Canadian Cuisine – Good Eats

What makes Canadian cuisine unique are its regional specialties: Alberta beef, goldeye fish in Manitoba, salmon from BC, Nova Scotia lobster, and Quebec French pies and pastries.

Game, including rabbit, caribou, and bison, which have been served in aboriginal homes for centuries, are now considered gourmet dishes at cosmopolitan restaurants. A tradition of French haute cuisine is evident in most of the country’s major cities, particularly in top hotels. However, as Canada is a nation of immigrants, ethnic restaurants are common everywhere.

German, Greek, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Ukrainian, African, and Italian cuisines, along with other international favorites, provide a wide range of choice at a price to suit every budget.

Regional specialties can be sampled in their place of origin, but most of the larger towns will also offer a choice of the country’s best local produce, and in some areas this includes Canadian wines and beers.

Types of Restaurants

Eating out in Canada is surprisingly easy on the pocket, particularly compared to European and American prices. This makes a trip to a top restaurant to sample international cuisine (often made with local produce) very worthwhile. Eating places are extremely varied, with the tearoom, bistro, brasserie, and theater café competing with the more usual café, restaurant, and fast food outlet. Many pubs also serve excellent bar food, at reasonable prices.

More unusual, but no less worthwhile, is the uniquely Canadian dining experience of the delicious lobster supper.

Held throughout the summer on Prince Edward Island, these lively gatherings usually take place in church grounds on wooden tables surrounded by local fishermen. Equally unique, though by no means public, are Inuit dinners.

Traveling through the Arctic north may result in an invitation to join an Inuit family for the evening meal. Traditional dishes might include sun dried caribou sweetened with berry sauces or smoked and dried local fish. These family dinners are usually alcohol free and very lively.