We can all name Canadian food we’re particularly proud (and fond) of. Poutine, Nova Scotia lobster and Tourtière are definitely on the list. But how does Canada compare with the rest of the world in the food stakes?
Pretty darn well, it seems.
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1. Hummingbird Chocolate
Canada has been making headlines in the food world this week thanks to one little company in Almonte, Ontario. Hummingbird Chocolate company was awarded a pretty impressive title last weekend by the Academy of Chocolate in London thanks to their Hummingbird’s Hispaniola bar (made from organic cacao beans from the Dominican Republic), which according to Ottawa Citizen won top prize, the “Golden Bean” award.
But it’s not the only edible Canada’s known for.
2. Crown Royal Whisky
There are some amazing Irish and Scottish whiskeys, but it’s Canada’s Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye that won the 2016 title of world whisky of the year.
The Canadian malt whisky beat out 1000 other whiskeys and was awarded an outstanding score of 97.5 out of 100 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, The Telegraph reports.
In fact, Murray even hailed it a “masterpiece.” And what does a masterpiece taste like? According to Murray, it’s “rye, that most eloquent of grains, not just turning up to charm and enthral but to also take us through a routine which reaches new heights of beauty and complexity.”
3. Canadian Maple Syrup
You can’t think about syrup without thinking of maple syrup, and you can’t think of maple syrup without thinking of Canada. Typically made using the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple or black maple trees, maple syrup can be used on (or in) bacon, granola, biscuits and to make candied nuts (to name but a few). It’s also recently been described by researchers from the University of Rhode Island as a “champion food” thanks to its beneficial compounds.
“We don’t know yet whether the new compounds contribute to the healthy profile of maple syrup,” head researcher Dr. Navindra Seeram said, Daily Mail reports. “But we do know that the sheer quantity and variety of identified compounds with documented health benefits qualifies maple syrup as a champion food.”
“It is a one-stop shop for these beneficial compounds, several of which are also found in berries, tea, red wine and flaxseed, just to name a few.”
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4. Glengarry Cheesemaking Cheese
You may not have thought the greatest cheese in the world would come from Canada, but according to the annual Global Cheese Awards it absolutely does. In 2013, Glengarry Cheesemaking (owned by Margaret Peters), won the competition with their aged Lankaaster (just under two years old at the competition). Pretty impressive, right?
5. The Mission Hill Family Estate Winery
In 2013, at the Decanter World Wine Awards held in London, England, The Mission Hill Family Estate Winery (located in the Okanagan valley of British Columbia) beat out more than 14,000 wines from 61 regions to take the International Trophy for World’s Best Wine.
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6. OK, poutine is on the list
Right, so maybe it hasn’t won any culinary awards, but what’s an amazing Canadian food product list without the inclusion of poutine — the dish made of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. The history of poutine is debated, but many believe it originated in Québec in the 1950s, and there’s no denying its popularity is growing, with the inclusion of poutine on many fast food restaurant menus — including McDonald’s!
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