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About This Quiz
If you think Canadian food culture is nothing more than maple syrup and some messy dish called poutine, then you have a lot to learn about the diets of our neighbors to the north. Sure, maple syrup plays a role — how could it not, given that the maple leaf is front and center on the flag — but it's just a small part of the menu for the 30 million-plus citizens who call the world's second-largest country home.Â
The very Canadian foods found in this quiz run the gamut from indigenous favorites designed to make use of a plentiful supply of fish, animal fats and other natural resources to dishes inspired by immigrants from France, Scotland, Greece and around the world. You'll also find plenty of recipes that are purely native Canada, from Spruce beer to Honey Dill and everything in between. It's food made at home based on grandma's favorite recipe, plus food on the run from Canada's biggest restaurant chain — and no, it's not McDonald's. Think you know everything there is to know about the most popular foods this country has to offer? Prove it by acing this quiz!
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Need to warm up on an icy winter day? Grab one of these sweet fried-dough treats, which is named for an animal.
BeaverTail
Since 1978, Canadians have been warming up with BeaverTails, flattened, deep-fried dough topped with powdered sugar, maple butter, hazelnut spread or fruit. Now all over the country, these treats got their start in Ontario, where they were sold at the iconic Byward Market and to skaters along the Rideau Canal.
FrogLeg
DogBack
MooseHead
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Which of these toppings are a must to transform gravy fries into the traditional dish poutine?
Ranch dressing
Bacon bits
Cheese curds
Poutine is such a Canadian classic that you can even get it at McDonald's throughout the country. Invented in Quebec in the mid-20th century, the name of this dish roughly means "a mess" in regional slang. Traditionally made from fries topped with gravy and cheese curds, the curds are sometimes swapped out with shredded cheese for American diners.
Fried egg
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Can you guess which of these ingredients is a must for making maple taffy?
Spruce gum
Snow
When snow starts to fall (and when doesn't it, in Canada?) it's time to make maple taffy. Also known as sugar on snow or maple toffee, this sweet treat consists of boiled maple syrup poured over freshly-fallen snow and stirred to form a sticky candy that's eaten fresh.
Cake flour
Peanut butter
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Name these no-bake bars, which are perfect for a Canadian potluck or school bake sale.
B.C. Bars
Magic Bars
Maple Bacon Bars
Nanaimo Bars
Named for a city in British Columbia, Nanaimo Bars are a Canadian classic. They've been around since at least the '50s, according to The New York Times, and are made by combining layers of chocolate and buttercream with a base made from nuts, coconut and graham cracker crumbs. And of course, Tim Hortons introduced a donut based on this treat back in 2017.
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The perfect beverage for brunch, can you guess the name of Canada's version of the American Bloody Mary?
Maple Temple
Tomato Fizzer
Caesar Cocktail
The Caesar is to Canadians what the Bloody Mary is to Americans. While every bartender has his or her own version of the spicy drink, it generally includes vodka, Clamato juice, hot sauce and lime, and may be garnished with celery or a spiced rim.
Sidecar
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Thankfully, this dessert is small so you can eat more than one, but do you know what it's called?
Poutine
Butter tart
Butter tarts are tiny treats you can devour in just a few bites. Made by combining butter, sugar and eggs in a mini shell or crust, they are baked to bring out a caramel-butterscotch flavor that will have you reaching for another one before you've finished with the last.
Meat pie
Pouding chomeur
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What in the world is a fiddlehead, eh?
Vegetable
Available only in May and plucked from a single species of fern, the fiddlehead is a green vegetable in the form of a tight coil wrapped in a fine brown skin. According to "Food and Wine," the city of Tide Head, New Brunswick calls itself the Fiddlehead Capital of the World. If you ever come across these classic veggies, make sure to always cook them before eating; raw fiddleheads can make you ill.
Dessert
Holiday casserole
Beverage
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Know what you'll get if you order a Double-Double at Tim Hortons?
Two double-chocolate donuts
A double-toasted bagel
Breakfast sandwich with double cheese
Coffee with cream and sugar
Canadians know that a Double-Double is a classic to-go cup of Tim Hortons coffee with two creams and two sugars. It's just enough to warm you up and wake you up enough to make it to work on a cold, dark winter morning.
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Canadians are big on KD. What do Americans call this classic dish?
Mac and cheese
Kraft introduced boxed mac and cheese known as Kraft Dinner back in 1937 to both the U.S. and Canadian markets. Almost a century later, Canadians eat 55 percent more of this cheesy favorite than their American counterparts, according to "AdWeek." This concoction is so beloved in Canada that it's earned the nickname KD, and Kraft actually changed the name to KD in the Canadian market in 2015 to take advantage of this popular moniker.
Cheeseburger
Stir-fry
Spaghetti with meat sauce
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Despite its name, a Greek immigrant to Canada invented this dish. Can you ID it?
Clams Casino
California Roll
Hawaiian Pizza
Greek immigrant Sam Panopoulos invented Hawaiian Pizza in 1962, according to Time Magazine. Hoping to draw in customers to his Ontario restaurant, he added pineapple to his pies, calling it Hawaiian based on the name on the can the pineapple came in.
New York Bagel
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Scottish immigrants brought Bannock to Canada way back in the 18th century. Bannock is a type of...
Game meat
Fried dough
Scottish immigrants to Canada in the 18th century brought with them a recipe for Bannock. Named for the Gaelic term bannach, meaning morsel, according to the University of Toronto, this traditional fry bread was heated on a stone placed in front of the fire.
Mousse cake
Cream soda
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If you step into a restaurant in Quebec and request a tourtiere, s'il vous plait, this is what you'll get.
Meat pie
During the Christmas holidays, many families in Quebec enjoy a traditional dish known as a tourtiere. This meat pie creation is baked into a standard flaky pie crust, and can be filled with beef, lamb, pork or game meat. It often includes potatoes or veggies for filling depending on the recipe.
Caramelized tart
Shepherd's pie
Shrimp cocktail
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Can you guess what Canadians call loaded potato chips?
To the Max
Flavor Saver
All Dressed
Back in the '70s, Yum Yum Chips put out a potato chip seasoned with barbecue, salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion and ketchup. Today that combination is known as All Dressed, and it's a Canadian favorite. Even Frito-Lay got into the act, introducing an All Dressed version of their classic Ruffles.
Everything Crisps
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Take pork loin from the back of a pig, coat it in cornmeal and you've got this Canadian favorite.
Montreal smoked meat
Vancouver roll
Peameal bacon
Once coated in crushed peas, hence its name, peameal bacon is now fried in cornmeal to give it a crispy coating. Less greasy than American bacon strips, peameal bacon is also very different than so-called Canadian bacon, which was actually made in the U.S.
Alberta clipper
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Name the Canadian city that produces bagels in a style that rivals those made in New York.
Vancouver
Ottawa
Toronto
Montreal
Montreal bagels are to Canadians what New York bagels are to those in the U.S. Boiled in honey and water, they are sweeter and tougher than New York bagels. Instead of cooking them in a regular oven, Montreal bagels are baked in a wood-fired oven, giving them a crispy base you wouldn't find in a bagel in the Big Apple.
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Which of these ingredients are you unlikely to find in pouding chomeur, or "unemployed person's pudding?"
Sugar
Beef
Back in the '30s, a third of all Canadians were unemployed thanks to the Great Depression, according to Atlas Obscura. To keep families fed, housewives began making pouding chomeur, which consists of stale bread softened with syrup or brown sugar and baked until sweet and crispy.
Bread
Syrup
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It's an acquired taste, but which of these "beers" do many Canadians crave?
Spruce beer
If you boiled a Christmas tree down to its essence and added sugar and bubbles, you'd have Spruce beer. Made from boiled Spruce needles, this beer is actually a soda, and popular brands like Macro are actually non-alcoholic.
Elm beer
Pine beer
Almond bark beer
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Scientists call it Amelanchie alnifolia, but can you guess which Canadian fruit is used to make this pie?
Vancouver strawberry
Alberta springberry
Saskatoon berry
The Saskatoon berry is a cheerful deep purple berry found in Canada's central plains. If you're ever in the area, help yourself to a slice of Saskatoon berry pie, which combines these berries with sugar, butter and lemon juice in a flaky pie crust that's baked to perfection.
Montreal goji
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Locals call is viande fumee, but can you guess which Canadian city is famous for its style of smoked meat?
Toronto
Montreal
Often compared to the pastrami NYC is famous for, Montreal smoked meat is a cross between corned beef and pastrami. Served in rye bread at Montreal delis since the start of the 20th century, this food is cooked closer than NY-style beef and uses a dry rub instead of a wet one, which results in a very distinct flavor that is pure Quebec.
Ottawa
Vancouver
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Guess the quirky name for this traditional Newfoundland recipe, which is sometimes known as boiled or Sunday dinner.
Shepherd's pie
Butter tart
Jiggs dinner
Popular in Newfoundland and the surrounding area of Atlantic Canada, the Jiggs dinner was likely named for the character Jiggs from the "Bringing Up Father" cartoon, according to the Food Network. It consists of salted or corned beef cooked with cabbage and root veggies. This meal may be accompanied by extras like pickles or beets, and leftovers are often chopped into a hash for breakfast the next day.
Tourtiere
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OK Canadian food fans ... which of these are you most likely to drown in Greetalia's Honey Dill Sauce?
Greens
Hot dogs
Clams
Chicken fingers
A Manitoba tradition, Honey Dill Sauce was created at Mitzi's Chicken Finger Restaurant in Winnipeg. Sold in the classic blue and yellow jar under the Greetalia name, this sauce is made of a blend of honey, mayonnaise, dill and other spices. While it's perfect for chicken fingers and fries, there's really no limit to what you can dress up with this beloved sauce.
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In the U.S., Dunkin Donuts sells Munchkins. What does Tim Hortons call their donut holes?
Crunchkins
Fiddle Faddles
Double Doubles
Timbits
Not hungry enough to eat an entire donut? Try a box of Timbits, which are made using the dough removed to make the holes in donuts. For sale since 1971, these small treats come in flavors like chocolate, sour cream, apple fritter and jelly dip.
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Which of these unusual names is used in Manitoba to refer to a dessert made of sponge cake, whipped cream and caramel?
Schmoo torte
A Bar and Bat Mitzvah tradition, according to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Schmoo or Shmoo torte has been served in the Manitoba area for decades. This surprisingly simple dessert begins with an angel food cake base, and is topped with layers of whipped cream, caramel and nuts to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Saskatoon pie
Shoo Fly Pie
Mississippi Mud Pie
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Hand in your hockey stick if you don't know that Coffee Crisp is a...
Cereal
Candy bar
Introduced in the UK way back in 1930, the Coffee Crisp candy bar came to Canada in 1938, and has remained a beloved treat ever since. Consisting of layers of wafers filled with coffee-flavored cream and coated in milk chocolate, this bar never quite found its niche in the U.S.
Frozen coffee
Fast food chain
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We promise you'd enjoy Akutaq. Can you guess what it is?
Vegetable
Pizza topping
Ice cream
Sometimes known as Eskimo ice cream, Akutaq is a dish developed by the native Inupiaq of northern Canada. The name comes from their language and means "to stir," according to "Smithsonian" magazine, and the recipe itself calls for snow, local berries ... and animal fat in the form of whale or seal oil.
Sea urchin
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Move over McDonald's ... this is Canada's most popular burger chain.
Mary Brown's
Harvey's
Founded in 1959 in Ontario, Harvey's has more locations than any Canadian food chain other than Tim Hortons. When you spot their familiar blue and orange sign, you know you are moments from a grilled burger, as well as sides like poutine (of course, it's Canada) or Frings, a combination of fries and onion rings.
Wendy's
Good Burger
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Pick the American snack food that's most comparable to Quebecois favorite oreilles de crisse.
Pork rinds
Oreilles des crisse, which is French for "the ears of Christ," gets its name because it's so delicious you may think you've gone to heaven. These deep-fried pork bits, similar to American pork rinds, are often topped with maple syrup for that irresistible salty-sweet combo.
Saltwater taffy
Potato sticks
Nachos
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Which of these can you expect to chow down on if someone hands you a box of Joe Louis?
Fruity chews
Meat pies
Snack cakes
Made by Vachon, Joe Louis is the name for a popular Canadian snack cake. It consists of red velvet cake, gooey cream filling and a chocolaty coating. If red velvet isn't your thing, Vachon also makes a product called May West, which includes vanilla sponge cake and custard cream.
Caramel corn
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Toutons originated in Newfoundland, but which American food is most similar to this Canadian classic?
Eggs Benedict
Pasta salad
Pancakes
Native to Newfoundland on Canada's east coast, a touton is a circle of fried dough cooked in butter or animal fat. It dates back to the 1800s and is sometimes known as a tiffin or damper dog. And yes, just like in America, this dish is topped with syrup or fruit for added sweetness.
Tuna tartar
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Sold at Canadian grocer Loblows, President's Choice makes a beloved chocolate chip cookie. What name does it go by?
Cookies Ahoy
The Decadent
With The Decadent. President's Choice promises "the maximum number of chocolate chips that we could cram in." After all, isn't that all anyone could want in a cookie? Introduced in 1988, this Canadian classic was transformed into a soda in 2013.
Cookie Monster
Chocolate Beyond
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Canadians know that if you pop open a can of Crush Cream Soda, the beverage you reveal will be this color.
White
Dark Brown
Orange
Pink
Fruity Crush soda has been around since 1911 in both Canada and the U.S. It's only in Canada, however, that you can pick up the Cream Soda version of Crush, which has a pinkish hue similar to freshly-spun cotton candy.
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What should you expect to find alongside your cod if you order fish and brewis in eastern Canada?
Cheese
Blood pudding
Bread
Fish and brewis (pronounced brews) originated in Newfoundland and Labrador on Canada's Atlantic coast. This dish consists of boiled bread and cod. It may be served with scruncheons, or scrunchions, delicious bits of fried salty pork fat.
Corn
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Yes, they serve poutine, but what is the most popular main course on the menu at Swiss Chalet?
Burgers
Rotisserie chicken
Founded in Toronto in 1954, fast food chain Swiss Chalet is pretty much Canada's version of Boston Market. Diners head to the Chalet for meals built around juicy rotisserie chicken, which is served with the restaurant's signature dipping sauce ... a vinegar and tomato blend that adds zest to even the most casual meal.
Soup
Steak
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If you pop open a bag of Hickory Sticks from a Canadian grocery store, what will you find inside?
Fried potato sticks
In the U.S., we have French's Potato Sticks, or Utz's Potato Stix. In Canada, those looking for salty fried potato sticks can pick up a bag of Hickory Sticks. This classic snack is made by a company called Hostess, and no, they are not related to the American company known for making Twinkies and other snack cakes.
Pork rinds
Onion rings
Cheese puffs
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Which ingredient is paired with cucumber to create the B.C. roll, a sushi roll that is a true Vancouver original?
Eel
Salmon
The California roll, a maki sushi creation made using crabstick, cucumber and avocado, was invented in Vancouver in the '70s ... but it's not the only sushi roll that put western Canada on the map. If you're ever in British Columbia, ask for a B.C. roll, which is made of barbecued salmon or salmon skin wrapped up with diced cucumber and topped with sweet and spicy sauce.
Tuna
Crabstick
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Can you name the Canadian pizza chain that was founded in Toronto in the '60s, and now boasts well over a hundred locations?
Pizza Hut
Slice of the Pie
Pizza Nova
A true Canadian original, Pizza Nova is one of Canada's biggest homegrown pizza chains. Founded in 1963 by the Primucci family, Pizza Nova began setting up franchises in 1969 and has been steadily growing ever since thanks to recipes like Banquet Cheddar and Primavera.
Tim Hortons Pizza
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Guess which of these French Canadian classics is served steamy or toasty.
Poutine
Fish sandwich
Hot dog
Just like its bagels and smoked meat, Montreal also boasts its own signature style of hot dogs. Smaller than those eaten in the States, the dogs are topped with mustard, onions, and slaw ... but not ketchup. They are served steamy (steamed) or toasty (grilled), and often accompanied by fries or poutine.
Gyro
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In the U.S., we call candy-coated chocolates M&Ms. What is the Canadian version of this treat called?
Crispies
Smarties
Invented by UK candy maker Rowntree in 1937, Smarties are now sold under the Nestle name. These brightly colored candy shells conceal a button of milk chocolate, and are typically sold in tubes alongside candy bars like the Coffee Crisp. If you're a true Canadian, you'll know that everyone saves the red ones for last.
Buttons
Sparkles
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French Canadians dine on a dish known as pate chinois. What is the English equivalent of this beef and potato dish?
Shepherd's pie
Pate chinois is to Canadians as shepherd's pie is to the Brits. The French name means "Chinese pie," likely because this recipe came to Canada via Chinese railroad workers. It differs from the traditional shepherd's pie in that the beef and onion layers are often mixed with creamed corn and corn kernels before they are topped by the classic mashed potato crust.
Beef stew
Hamburger helper
Steak frites
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You might call this food a gyro, but if you're in Halifax, it's sold under this name.
Toutine
Donair
Popular in the Halifax area since the '70s, donairs feature shaved beef, onions and chopped tomatoes tucked into a pita and topped with a sweet garlic sauce. It's similar to a gyro, but minus the lamb, and with a sauce more appealing to western palates. In 2015, the Halifax City Council named donairs the official food of the city, according to Food Network Canada.
BeaverTail
Hickory Stick
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