Canadian Food
Canadian food is unique and varied, due to the multi-cultural heritage of Canada. Canadian cuisine ranges from English and Scottish-style foods due to Canada's British heritage, to French-style cuisine due to its French heritage, to indigenous varieties from the Canadian First Nations and Inuit people.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup has been made for hundreds, or even thousands, of years. It's first creation is unknown, but maple syrup was prepared by the indigenous people of North America long before European people arrived. There are various Native American legends about how maple syrup was discovered. For example, a common story tells that a hunter's wife first discovered the sap and used it to boil venison for her husband.
Maple syrup is made by boiling the sap of maple trees, and the majority of global maple syrup comes from Canada. The first written record of maple syrup comes from 1557, by French explorer André Thevet, during his travels around Canada. Europeans studied and were taught the Native American method for drawing the syrup from maple trees, and this has been developed and expanded to produce the huge quantities made in the modern world.
Maple syrup is used in baking, and on foods like pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Maple syrup and the maple syrup industry are so important to Canadian heritage, in fact, that the maple leaf is at the very center of the Canadian flag.
Maple syrup is made by boiling the sap of maple trees, and the majority of global maple syrup comes from Canada. The first written record of maple syrup comes from 1557, by French explorer André Thevet, during his travels around Canada. Europeans studied and were taught the Native American method for drawing the syrup from maple trees, and this has been developed and expanded to produce the huge quantities made in the modern world.
Maple syrup is used in baking, and on foods like pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Maple syrup and the maple syrup industry are so important to Canadian heritage, in fact, that the maple leaf is at the very center of the Canadian flag.
Poutine
Poutine is a dish made from french fries, cheese curds, and gravy. The dish first appeared in the 1950s in French-speaking small towns in the Quebec area of Canada, and did not become popular elsewhere until several decades later. Today, however, poutine is a national dish, and can be found in restaurants across Canada and beyond. Fast-food chains such as McDonalds also sell poutine. This has led to a backlash, however, by some of those in Quebec, who consider the dish to represent Quebec, not Canada as a whole.
Find out more about poutine in the interview below, with British Hills staff member Eric.
Saskatoon berry pie
Original: Elsie Hui CC 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Saskatoon berry pie is made from the Saskatoon berry, a sweet, violet-coloured berry that is found growing across Canada and north America. Often served with vanilla ice cream, this delicious dessert has a sweet-but-not-too-sweet taste somewhere between blueberry and apple.
