Top Canadian Food Every Foreign Student Must Try

Canada is known for many things, and delicious foods are one of them. While we know you are most concerned with your studies, you’ll be doing yourself a great disservice not to try some Canadian dishes.

Have you tasted some poutine or butter tarts? If you haven’t, what have you been eating? Whatever the case, there are foods you must try before your study visa expires. Try not to get hungry as we examine nine of them.

1. Poutine

You cannot call yourself a Canadian student without eating some poutine. The French-Canadian food consists of thick-cut french fries, cheese curds, and beef gravy.

Thankfully, you can find it in almost any restaurant around or on a food truck catering. You can take it for breakfast or as a snack at any time of the day. A can of soda can accompany it if you wish. The taste varies with the quality of the ingredients used to make it. Overall, the word “delicious” would do a bit of justice to it.

2. Bannock

You can also call it Canada’s native bread. The unleavened bread is easy to make and consists of simple ingredients such as wheat flour, lard, salt, and sugar. You’ll find it in different sizes with no standard shape. The taste isn’t far from the regular bread, so it goes with just as many menus.

3. Maple Syrup

If you haven’t tasted maple syrup, you’d probably haven’t eaten settled down in Canada. You should have noticed by now that the official arboreal emblem of Canada is a maple tree leaf. Unsurprisingly, you can’t get maple syrup better than one sold in Canada. Spread it over pancakes, waffles, French toast, and cereals, and even drizzle it over ice cream.

4. Butter Tart

Get ready for eye-rolling when you take the first bite of a butter tart. The treat is crunchy and has a center filled with a creamy center made from butter, egg, sugar, and syrup. Many describe it simply as yummy, and you couldn’t expect less. You wouldn’t need to search around as every bakery and cafe is waiting for you to testify how good it is.

5. Montréal Bagels

Do you think you know all about bagels? Well, you’d change your mind after tasting the Montreal delight. Rumors have it that the special dough for this tasty snack was brought by some Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe about a century ago.

Meanwhile, we can confirm that Montreal-style bagels taste better than regular Canadian bagels, are lighter, and have a solid texture. Try some with different toppings, and you may never again desire another type of bagel.

6. Split Pea Soup

Here is one for the soup lovers. You’ll hardly find a person who tasted the split peas soup that hasn’t gotten the recipe book soon after. The common ingredients for this spicy soup are yellow split peas, veggies, broth, bay leaves, and thyme.

Of course, every restaurant that serves it would have a little something they add to theirs for some uniqueness. Order for some and eat with bread. You would be glad you did.

7. Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich

It is no secret that Montreal is the go-to place for unique Canadian cuisines. And while you are at it, order some Montreal smoked meat. The treat consists of thin slices of salted and spice-cured beef briskets spread between slices of bread.

Some spices used include coriander, black pepper, mustard seed, and garlic. The curing process is thorough, which is evident in the richly satisfying taste. Thankfully, you do not have to travel to Montreal to get a taste since most restaurants around serve them too. Whoever first thought about making this delicacy should be proud.

8. Beaver Tail

Wait! We are not referring to the actual tail of a beaver but a Canadian pastry. And yes, it does mimic the shape of a beaver’s tail. The dessert snack is dough fried till it turns golden brown and coated with sugar and cinnamon.

If you aren’t a fan of cinnamon, you can always ask for other flavors like apple pie and chocolate strawberry. Meanwhile, you can also choose to spice up the pastry with some peanut butter, marshmallows, and sliced fruits.

9. Nanaimo Bars

Named after Nanaimo city, this food is a three-layered bar dessert. At first sight, it appears baked, but it is only a layer of chocolate ganache covering a custard buttercream filling that sits on a crumb base. The base often consists of wafers, nuts, and coconut graham crusts.

After knowing its composition, you can very well imagine the taste of Nanaimo bars. No sweet tooth can settle on one after the first bite. You can always satisfy your cravings for this treat in almost any bakery and cafe around the country.

The Close

If you’re a food enthusiast, you should speak with a Canadian immigration lawyer at once. But more than the cuisines, you will find Canada a place of culture, astonishing sceneries, politeness, and order. There could only be a few better places you’d find with a combination of such features for international students.

Photo by Damla Karaağaçlı – pexels.com