2025-07-02 00:00:47.886

Ask a Canadian about their national cuisine, and you might get a blank stare followed by mentions of poutine and maple syrup. But Canada's culinary landscape is far more diverse than that. Spanning 3.8 million square miles, the country boasts a wide range of ingredients and culinary traditions shaped by its multicultural population. Indigenous communities are increasingly showcasing their traditional flavors in innovative ways, while immigrant communities have enriched Canadian food with influences from around the world, including British, French, Jewish, Ukrainian, Chinese, Portuguese, South Asian, and more. While there's no single dish that perfectly encapsulates "Canada on a plate," poutine, with its Montreal variations incorporating diverse gastronomic cultures, stands as a strong icon. This article explores a variety of iconic Canadian foods, including: Poutine: French fries, cheese curds, and gravy, with countless regional variations. BeaverTails: Deep-fried pastries topped with sweet ingredients. Nanaimo bars: No-bake dessert with three layers: a graham cracker crust, custard filling, and chocolate ganache. Tourtière: A savory meat pie, a Quebec staple. Saskatoon berry pie: A sweet pie made with Saskatoon berries, a fruit with a nutty blueberry flavor, significant in Indigenous culture. Bannock: A traditional quick bread, often associated with Canada's First Nations communities. Lobster rolls: Juicy lobster meat served on a bun, a delicacy from Atlantic Canada. Split pea soup: A hearty soup, a long-standing favorite in Quebec. Butter tarts: Small, sweet tarts with a buttery, syrupy filling. BC salmon: Wild Pacific salmon from British Columbia, including the popular B.C. roll. Ketchup chips: Uniquely Canadian, tangy, bright red potato chips. Fish and brewis: A traditional Newfoundland dish of salted cod and hard bread. Pouding Chômeur (Poor Man's Pudding): A decadent Quebecois dessert. Halifax donairs: Spiced ground beef on pita with a unique donair sauce. PEI oysters: Renowned oysters from Prince Edward Island. Pierogies: Popular in Western Canada, particularly among Ukrainian and Polish descendants. Bison burger: A leaner, richer alternative to beef burgers. Montreal smoked meat: Beef brisket cured, smoked, and spiced, a staple of Montreal's Jewish delis. Montreal bagels: Boiled in honey water and baked in a wood-fired oven, distinct from New York bagels. Maple syrup: Canada's iconic sweetener, used in countless dishes and treats.

2025-06-26 06:00:54.639

Sophia Kokolakis's dinner plans are always a surprise, thanks to Too Good To Go, an app where she buys discounted, soon-to-be-trashed food from grocery stores and restaurants. This is part of a growing trend: markdown apps are helping people save money and reduce food waste. In 2023, the US wasted 73.9 million tons of food, with retailers and restaurants contributing significantly. Apps like Too Good To Go (120 million users) and Flashfood (1.5 million users) partner with businesses to list excess food at reduced prices. Businesses like Soul Good Fine Food and Pizza Jeans use these apps to avoid waste, gain new customers, and cover costs. While food safety is a concern, apps have policies requiring adherence to regulations and allow users to report spoiled food. The impact is significant: ReFED estimates these apps could save up to 881,000 tons of food waste annually. However, challenges remain: limited awareness among vendors and customers, overly cautious food culture, and uncertainty about how much of the purchased food is actually consumed. Despite these challenges, users like Kokolakis appreciate the affordability, the chance to try new things, and the positive environmental impact.

2025-06-03 18:00:46.85

Nine years after discontinuing the Snack Wrap in the US, McDonald's is giving in to popular demand and bringing the item back to its menu on July 10th. Customer requests, online petitions, and even a Facebook group dedicated to its return all contributed to the decision. The Snack Wrap's lower price point and smaller size are also seen as beneficial in a time of inflation and changing consumer habits. McDonald's has also made improvements to the preparation process and updated its chicken strips to ensure a smoother rollout. While the US launch will feature only fried chicken with ranch or spicy sauce, other markets continue to offer a wider variety. The return coincides with a period of slower growth in the fast-food industry, with inflation being a major contributing factor. The Snack Wrap is seen as a way to attract budget-conscious consumers and cater to the trend of smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.

2025-05-10 06:00:55.287

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three new natural color additives: Galdieria extract blue, butterfly pea flower extract, and calcium phosphate. This move, driven partly by initiatives to phase out petroleum-based dyes, expands the range of natural color options for food manufacturers. While lauded by some as a step towards healthier food, concerns remain. The Environmental Working Group, while welcoming the FDA's action, criticized the agency's failure to ban other potentially harmful food additives. The shift to natural colors presents challenges for manufacturers, including higher costs and potential instability of natural dyes compared to artificial counterparts. Natural colors can be more expensive and less stable, especially under heat processing or acidic conditions. Consumer preference for vibrant colors also presents a hurdle. Experts emphasize the need for caution, noting that "natural" doesn't automatically mean "safe." Further research is needed to fully assess the long-term health effects of these new natural dyes. Despite these challenges, the move signifies a growing trend towards natural food additives and a potential reduction in artificial colors in the food supply.

2025-03-17 00:00:36.486

March 14th is Pi Day, a delicious excuse to celebrate the many edible varieties of pie worldwide. This article explores the history of pies, from ancient Egyptian pastries filled with honey and nuts to modern creations like Banoffee pie. It covers meat pies (British steak and ale pie, tourtière, Cornish pasties, empanadas), savory pies (spanakopita, burek), sweet and savory pies (pastilla), fruit pies (rhubarb, Concord grape, apple, vlaai), and creamy pies (buko pie, Key lime pie, Atlantic Beach pie). The article highlights the global variations and cultural significance of pies, showcasing their evolution and enduring popularity.