Top 7 Canadian Snacks

Lesley Stowe is a renowned brand specializing in high-quality snacks, particularly in the cracker category, which are made with meticulous attention to detail and ingredients. This Canadian brand has become synonymous with luxurious snacks that perfectly combine rich flavors and innovation. Founded by the acclaimed Canadian chef Lesley Stowe, the company prides itself on using the finest ingredients, with no compromises in taste or nutritional value. Lesley Stowe products, such as the famous Raincoast Crisps range, have become favorites among food lovers and gourmets worldwide due to their delicate texture, crispness, and unique flavors. Each product is a result of Lesley Stowe’s passion for premium food and her commitment to creating products that elevate every meal or snack to a higher level. Whether served with cheese, fruit, or on their own, Lesley Stowe products are the perfect choice for refined tastes.Expand

This bagel variety came to Montreal with the wave of Eastern European Jewish immigrants during the early 1900s. There are varying theories about the creator of the first Montreal-style bagel – some claim it was a baker named Isadore Schlafman, while others say it was Hyman Seligman from Dvinsk, who sold them from a horse-drawn carriage. Before baking, these bagels are boiled in kettles of honey water. Unlike New York-style bagels, these contain no salt and are less dense, with a slightly sweeter flavor. They are rolled and cut by hand and have a large hole in the center. Because Montreal bagels are wood-fired, it results in a crispy exterior and a chewy interior of the dough. Traditionally, they are available in two varieties – sesame seed bagels and poppy seed bagels.Expand

Beaver tails are sweet, flat, and thin Canadian pastries made from whole wheat flour. The dough is hand-stretched and shaped to look like a beaver's tail - unsurprisingly, one of Canada's national symbols. The shaped dough is fried (a technique referred to as float-cooking) on canola oil and smothered with butter and a variety of different toppings. Beaver Tails originated from a recipe created by Grant Hooker's family and have been served commercially since 1978. It is believed that the pastry evolved from a yeasty, wheaty dessert made from excess dough that was first made on early Canadian and American farms. Beaver Tails are always served hot and topped with cinnamon, sugar, and some lemon juice, which is the most popular option. Other toppings may include chocolate and hazelnut, maple syrup and butter, apple and cinnamon, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, jelly beans, bananas... The list goes on, as the possibilities are virtually infinite for this Canadian icon.Expand

A local delicacy in the cuisine of the Midwestern United States and Canada, deep-fried cheese curds are made from curds that form before cheeses like cheddar are formed into blocks or wheels and left to age. Fresh curds have a rubbery texture and squeak slightly when bitten into, which is why they are sometimes referred to as squeaky cheese. The squeak is a sign of its freshness, and after about twelve hours, the curds begin to lose their squeak, so they should be eaten on the day they are produced. Since there are many cheese factories and dairies in Wisconsin, the best and freshest cheese curds are produced in that state. Light, fluffy and smooth, the authentic Wisconsin breaded cheese curds are said to melt in the mouth. The curds come in a variety of flavors such as garlic, spicy Cajun, taco, or mild ranch. They are usually served at fairs and carnivals, and sometimes in bars, fast food chains, and restaurants. In Canada, it is popular to eat them in poutine - a dish consisting of French fries topped with a thick gravy that is filled with delicious cheese curds.Expand

Even though its name stems from the French boudin—a word that usually refers to the pudding-like fillings of sausages—this soppy treat originating from the French Canadian province of Quebec consists of french fries drowned in a thick, brown gravy dotted with clumps of pale, soft, semi-creamy cheese curds. The potatoes are more coarsely cut than regular fries, and they are sometimes even fried twice so that the exterior remains crispy while the interior remains soft, whereas the cheese does not melt but just softens, adding that special squeakiness to the dish, and the gravy is made with either beef or chicken stock with the addition of vinegar. Since its rise to stardom from the 1950s onwards, poutine has spread all over Canada and became popular in many parts of the USA where it's considered the ultimate late-night snack. Many Canadians consider poutine a true national dish. It is found anywhere from food trucks to fancy restaurants, and even at Canadian McDonald's. Poutine connoisseurs claim that the best versions are served at small roadside stands where the curds are fresh, rubbery, and melt easily. Interestingly, in 2007, poutine was placed at number 10 of an online survey about the greatest Canadian inventions, conducted by CBC.Expand

Butter tart is a humble food that achieved iconic status in early 20th-century Canada. The filling is traditionally made with a combination of walnuts, eggs, brown sugar, butter, and white vinegar, and it's then placed into small, flaky, deep or shallow tart shells before baking. Early versions of the recipe, dating back to 1915, suggest that currants and raisins should also be included in the mixture. There are lots of theories about the origin of the tart – some say that it is related to pecan pie, which was brought to the country by American slaves, some say it evolved from Quebec's sugar pie, while others say it's linked to Border Tarts from southern Scotland. Regardless of their origin, butter tarts are nowadays especially popular in the provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia. The color of baked tarts depends on the darkness of the brown sugar used, and the filling on the interior can be either solid or runny (for a runny tart, the cooking time is shortened).Expand

Maple slaw is a Canadian version of coleslaw, a salad that consists of cabbage, onions, maple syrup, and seasonings. It is typically served as a dessert or a snack. There are many version of the salad with added apple cider vinegar, celery seeds, mayonnaise, cheese, cereals, and even chocolate. Maple slaw can also be used as a condiment in a variety of sandwiches and burgers, and it can often be found at potlucks and picnics.Expand

Long before beef jerky, there was pemmican, a Native American snack with a high fat content that was originally used as travel food. The word pemmican (pimîhkâ) comes from the Cree tribe and is derived from the word pimi, meaning fat or grease. It's made from a mixture of fat and lean meat of buffalos. The meat is thinly sliced, dried, and ground into a powder to make beef jerky, which is later mixed with fat to make pemmican. The flavor is creamy and salty, and pemmican bars are considered an outdoor tradition, useful for hunters, fishermen, and campers alike, as it provides tons of energy in a small package and it also has a very long shelf life. Today, there is a wide variety of pemmican bars made with pepper, cereals, and dried fruit such as cherries and blueberries.Expand