Cuisine

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

The time has come, once again, for me to share what I know about the unique food scene of our new home. To be honest, this was a little easier to do in Poland, China, and Mexico, where the respective cuisines are a tad more well-defined, but Canada, too, has its fair share of fun foodie finds, not to mention a plethora of food fusions thanks to its mosaic of multiculturalism. So, without further ado, here is my catalogue of Canadian cuisine.

Savory Things:

Poutine – The first entry obviously has to be poutine. This Quebecois dish is probably the most well-known outside of Canada, which makes sense because it’s absolutely delicious (albeit rather unhealthy). French fries and cheese curds covered in a brown gravy – what’s not to love?

Tourtière – Pronounced “tor-tee-air”, this dish, somewhat unsurprisingly, also comes from Quebec. It’s a massive baked meat pie popular around the holidays in Quebec and New Brunswick, and it might just be one of the most comforting dishes you can have in winter!

Montreal Smoked Meat – Montreal has quite a few regional specialties, but one of the most famous has to be the Montreal smoked meat. It’s a kosher-style deli meat, similar to pastrami, that is most often eaten piled high on a rye-bread sandwich slathered with mustard.

Halifax Donair – One of only two things on this list that I, personally, haven’t tried yet, the Halifax Donair is a great example of the many food fusions that exist in Canada. A version of the more traditional Doner kebab, Nova Scotia’s variant is usually a spiced ground beef on Lebanese flatbread covered in a sweet “Donair” sauce, which is made of condensed milk, vinegar, sugar, and garlic.

Ginger Beef – An Alberta specialty this time, introduced to the country (and the world) by Chinese-Canadians, ginger beef is a hearty dish of deep-fried strips of beef coated in a sweet, sticky ginger sauce. Another fantastic fusion for the win!

Hawaiian Pizza – Yes, you read that right. Hawaiian pizza does in fact come from Canada. The name wasn’t really even a reference to the US state, it was just the brand of pineapple they used at the time. Fun facts!

Peameal Bacon – Sometimes erroneously thought to be the same as “Canadian” bacon, peameal bacon is actually so much better! It’s a very lean piece of cured pork that is then rolled in cornmeal (previously crushed yellow peas, thus the name) and is eaten much like bacon, either as a breakfast staple or on various sandwiches.

KD – If you know me, you know I love macaroni and cheese, so I couldn’t leave Kraft Dinner off the table. I mean list. KD looks a lot like Kraft Mac & Cheese, and it is from the same company, but the Canadian version definitely tastes and hits different, trust me.

Ketchup Chips – Canadians love their ketchup, so it’s no surprise that one of the most popular and abundant chip flavors here is ketchup. It makes sense, right? We eat French fries with ketchup. Why not potato chips? Do they really taste like ketchup though? Umm…kind of?

All-Dressed Chips – Usually one of the first signs we’re back in Canada is an all-dressed chips sighting. A bold favor combination of ketchup, BBQ, sour cream & onion, and salt & vinegar; you either love ‘em or hate ‘em, and I love ‘em!

Sweet Things:

Butter Tarts – Butter tarts are super Canadian, eh! I eat them, and I think Anne of Green Gables, a warm fireplace on a cold winter night, kids playing hockey on the lake out back, etc. They’re small, sweet, gooey pastries that are simply delicious.

Maple Taffy – If butter tarts represent classic Canadiana, maple taffy (or tire d’érable) is pure Quebecois bliss. In truth, there are several maple syrup items I could have put on this list, but I went with maple taffy because it’s both a food and an experience.

Beavertails – Easily my favorite sweet treat in Canada, a beavertail is a piece of fried dough (in the shape of a beavertail, obviously) that is covered in a variety of toppings. A classic option is cinnamon, sugar, and lemon juice, which is just perfection.

Timbits – Another sign you’re in Canada (or at least near some Canadians) is the presence of a Tim Horton’s. Colloquially know as Tim’s or Timmy’s, this is where you must go to get Timbits, which are famous Canadian donut holes that come in surprising flavors such as sour cream, honey dip, and apple fritter.

Nanaimo Bars – Coming all the way from British Columbia, the Nanaimo bar is another classic Canadian dessert. Traditionally three layers: a coconutty wafer on the bottom, a thick custard in the middle, and a chocolate ganache on top; it’s basically the perfect no-bake combination.

Pouding Chômeur – Or “Poor Man’s Pudding” is a dessert that came about during the Great Depression. It’s as simple as it is delicious: yellow cake or bread smothered in hot syrup or caramel.

Saskatoon Berries – The other item on this list that I have yet to try, Saskatoon berries are a locally grown and historically important ingredient in Canadian cuisine. In fact, I recently learned that the city Saskatoon actually got its name from the berry, not the other way around.

Coffee Crisp – Coming from the US, I’m spoiled for choice when it comes to candy bars, but we have nothing like the Coffee Crisp. I’m not even a coffee-drinker, and I love this candy bar!

Sippable Things:

Caesar – Canada’s version of the Bloody Mary, this cocktail contains vodka, Clamato juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and various garnishes. When I first tried one, I had no idea what Clamato juice was…cue my complete surprise at tasting seafood in my drink!

Sortilège – Another surprise (of a much more pleasant variety), Sortilège is a maple liqueur made with Canadian whisky. So smooth, so tasty, and quite strong, this is peak Canadian alcohol, which is really saying something.

And that’s my list! At least for now, because I’m sure we’ll run into many more Canadian treats as we continue on in the Great White North. I do hope you enjoyed reading about some of Canada’s finest creations, and be sure to tell me which ones you want to try whenever you visit! Bon appétit !

Canadian English, Eh?

On By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

On one of our very first trips to Canada I remember finding Canadian English extremely intriguing: the vowel differences! The mixed spelling system! The use of the quintessential “eh”! I love it all, but I think what has surprised me most as a freshly-carded, permanent resident of Ontario has been all the new English vocabulary I’ve been learning! And as the good little linguist I am, of course, I’ve kept a list of these Canadian English gems to share. 😊

Washroom (aka bathroom/restroom)

This was one of the first linguistic differences that stood out to me oh-so long ago. “Washroom” is virtually the ONLY way Canadians will ever refer to this place. In restaurants, airports, shopping malls, someone’s house, anywhere you go, if you throw out a “restroom” or a “bathroom”, it’ll likely be met with either blank stares or comments about what exactly Americans do when going to the toilet.

Hydro (aka electricity)

This one really threw us off when we were searching for our apartment. Sometimes utilities are included in the rental agreements here, and we’d see places mention both “hydro” and “water” in some form or another, which had us thoroughly confused. “Hydro” seems like a synonym for “water” to us, silly Americans, but with enough listings, we eventually realized we never saw “electricity” or “power” listed and were able to deduce. Evidently hydropower is so common here in Canada that the shortened form will do.

Tuque/toque (aka hat/beanie)

Another one we learned early on and have all but adopted ourselves is “tuque”. Such an important part of the Canadian wardrobe, a tuque is a winter hat that might be called a variety of things south of the border, but up here, it’s most definitely a tuque (which rhymes with “Luke”). Where this word comes from, much like its spelling, is hotly debated, but whatever you want to call it, just be sure you’ve got a good dozen before winter sets in.

Parkade (aka parking garage)

Like many large countries, you’ll get a bit of a variety in how people refer to certain things from one region to another, which is exactly the case with “parkade”. We first saw signs for a parkade in downtown Calgary and had all sorts of wild imaginings of what went on there, but as it turns out, it’s just a Western Canadian way of saying “parking garage”, not nearly as exciting as we thought.

Dart (aka cigarette)  

I’m surprised these things even come up anymore, haven’t we all but killed smoking in North America? But somehow, we actually have heard “dart” used in casual conversation a few times. I feel like it’s mostly used jokingly among those under a certain age, but if you want to understand some really niche Canadian jokes, you do have to know that they call cigarettes “darts”, which is actually much less offensive than some other countries’ alternatives…

Keener (aka over-achiever)

A bit more abstract of a word, “keener” was a little harder to suss out from context alone; however, since it’s used pretty regularly, we were still able to catch on pretty quickly. To call someone a keener means you think they are an over-achiever. They’re the ones who do all the extra credit assignments or get overly excited about something they’re very passionate about, like me with English dialects, for example.

Pogos (aka corndogs)

Here we have our first Kleenex situation. Pogo is a popular brand of corndogs in Canada, and because of their superb timing (and marketing), their name will forever be entwined with that of the famous sticked festival food. How do the makers of Pogo Sticks feel about this? I have no idea, but it is now definitely on my Canadian bucket list to have a Pogo pogo.

Soccer baseball (aka kickball)

I’m pretty sure I burst out laughing when I first heard this one. You know that sport we all played in school? The one that’s basically baseball, but you kick the ball instead of hitting it with a bat? Yeah, Canadians very creatively call that sport “soccer baseball”, which is just so deliciously on-the-nose!

Bristol board (aka poster board)

When we officially moved in, one of the first things we wanted to get set up was a small sound proof area for work, and for that, we needed a large tri-fold poster board, which proved to be extremely difficult to source. That is until we realized we weren’t using the most common word for the item we wanted. I mean, “Bristol board”? Really? How do you even learn things like this unless you participate in a local science fair?

Duotang (aka folder with brads)

And while we’re on the topic of office supplies, another one that really threw me off was “duotang”. I wasn’t even sure that this was English at first, but evidently, it’s what Canadians call a very specific style of folder: the two-pocket ones with the brads in the center. Yeah, as far as I know, we don’t have a specific word for this in the US, so maybe it’s worth picking up?

Molsen muscle (aka beer belly)

Possibly my absolute favorite Canadian expression has to be the beloved “Molsen muscle”. Molsen is the most popular national beer brand in Canada, and if you are particularly fond of them, you might have your very own Molsen muscle, which is, in my opinion, a much cooler way of saying “beer belly”.

Cobra chicken/Canada goose (aka Canadian goose)

Another joke-turned-expression is the good ol’ “cobra chicken” – half cobra, half chicken, that’s right, it’s the Canada goose. And while “cobra chicken” is really just for fun, Canadians actually do say “Canada goose” and never “Canadian goose” as we do. I guess they haven’t applied for citizenship yet.

So that’s my list as it stands now! Stay tuned for more Canadianisms as we continue to learn and adapt to life Up North.

Fun Facts: Canada Edition

On By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Less than 100 days in, and we’ve already had three guests come to see us in Ottawa, which means we’ve been learning (and sharing) A LOT about our new home. In fact, I’ve got so many fun facts swimming around in my head that I feel they deserve their own post! Who doesn’t love a little Canadian trivia, eh? So, without further ado, here are 20 interesting facts about our new home:

#1 Surely, we have to start with the name of the country, right? The word “Canada” actually comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata”, meaning “village” or “settlement”. Its first usage was intended to specify one village in particular; however, early French explorers used it to describe not only the village, but also the surrounding area, which kept expanding, eventually giving name to the entire region.

#2 Interestingly, Ottawa (or Outaouais, as it’s called across the river) gets its name from a different indigenous language. “Ottawa” is derived from the Algonquin word “adawe”, which means “to trade”.  

#3 Of course, everyone associates Canada with English and French, but I was delighted to read that there are over 70 distinct indigenous languages spoken here as well. Who’s up for learning a little Inuktitut with me?

#4 No matter how you get to Canada (by boat, by car, or by plane), you’ll likely notice there’s a lot of water here. Canada actually has the most lakes of any country in the world, about 880,000 in all.

#5 The crazy number of lakes should really be of no surprise given the fact that Canada is the second largest country in the world. Only Russia is larger.

#6 Canada does beat out Russia (and every other country in the world) for longest coastline though. There really is water everywhere here!

#7 Speaking of Canada’s coast, Canada is surrounded by oceans: the Atlantic to the east, the Arctic to the north, and the Pacific to the west, which is why you frequently hear Canadian announcers say “from coast to coast to coast”, which I think is brilliant!

#8 Their roadways are also pretty impressive. There’s one highway, the fittingly named Trans-Canada Highway, that traverses some 7,800km (4,800 miles) from one end of the country to the other.

#9 For such a large country, there really aren’t a lot of people living in Canada. With a little under 40 million people, Canada is one of the least densely populated countries in the world with about 4 people per square kilometer (or 10 per square mile). For reference, the US has about 37 per km² (96 per mi²).

#10 But there are still quite a few famous Canadians among us! Celebrities like Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds, Rachel McAdams, William Shatner, Pamela Anderson, Nelly Furtado, Michael J Fox, Jim Carrey, Ryan Gosling, Celine Dion, Drake, Elliot Page, and so many more all hail from the Great White North.

#11 Other notable Canadians include two of the most famous dog breeds in the world: the Labrador Retriever and the Newfoundland, coming somewhat obviously from Newfoundland and Labrador.

#12 Canada has ties to many animals, such as the moose, the polar bear, the orca, the Canada goose, etc. but none of those are the national animal. The national animal of Canada is the humble beaver, which I recently learned is actually classified as a rodent.

#13 Another symbol of Canada is the maple leaf, which has been associated with the region since the early 1800s. Surprisingly though, it only made it onto the flag in 1965, meaning the Toronto Maple Leafs logo is about 40 years older.

#14 Speaking of maple leaves, Canada produces about 80% of the world’s maple syrup.

#15 In addition to giving the world maple syrup (and poutine, of course), there is a huge number of other internationally famous Canadian inventions: basketball, lacrosse, insulin, peanut butter, IMAX, pagers, egg cartons, Hawaiian pizza, and the snowblower just to name a few.  

#16 Canola oil happens to be another Canadian specialty. Canola was first bred (in Canada) as a healthier alternative to rapeseed and has become one of the most ubiquitous cooking oils in the world. The name “Canola” is actually a portmanteau of “Can”, as in Canada, and “OLA” meaning “oil, low acid”. Half a century later, and Canada is still the world’s largest producer of Canola oil.

#17 The US and Canada have a lot of historical similarities, so it’s not surprising that we both celebrate Thanksgiving. The two holidays have similar origin stories and similar commercial influence, but are ultimately celebrated in different months. Canada celebrates their Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October.

#18 Another somewhat random fact we recently learned about Canada is that the “Winnie” in Winnie the Pooh is actually short for Winnipeg (like the city). The stuffed bear was named after a real Canadian black bear that went by the name Winnipeg.

#19 Many of our fun facts stem from our observing differences between the US and Canada, and one of these interesting differences is the legal drinking age here. In three Canadian provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec) it’s 18, and in the other provinces and territories it’s 19.

#20 And finally a few cold facts for you! Canada is without a doubt one of the coldest countries on the planet. In fact, a city in Yukon once recorded -63°C (-81°F), which is about the average temperature on Mars. Ottawa is often listed as one of the top 10 coldest capitals in world, with an average high of -5°C (23°F) for the month of January. Winter is coming for us…

Well, there you have it, my first Canadian facts round-up! I hope you found these tidbits as interesting as we did, and I hope you make it up to Canada soon to learn a few more in-person! Thanks for reading!