Our reporters comb the country for inspiring stories. You're welcome to use them just follow our usage guidelines.

Need a story?

At the CTC, our job is promoting Canada to the world. We are pleased to provide media all copyrights to reproduce the stories and story ideas published here.

We welcome you to use these story ideas as inspiration for your own stories about Canada. The CTC owns all rights worldwide. (Our images are also royalty-free and available for editorial print, broadcast and electronic use.)

If you choose to reproduce these texts for editorial use only, please include the author’s byline and “courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission.” If you cut, edit or modify the text in any way, please include this note: “The text has been modified from the original.”

Please contact us if you would like to reproduce one of our media centre stories, and let us know how and where you will use this story. Thank you.

You say hamburger, we say poutine

Cuisine du Canadiana—qu’est-ce que c’est?

by Julie Ovenell-Carter 7 March 2007

Yes, Virginia, there is an iconic Canadian cuisine, and it has nothing to do with Mr. Horton’s* ubiquitous doughnuts. Here’s just a starter list to whet your appetite for Canadian eats.

  • Poutine—that is, French fries smothered in cheese curd and gravy—is Québécois comfort food. Though widely available throughout la belle province, no one does it better than Monsieur Tremblay, le Roi de la Patate (literally, King of the Potato), of Tadoussac, QC. For nearly 26 years, he’s kept them queuing in front of his roadside chip truck, where you can view press testimonials, including this mention in the Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com). More? See www.tourisme-charlevoix.com.
  • Cedar-planked wild salmon is hard to find, but worth looking for. It’s the best preparation of this famous west coast fish. Slow-cooking produces a richly sweet and smoky flavour. Try Joe Fortes off Vancouver, BC’s Robson Street for an uptown take on this beachside classic. www.joefortes.ca
  • West coasters are trying hard to develop a local mussel business, but their best can’t hold a candle to the plump Blue Musselsof the Atlantic. For pure blue bivalve bliss, sweet Prince Edward Island mussels beat all. Find the best at Flex Mussels in Charlottetown, PEI. www.flexmussels.com
  • The Canadian-born son of Russian émigrés, Hy Aisenstat introduced the world to the unparalleled quality of Alberta beef with the opening of the first Hy’s restaurant in Calgary, AB in 1956–and it’s still the best place to feast on Triple-A Alberta meat, always aged a minimum 28 days. Try a Hy’s in Vancouver and Whistler, BC, Winnipeg, MB, Ottawa or Toronto, ON, www.hyssteakhouse.com, or Carver’s Steakhouse in Calgary for a taste of all-Canadian beef. sheratoncavalier.com/calgary/restaurants/carvers_steakhouse.html
  • We Canucks like maple syrup so much, we put a maple leaf on our national flag. And there’s no better time to taste Mother Nature’s stickiest ambrosial treat than during one of Ontario’s many maple syrup festivals. www.ontariomaple.com/maple-festivals/southwestern-ontario.html

*That’s Tim Horton’s, a much-beloved, working-man’s doughnut and coffee chain in Canada.

Print
Usage guidelines

We welcome you to use these story ideas as inspiration for your own stories about Canada. The CTC owns all rights worldwide. (Our images are also royalty-free and available for editorial print, broadcast and electronic use.) If you choose to reproduce these texts for editorial use only, please include the author's byline and "courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission." If you cut, edit or modify the text in any way, please include this note: "The text has been modified from the original." Thank you.

Tags:
Prince Edward Island, Credit - Mandatory Tourism PEI/John Sylvester - Background Image