What You Should Eat If You Visit Canada

As I'm sure any regular reader of this blog knows, I'm a Canadian boy.  I don't live there right now, but I grew up there, I learned much of what I know about food there, and I love it there.  That's not to say that it's the best country in the world, although I think it is, it's just saying that for me it will always be home. When it comes to Canadian food, few people really understand what foods we hold dear to our hearts.  While there has never been a consensus on this topic in Canada, I can tell you what foods I always fill up on whenever I'm back home.

Bacon - You're probably saying that bacon is not a Canadian food, unless you count back bacon, or pea meal bacon (as Americans call it "Canadian Bacon).  Well I've learned over the years that all standard bacon is not the same.  All over the world they have different qualities of pork, different cuts of pork, and very different standards for what they consider bacon.  I've tasted many of these varieties, but my favorite is still the stuff I get in Canada.  It's got the perfect fat to meat ratio, it crisps up really nicely, and no one looks at you funny if you cover it in maple syrup.

Swiss Chalet Dipping Sauce - If you only eat in one Canadian restaurant your entire life, it should be a Swiss Chalet.  They specialize rotisserie chicken, and it's good, but it's not the reason people love the place.  Swiss Chalet makes a dipping sauce for the chicken that is out of this world.  I've actually heard stories of Canadians working abroad granting favours, just for a taste of this sauce.  I'm not saying I would, particularly because I just had a bowl of this awesome sauce last week.  But if I was away long enough, who knows.

Cheese Curds - I've only recently discovered that very few people have ever tasted cheese curds.  A few people I've met have no idea what they are.  In the cheese making process, they're best described as cheese that is halted in the process about half way.  Cheese curd is always best fresh, and by fresh I don't mean days, I mean hours.  Some cheese curd manufacturers actually time stamp their product.  Cheese curd is also the key ingredient in another famous Canadian dish, poutine.  Poutine is basically french fries, gravy, and cheese curds.  In my opinion poutine is really just another way to enjoy cheese curd.

Timbits - Yes they are just little donuts, and yes (my American friends) I am aware of Dunkin' Donuts.  Tim Horton's Timbits are something different to me.  It's not just a donut, it's also a tradition, a place I meet with friends, and a place that re-assures me that I'm home.  It's not to say that I think these donuts are average, not at all.  I've tasted Dunkin' Donuts mini donuts, and I've tasted mini donuts from all over the world, but none have come close to a box of 20 Timbits, assorted, with no plain.

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