What is Canadian Food?

When someone says let's go get some Italian Food you automatically think Pasta or something like that.   When they say let's get Japanese Food you think about Sushi.  When someone says Greek Food you think Souvlaki and Pita bread.    Has anyone ever said "Let's go get some Canadian Food?".

What is Canadian Food anyway?   How come we don't have Canadian Food Restaurants?  You see restaurants called Chinese Dynasty or the Friendly Greek or the Mad Italian.   Why hasn't someone opened a restaurant called the Great Canadian other than the Superstore grocery store?

Poutine from Smoke's Poutinerie

What do you think of when people say Canadian food?  Do you think of Poutine?

Do you think about Maple Syrup and Pancakes?  Or maybe with some fresh Ontario Strawberries.

Maple pancakes, strawberries and chocolate chips

What about Canadian Bacon? Why do they call it Canadian Bacon?  Don't they eat it anywhere else?

Canadian Bacon and Egg Muffin

How about some BC Salmon?

Salmon and roasted potatoes

I think Canadian food is all of these things and more.  Canadian Food is an amalgamation of food influences from around the world.  We have all these things and but we aren't locked into a particular style and taste of food.  This is where our diversity comes in.  From pancakes to Fish we have foods that 1st, 2nd and 3rd Generation Canadians love.  

My Canadian Food is food that is accessible and full of flavour with spice influences from around the Globe.   It is simple and complicated at the same time.   

Classic things are a Back Bacon sandwich at the St. Lawrence Market or Poutine in Quebec, Salmon in BC,  Fiddleheads, PEI potatoes, the list goes on and on.

We do have Canadian food but as in a lot of things that are Canadian we don't celebrate our own and promote a Canadian Food identity and take on other culture's identities as our own.

I would like to see Canadian Food become a food trend that influences other cultures around the world.  Make your Canadian Bacon and go forth and spread the Canadian Bacon love.

Start your own Canadian Food trend with your friends and family.

Happy Canada Day.   Enjoy some Canadian Food on Canada Day with your friends and family!