After a week in Alaska, we’re back in Canada on our way home to Minnesota. So of course, it’s time for some Canadian food. Always good to eat local food when traveling, right?
I don’t know about you, but when I think of Canadian food, the first thing that comes to mind is is doughnuts. And lest you think the reason for that is because I am ALWAYS thinking of doughnuts, think again. According to the CBC, Canada has more doughnut shops per capita than anyplace in the world:
There are more doughnut shops per capita in Canada than anywhere else on the planet. Canadians eat more doughnuts than any other country’s citizens. Although the doughnut is often seen as an American icon, it has become Canada’s unofficial national snack. The popularity of the deep fried treats has to do with Canada’s love affair with coffee, reports CBC’s Beth Harrington. Coffee and doughnuts go hand in hand. And since coffee is Canada’s number one beverage, its partner in crime, the humble doughnut, ranks up there in popularity.
On our first morning in Canada a couple of weeks ago, in Moose Jaw, SK, we noticed a long line of cars in the drive through of a fast food joint called Tim Horton’s. “Hmmm,” we wondered….”just what kind of a joint is Tim Horton’s to attract such a crowd so early in the morning?”
By the time we got to Medicine Hat, AB, our curiosity got the better of us and we pulled into a Tim Horton’s for a break in the drive. Sure enough, it’s a doughnut shop. They also serve soups, sandwiches, and some mean breakfast sandwiches. We grabbed a few doughnuts and got hooked. For the next few days of our drive through Canada, the first thing we did when we pulled into a town was to find the Tim Horton’s.
We’re back in Dawson Creek, BC now, ensconced in a motel across the street from the first Tim Horton’s we’ve seen since leaving Whitehorse, YK. Guess where we’re going for breakfast tomorrow.
Now, I wonder what it would take to get a Tim Horton’s to open in Minnesota. Probably nothing, since Krispy Kreme couldn’t even make it there. For some strange reason, Minnesotans are not big doughnut eaters.
For more on Canadian food, check out this great article (and slideshow) on the 50 “Most Canadian foods” in The Huffington Post, which includes such delicacies as maple syrup, french fries with gravy (!), bacon, and cod tongue.
Ok Canadian readers….this is your chance. What would be on your list of quintessential Canadian foods? Leave a comment with your answer.
OH! AND HAPPY CANADA DAY!!
You’ve hit the nail on the head with Tim Horton’s. That’s what most of us miss the most when we are abroad. Also maple syrup is pretty standard across Canada. Other than that, though, I would suggest that there are regional specialties more than pan-Canadian food. On the west coast it would be salmon and berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries). Alberta is known for beef. Saskatchewan has saskatoon berries and venison. Also Ukrainian food, as does Manitoba along with the very similar Mennonite food. I don’t know about Ontario. Quebec has poutine (fries, gravy, cheese curd) and maple syrup specialties, as well as specialty cheeses. I understand that lobster is big in the Maritimes. Happy travels!
After reading your post about Tim Hortons, I went on Facebook. Here is a status update from one of my friends. ” Waiting for the 8 a.m. opening of the Oshawa Hospital Tims and my first Grandkid in order of priority.” You might not be aware that most hospitals have a Tim Hortons in them. We do love our Tim Horton’s coffee. As for my friend, that order of priority will change forever when he lays eyes on his new grand baby… but until then a Tim’s “Double Double” will help with the waiting game.