Last Call: Tell Us More About Canadian Food

As those great Canadians the Barenaked Ladies may have sung, it's been one (work) week since we started Canada Week, and now we Americans understand the meaning of the lines "I summon fish to the dish, although I like the Chalet Swiss/I like the sushi 'cause it's never touched a frying pan." We also know now what a "double double," bannock, and sugar pie are; that Windsor has its own style of pizza; that the best nachos are north of the border; and how to make Jigg's Dinner and Jos Louis cake. And someday, when All This is over and we're back in shape, we will make our pilgrimages to the Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse. Truly this has been an educational week for us all! But Canada is vast, and I know there's plenty of food that we missed.

Last night I texted my cousin Ed who, although he has lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years now and recently became a citizen, retains his Canadian accent and Canadian humility and has (so far) endured many holidays with our family without killing anyone or reminding us that we are all way dumber than he is. For these reasons, Ed is everyone's favorite relative. I asked him what Canadian foods he really misses, and he sent me a long list:

  • Old Dutch chips of most flavors, including sour cream and onion, pickle flavored chips, and sometimes ketchup flavored chips
  • Hawkins Cheezies
  • Coffee Crisp bars
  • Wine gum candies
  • Cragmont pop, especially cream soda, ginger ale, or black cherry
  • But the thing that he misses the most, and which reminds him most of his childhood in Alberta, is a full Ukrainian dinner: pierogies with sour cream, stuffed cabbage rolls, kielbasa, and sometimes borscht.

    (Ed is not a Tim Horton's fan. "Tim Horton's is pretty crappy in my opinion," he wrote. "It's mostly unexceptional donuts – the Canadian equivalent of Krispy Kreme.")

    Canadians, what else did we miss? Sing your own songs of praise in the comments.

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