FOOD
A world of diverse dishes for Canada Day eating
A by Staff
sk Americans to name a food popular north of the border, and some will invariably reply “Canadian bacon”. But the reality is that Canadian cuisine is comprised of many international and domestic influences. In advance of Canada Day, we listed a few of the country’s signature dishes.
COMFORT
Macaroni and cheese Even though so-called comfort foods like macaroni and cheese have relatively recently graduated from kiddie fare in family restaurants (where it always shared menu space with chicken nuggets) to expensive main-course status in hipster eateries, Canadians have always cherished the creamy, warm goodness of the simple yet delicious pasta dish. Proof? The famous Kraft Dinner came out in both the U.S. and Canada in the late 1930s, but Canucks today scarf back 55 percent more “KD”, per capita, than do Americans. FRENCH CANADIAN
Poutine What better food symbol of national solidarity exists than a dish undisputedly of Quebec origin (in the 1950s) that gained rapid coast-
Various cultural influences are reflected in the ways that Pacific salmon can be enjoyed, from barbecued (Jacek Chabraszewski/Getty Images) to enveloped in sushi (Ridofranz/Getty Images).
to-coast popularity? Poutine comes in dozens of varieties now, reflecting a multitude of regional and cultural differences (very Canadian), but the original version showcased only three ingredients: French fries, fresh cheese curds, and a thin chicken gravy. INDIGENOUS
Bannock Although there were many North American precontact versions of the Canadian classic that we now call bannock (or fry bread), Scottish fur traders brought their quick and simple unleavened bread with them to
18th-century Western Canada, where it was often cooked on a flat rock over an open fire. Succeeding Métis generations adopted the staple food—sometimes adding a bit of salt, sugar, or leavening to the basic flour, water, and lard recipe—and it subsequently became almost ubiquitous in First Nations (and settler) communities, often being baked, fried, or deep fried, sometimes with added ingredients like berries or jam. WEST COAST
Sockeye salmon There are five species of Pacific salmon in
B.C., but the sockeye (the others being chinook, coho, chum, and pink) truly deserves the designation iconic due to its spectacular annual spawning returns to its natal rivers and lakes, its important economic and historical status as a commercial and recreational quarry, and the rich, sweet, and mild flavour of its healthy and famously red flesh. If anything, it was, and still is, even more important to the West Coast’s Indigenous peoples, coastal and interior, who barbecued, smoked, dried, roasted, boiled, or fermented the seasonal staple. JAPANESE
B.C. roll What was the game changer for sushi in North America? The inside-out California roll, of course, which emerged sometime in the dark ages otherwise known as the 1970s and ‘80s. Although several Los Angeles chefs lay claim to inventing it, so does renowned Vancouver chef Hidekazu Tojo of Tojo’s fame. However, Tojo is definitely credited with creating the Canadian West Coast variation: the B.C. roll, which contains barbecued salmon, cucumber, and sauce. As this one could use a little more see next page
PASTA
&SALADS Made fresh daily in our kitchen
NEW!
with local & seasonal ingredients
vancouver house • fresh st. market • 1423 Continental St. dine-in is now available • Open Everyday 11am-6pm JUNE 24 – JULY 1 / 2021
THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
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