"Only in Canada" food items: add to the list

[MacD]

Thought this would be an interesting exercise. Just off the top of my head: Smarties, Caramilk, Coffee Crisp, milk in bags (not jugs as in the States), butter tarts, I think Nanaimo bars are only available here...

[cactusette]

I'm not sure about these items at all but
sucre à la crème? it's a bit like fudge squares in texture...brown sugar, powdered sugar, maple syrup, cream.

guédille? it's hotdog bun you find in fast food places, they fill it with any type of mayonnaise based salad, and dump fries and cabbage on it sometimes.

ragoût de pattes de cochon? a stew made of pork hocks and meatballs, which ends up being a thick brown cinnamony, nutmeggy type of stew.

six-pâtes or cipaille? this is a traditional quebec pie that is filled with layer after layer of lard, onions, potatoes, rabbit, deer,moose,and partridge that have been marinated.

I'm not sure if these are exclusive, I know sucre à la crème ,ragoût de pattes and six-pâtes are traditional quebec meals and guédille sort of a newcomer from the 20th century (like poutine), just not sure if you find that elsewhere or not.

[Calipoutine]

I used to live in Ontario, but now I'm in Socal( from here originally). You can find all kinds of Cadbury bars at Cost Plus. I've seen Nanaimo bars in gourmet markets too.

[02putt]

Any Presidents Choice product. The Decadent comes to mind! Best store bought chocolate chip cookie in a bag if you ask me. Ice Wine from the Niagara Pennisula. Although, I think it is becoming more well known and may show up in fine dining establishments across the border. Schreech from our East Coast brethren. BC wild salmon, PEI Mussels, Life Savers. I remember as a kid looking out over the escarpment and seeing the lit up life saver building. The plant shut down in the 70's. Allans' Chocolate (Easter), E.D. Smith Jams, Nutella, Bick's Pickles and relish. Hellman's Mayo made with Olive Oil and Becel made with Olive Oil. My father-in-law is a snow bird and takes a case with him down to Florida. In return he brings back a couple of cases of Greased Lightning. The all purpose cleaner (including laundry) I have ever used.

[buttertart]

PC products are sold in some groceries in the NY area, I think D'Agostino's.
Are PC cookies made by Dare? Are Dare cookies still sold? I was probably 65% Dare chocolate fudge cookies when I was little.
Ice wine is known here (German as well as Canadian ones).
Were Life Savers originally Canadian???

[Mr F]

Niagara ice wine is widely exported (it wouldn't surprise me if that's what happens to most of it).

A quick Google says Life Savers originally came from Cleveland, and that Hellmann's EVOO mayo is available in the US.

This thread is interesting... almost every claim to "only in Canada" status has been summarily shot down. Is anyone keeping track of what's left on the list?

[02putt]

A lot of products originated in Canada but as our exports far out way our imports it stands to reason that these products have been shipped and/or the rights sold to manufacture the product elsewhere. It is much cheaper for them. Hell, Bell Canada outsourced their call centre to India.

[Mr F]

Maybe so, but my point is that most of the products mentioned in this thread have been shown either to have completely non-Canadian origins, or to be available outside Canada -- thus not meeting any definition of "only in Canada".

You could make a case for local/regional perishables like PEI mussels, but then again there's nothing particularly Canadian about mussels in general, and nothing really special about the PEI ones (at least not after they've travelled off the Island).

[02putt]

I beg to differ about PEI mussels. They are fantastic compared to the likes of New Zealand ones. There is a reason chefs in St Martin have them flown in fresh and pay big bucks to do so. They in return pass the cost onto the customer which pay willingly. Besides I didn't think the original post was only goods that are preprocessed. I thought it was open ended.

[Mr F]

AFAIK most if not all of the mussels we get here in Montreal are PEI mussels, and they pale in comparison to the ones I've had in Italy and Spain. It isn't even close. I do prefer them to those enormous Pacific mussels, though.

But I have not had the PEI ones either in PEI or flown-in to a high-end restaurant in St Martin, so I will take your word for it that they can be that good -- I'm just saying we don't get them that good here.

As for the original post... it's open-ended sure, but it says "only *available* here" and that's the spirit in which most of the posters took it. So, um, I guess we can scratch PEI mussels off the list, eh? ;)

[CanadaGirl]

I don't think Dare makes PC cookies, as they are quite dissimilar. Dare chocolate fudge cooked are still around - my husband bought a bag yesterday.

And don't forget about Nova Scotia icewine. Definitely not the same as Niagara icewine, but just as yummy.

[02putt]

Never had Nova Scotia Ice Wine. Must try. Just like there are products we take for granted you should see what I bring home from the States when I go on a shopping junket. Planters Cheese Balls is all I have to say on that matter.

[John E.]

Nutella?

Lifesavers?

Nutella is an Italian product and is widely available in the U.S.

Although Lifesavers have been manufactured in Canada for years, they are an American product and are ubiquitous in the U.S.

[02putt]

I stand corrected Life Savers were invented in 1912 in Cleveland Ohio. And we both stand corrected about Nutella. It is Italian. Developed in 1963. Gotta love Wikipedia!

[John E.]

Actually, I said Nutella was Italian. I remember bringing some home from Germany Before I ever noticed it in the U.S.

[BobB]

Presidents Choice was adopted by a local Boston supermarket chain some years back as their "house" brand. I quite liked many of their products but they dropped them after a few years, probably because the US$ was falling against the CAD$ so they were no longer such a good deal.

[Moedelestrie]

President's Choice is an Albertson's staple whether it be an Albertson's store or a regional store like Jewel in Chicago. The supermarket industry has seen the number of independants shrink dramatically whether it be Loblaws or Safeway you will find that most large supermarkets are either loblaws an Albertson's or Safeway and Dominic's in Chicago I am grateful that I have a Price Chopper to go to as President's Choice in the States is an economy store brand like no name and the quality is always suspect. President's Choice Canada and US same name same corporate owner dramatically different products.

[CanadaGirl]

President's Choice is a store brand in Canada too. It is only at grocery stores owned by or affiliated with Loblaws. So in the part of Canada where I am that is most often the Real Atlantic Superstore. All of the national ads for PC feature Galen Weston Jr., the Executive Chairman, and one of the major owners, of Loblaws.

[petek]

Anyone say Maynards wine gums?

[02putt]

I absolutely love the sour Maynard's. Not Dole or any other brand will do! It must be the Maynard's Sour Wine Gums. They are not soft and mushy but hard like wine gums and are coated with a sugar. Thanks...now I am drooling. (I don't buy them often as there is something like 38g of sugar for 8 pieces) lol

[SnackHappy]

Not sure they would qualify as "Only in Canada". Aren't Maynard's British?

[petek]

You're right SnackHappy.Just "wikied" it. Dang it!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_gum

[LADave]

Most vivid memory of a drive from Winnipeg to Montreal via the northernmost highways was fried chicken with pinfeathers. That and poutine. And a Ukrainian meal in Winnipeg, but I don't remember trying salo.

Now I'm remembering an elaborate donut emporium somewhere near Lake Nipigon. About half the clientele must have been Ojibway. Variations on the donut theme were more varied than down here.

I don't think I ever saw game or local fish on the menu.

[grayelf]

Are salt and vinegar chips still hard to find? Coming from good British stock :-), I was addicted to them as a pup in Vancouver and pined for them when we traveled in the Americas. I still get the odd funny look in the US when I ask for white vinegar with my fries...

[Moedelestrie]

They are ubiquitous for some strange reason but what I am looking for the unsalted are nowhere in sight.

[jubilant cerise]

Didn't know vinegar on fries is a Canadian thing. I thought it was as common a fry companion as ketchup.

[porker]

I think white vinegar on fries might be known in the US, but only along the border. The further south, the wierder the looks. Note grayelf's use of "white" - this may be the default in Canada, but when asking for vinegar in the US, you will many times get malt.
I remember being 11 years old or so and on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. I bought a french fry and searched the counter for the vinegar, but there was none. I asked the fry slinger (he looked ancient, maybe 50...) if he had any vinegar. He frowned, turned, and started rooting through his bric a brac. Maybe 8 minutes later, he plops a bottle on the counter, disgusted. Being 11, I only knew one kind of vinegar, and the brown stuff in the bottle was not it. I was confused as it DID say vinegar on the label...meanwhile, Joe the dreaded fry slinger was boring holes through me with his eyes. So I pop the cap and nonchalantly sprinkle some of this brown "vinegar" onto my nice bag of chips and walk away, head held high. Once out of sight of mean Joe, I tasted a fry and IT WAS HORRIBLE! Blech. Joe the fry slinger poisoned my fries!
I explained this to my parents, but alas, they were not so understanding (adding insult to injury, they actually LAUGHED). I asked for more money to get another fry, but as I "wasted" the first one, the answer was no...
A lesson learned - don't ever, never be fooled by American vinegar.

It was only many years later that I could appreciate different vinegars for different applications.

[John E.]

When I was a kid we took a family vacation along the shore of Lake Superior through Thunder Bay all the way around to Sault Ste. Marie, through the UP, Wisconsin, and back home. While in Canada we were at first perplexed and then a little amused at the bottle of vinegar on the restaurant tables with the salt, pepper and ketchup. Though I always thought it was malt vinegar.

[CanadaGirl]

It might have been malt; it's a big country and what is common varies. It's pretty common in NS for restaurants to have both white and malt available.

[porker]

I've seen many a malt vinegar bottles on tables of fish&chip joints in Canada.

[buttertart]

Fish and chips places, yes - but the first place I saw malt vinegar was at the H. Salt I worked at during high school in London, Ont. - before that, the indigenous (and much better, but not hiring) f&c place, the Hobby Nook, only had white. White is on casual restaurant tables as a routine thing, malt is unusual.

[kpaxonite]

Vickies sells malt vinegar and salt chips

[Cliocooks]

Malt vinegar is traditional at British fish and chip shops--I wouldn't say it's particularly American. At US grocery stores--at least in the East--malt vinegar is typically a specialty item.

[jubilant cerise]

Drinking chocolate doesn't appear to be as readily available in the U.S. as here in Canada.

[looosia]

Veggie pâté (vegetarian version of pâté)--it's really good! I had never heard of it or tried it until I moved to Québec from Toronto. I wonder if France has this, though I doubt it would be carried anywhere else in the world.

Tim Horton's cherry cake timbit. Totally nastiness, but another Québec item not seen in Ontario and I also doubt they carry this in U.S. Tim Horton's outlets.

[prima]

Cherry cake timbits are available at Tim Horton's in southwestern Ontario. I like 'em. ;-)

[buttertart]

Not in the US as far as I know. Do they taste like Duncan Hines cherry cake?

[prima]

Yep! I like Duncan Hines cherry cake, too. Brings out my inner 6 yo, I guess. ;-)

[buttertart]

My mom used to make it a lot when I was growing up. Icing with almond extract in it...I can taste it now!

[prima]

;-) I'm pretty sure I brought cherry cake cupcakes to at least a few bake sales in the early '80s!

[buttertart]

A taste to cherish!

[ciaogal]

Missing 'Ganong' Chicken Bones: cinnamon candies w/ a chocolate center, King of Donair...Donairs (Halifax) Rappie Pie (Acadian) Beep (orange drink from Farmers Dairy Nova Scotia

[looosia]

Really? Never saw them in Toronto, at least, and at any Tim Horton's at least until I moved to la belle province.

[prima]

Yep. Will try to remember to snap a picture, next time I see some. ;-)

[buttertart]

Only here would that be considered normal behaviour. I freaking love it.

[TorontoJo]

I don't think this has been mentioned yet: BGH-free milk and beef. Not exactly exciting or tasty, but pretty comforting.

[Matt H]

Are you saying this is not available outside of Canada? Yes the government has blocked its use (and many countries in Europe) but finding rBGH-Free Meats and Dairy products is easy as ever at any local grocery store here in Boston, and I am pretty sure that is consistent throughout the country.

[TorontoJo]

I'm not familiar with the current state of BGH in the States. But when I left Chicago in the early 90s, BGH was still used and BGH-free items weren't being marketed yet. So consumers weren't really educated and didn't really have a choice. If things have changed now, that's great. All I was saying is that BGH was never approved for use in Canada, so it's kinda nice to not have to think about it.

[Matt H]

Gotcha, I just wanted to check for clarification. I cant comment on BGH in the States in the 90's, as I was living in Toronto at that time. But since moving to the States its been well marketed and available anywhere I regularly shop.

I agree never having to seek out these items though is comforting to a certain extent.

[crawfish]

Or pay extra to avoid it.

[Caitlin McGrath]

rBGH is still used in the US. I was living in CA when rBGH was approved for dairy use by the FDA in 1993, and immediately dairies that did not use it began getting the word out. Milk carton labels since the mid-'90s always state when dairies do not use it (they are required, however, to have fine print somewhere on the carton saying there's no discernable difference in the milk). And of course, nothing organic will have it. I have seen comments on Chowhound about price differences, but I think it depends on area; in the areas of Northern CA and NYC I've lived in, all brands in local supermarkets, including store brands, were marked rBGH-free.

Hormones are no doubt used in industrially ranched beef, but there are plenty of sources that do not use them.

[KateW1]

Modified milk ingredients that have replaced real milk in a good percentage of cheese, ice cream, chocolate milk, yogurt, sour cream found in Canadian grocery stores, to the point where certain products can no longer be called ice cream, milk, cheese. Gotta love that frozen dessert and chocolate dairy beverage. Made in Canada indeed.

[Moedelestrie]

You get what you pay for. The consumer demand is what drives the desire for low cost ingredients if the bulk consumer was willing to pay for real ice cream and real milk the number of products containing modified ingredients would be lessened. Fortunately here in Quebec and on the other side of town in Vermont the availability of quality products is still excellent.
Keep in mind that top quality cheeses both here and in Vermont start at about $25 a kilo and that milk sells anywhere from $3 a gallon to $3 a quart in Vermont and in Quebec milk starts at $6+ for 4.5 litres but our milk tastes better than stuff I had when I lived elsewhere. Premium ice cream is more expensive to the comparable product here but our local dairy puts out a fabulous product at far below what it costs elsewhere. Cabot cheese from Vermont is not artisanal but it is superior to comparably priced products elsewhere. Both Quebec and Vermont try to encourage their dairy producers to produce quality. I don't know where you live but here in my small town in Quebec the local IGA has at least 50 world class cheeses on sale mostly from Quebec but some from France and Spain. He has them because people are willing to pay for them.

[prima]

Chicken balls with sweet & sour sauce. While there's plenty of sweet & sour chicken in the States, my Californian relatives have mentioned a couple times they've only seen chicken balls on Chinese Canadian menus. Although I'm sure some States must have Chinese American restaurants serving chicken balls.

[porker]

Its getting rarer and rarer to see chicken balls today - most poultry are capons....
{;-/)

[prima]

ha ha ha.

[SnackHappy]

"Chicken balls"

It's truly admirable how the Chinese will not waste any part of an animal.

[prima]

:-)

[bytepusher]

I'm not going to make a capon joke because I think you are on to something here. On both sides of the border we have these dishes devised here by Chinese railroad workers and their descendants and sold here as "Chinese Food". Chicken Balls are a unique Canadian variation, basically think of them as a chicken croquette with electric orange sweet and sour sauce. Even in cases where I've bumped into a similar things in the US the batter used is a totally different stuff and they usually aren't spherical.

[KilgoreTrout]

I believe I've seen them in a cheap buffet here in the states, not battered, more like fishcake or "meatball" like.

[bytepusher]

Totally different thing, these are spherical, about the size of a golf ball and the batter is at least 1/4" thick, or more, some examples have the tiniest chunk of chicken in the middle they can get away with. Kind of like a doughy version of a hushpuppy with a chunk of chicken in the middle.

[crawfish]

At PM's (Yonge and Summerhill) they were called called Bo Bo Balls.

[porker]

Is spruce beer strictly Canadian?

[Hachidori]

I love Hardbite potato chips, especially the cheddar and onion flavour. I don't know if those are available outside Canada.

[jillbcooks]

My grandparents lived in Canada (and we lived in Buffalo), and I loved MacIntosh Toffee, C+ Soda (I loved the cans with the two circles you pushed in) and Tim Horton's before it hit the States (gram always bought us a box of Tim Bits). One more thought: truly delicious gravy fries. Oh, Canada!

[buttertart]

That C+ is very good.

[jayt90]

The Costco stores in Canada seem to support some unique Canadian products.
Poutine, Dunn's smoked meat, Freybe's Canadian Bacon, Gaspe salt cod, scallops from Newfoundland and Labrador, frozen canned lobster, and humongous potatoes from Prince Edward Island.

I asked about their poutine and it is reasonably authentic: Cavendish P.E.I. fries, chicken based gravy, and Quebec curds.

[Moedelestrie]

PEI potatoes are great all purpose potatoes but I would never consider using them for fries unless there were no Quebec , New Brunswick or even Maine potatoes available. The sweetness derived from growing in the rich muck soils of New Brunswick and Quebec cannot be duplicated by the wonderful red clay soil of PEI which grows potatoes which blossom to full flower when married to garlic and especially butter. PEI potatoes may make the best McD style fry but for great poutine and golden sweet greasy fries Quebec and New Brunswick are de riguer. I personally would never waste good cheese curds on a Cavendish potatoe although it might make the best potato salad in the world.
My choice for the best French Fried potatoes would be those from around St Bernard De LaColle and I do hope the Richelieu flooding does not affect their potato harvest. One cannot make authentic poutine with PEI potatoes and that is the truth.

[im_nomad]

They used to sell cretons at the New Brunswick locations.

[piccola]

The one in Ottawa has a great selection of Canadian cheeses.

[JEWINNEY]

anyone say poutine

[porker]

No, as far as I know, poutine has not been mentioned.

[CanadaGirl]

It is starting to be better known in the US; it was on CSI: NY recently. But all the examplesni have seen in the media are definitely NOT an authentic Québécois poutine.

[paulj]

I wonder how threads there about 'authentic Québécois poutine'. What's the maximum age (in hours) for the curds? Whether the gravy has to be St Hubert's? Whether foie gras is allowed?

[CanadaGirl]

Oooh, can 'o worms!! I have preferences about style, and will accept variations other than my ideal, but I really think "proper" poutine should seem like it could have cone from a chip truck.

[JEWINNEY]

THERE is a .little ice cream store in Hastings Ontario
their POUTINE is better than SEX

[kpaxonite]

'chip trucks' are illegal in quebec.

[CanadaGirl]

Really!!?? As a Nova Scotian, that's where I expect to find the best chips. But now that you mention it, the best poutine I've had in Quebec has come from little takeout places. Which, I guess, is like a chip truck without the wheels.

[kpaxonite]

Yup, unfortunately it is illegal to sell street food here.

"the best poutine I've had in Quebec" - the best poutine is only found in Quebec!

[CanadaGirl]

Maybe, but every province, even Quebec, has bad and good poutine.

[porker]

They may be illegal, but everyonce in a while, in towns like Chibougamau or Trois-Pistoles, you can eat at a chipwagon. Its isually permanently parked in a field next to the road on the outskirts of town.
It is a rare species, perhaps on the road to extinction...

[prima]

There are still plenty of chip wagons in SW Ontario. Quite a few in Northern ON, too, and some easy to find, downtown chip wagons in Toronto and Ottawa.

[piccola]

In Toronto, they're mostly around city hall and the waterfront. In Ottawa, they're all over the place, especially near government offices. :)

[porker]

Every time we're in TO, we look for the wagon near city hall that advertises "ALWAYS free gravy" - just sounds funny!

[jeanmarieok]

That wagon near city hall is the best, I think!!

[cactusette]

french canadians often call the cheese curds "fromage squick squick" because when it's super fresh and still makes that "squick squick" noise between your teeth, that's when it should be eaten. So I have to vote really fresh and never refrigerated for cheese curds in poutine. A lot of people like the st-hubert sauce, not me...I like it mine deep brown with lots of flavour, but that's debatable. The best fries for it I think are the greasy brown, softish ones you get in greasy spoon type restaurant. A lot of personal opinion,except for the cheese. I have never heard of a Quebec person who thought that cheese shouldn't make noise between your teeth.
I'm in the midwest now and near wisconsin, they have cheese curds but so far have only found non-noise making ones...I'm still searching.

Best poutine I've had? In Montreal, at La Banquise.

[CanadaGirl]

Many people in Ottawa call the cheese curds "squeaky cheese". And I agree on the unrefrigerated bit. If they need to be in the fridge, they aren't fresh enough :)

[Moedelestrie]

I agree completely and here in Stanstead Quebec in the heart of squeaky cheese country our local diner Chez Papa serves them just that way. Take heart New Era Dairy in New Era Michigan sells squeaky cheese not every day can you get it warm and most of the time they add colouring but if you call ahead maybe someone taking the ferry across from Ludington to Manitouok can bring in a load of squeaky cheese and Michigan potatoes from the New Era area make excellent golden sweet fries comme il faut a Quebec. I also agree Ontario style gravy makes better poutine now if I can only persuade my wife and doctor to let me get the poutine at Papa's more than once a month.

[westaust]

I've once had fresh non-refrigerated cheese curds when i was visiting Wisonsin, at the farmers market held in front of the Capitol in Madison, they were similar in texture to the ones found in Quebec (were i'm from) but less salty in taste. And made a bit of noise when eating them

[cactusette]

oooo thanks Madison is not too far so I'm definitely going to investigate this!

[TorontoJo]

porker, you mean other by you above:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7876...

And the very long discussion of it after? :)

[JEWINNEY]

OOPS my bad
din't read though till this A.M

[buttertart]

I thought there was a certain irony in porker's comment...

[TorontoJo]

And in mine, too... My smiley should have really been a ;)

[porker]

I was just having fun {;-/)

[blackoak]

Weirdly - I now live basically in the middle of nowhere, NC, USA - the gas station down the road carries Coffee Crisp. Haven't seen them anywhere else around here (though I don't remember them being in yellow wrappers - I would have sworn under oath they came in red wrappers).

During a trip into town earlier this year I was stunned to came across - not that it stopped me from stocking up/hoarding them - various St. Hubert BBQ and VH packets/sauces (I'm not sure VH is Canadian, I've just never seen it outside Montreal before). Also, the Fresh Market was selling packets of smoke meat that, if this makes sense, you leave in the package and place it in hot or boiling water to reheat before serving(?). The packets were very small - I think it would have taken four or five to equal a sandwich the size I seem to remember getting at Dunn's - plus each package was around eight or nine dollars, so I didn't pick any up.

Can't find any type of spruce beer or any Brio, though (not that I'm sure either of those is 100% Canadian).

[buttertart]

Coffee Crisp wrappers were always yellow with red letters - and were 2 layers, the inner one being a foilish thing that had a vaguely cigarette-package naughtiness to it. They had them at my subway station in Broooklyn for a while but they were too long and in a very ordinary wrapper - and didn't taste as remembered.
Have never ever seen Brio in the States, and have been pretty much all over.

[RhondaB]

Sounds like Kit Kat?

[02putt]

Speaking of Kit Kats, yes they do carry them in the US and other places but I am constantly told that the Canadian one is much better tasting. Has to do with the chocolate. Any yes, Coffee Crisp comes in yellow wrappers with red lettering but not in cigarette package form. That would be a Kit Kat.

[meatnveg]

Maybe you're thinking of Crispy Crunch? That's a red wrapper.

[buttertart]

Used to be primarily white with blue ends and red letters, if I'm not mistaken (1960's).

I lived primarily on candy for the first 10 or so years of my life.

[Duppie]

Isn't Crispy Crunch the Canadian equivalent to Violet Crumble?

[SnackHappy]

No, Crunchie is the Violet Crumble equivalent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crunchie

Crispy Crunch is like a Butterfinger.

[Duppie]

I'm crunchfused....

[buttertart]

Thinner, harder, and all-round more delectable than a Butterfinger, though.

[meatnveg]

Brio is an Italian product. It's also called Chinotto

San Pellegrino also makes a Chinotto (pretty much the same as Brio), so you might be able to find that in NC

[Mr F]

Brio is a Montreal-based company that makes chinotto and a few other Italian-style sodas (orange, lemon). Chinotto is a bitter orange; for those who haven't had it, the drink is a bit like a marriage of tonic and cola.

[Tripeler]

Chinotto is heavenly -- truly, an adult-flavor soft drink.

[buttertart]

Wiser's 18-year-old rye, damnit!

[John E.]

Here have been aot of products mentioned here that I have seen and purchased in stores such as Oh Henry candy bars, bags of milk, Dill Pickle Chips, Smarties, and Red River Cereal. Of course it could be Minnesota's proximity to Canada too. Although there really are not many people living in that part of Canada. As for Red River Cereal, the Red River does originate in Minnesota. We had some Red River on a deer hunting trip and a cousin asked what it was, I just told him it was like hot Metamucil.

I remember getting the Mackintosh toffee when I was a kid. My best friend's mother was British and they went to England a few times and brought some back. Many years later I bought some on an Ontario fishing trip. Just a year later on another fishing trip the bars were gone and the wrapped pieces in a bag were all that was available.

[buttertart]

Aged Cheddar used to be almost impossible to find in the US and really aged Cheddar still is (the Trader Joe's is maybe 2 years if that, ok but no hell).

I'm very grateful indeed to my cheese connection in TO who sends me Balderson's 6 year old.

We always had 5-7 year old and sometimes as much as 20 year old in the fridge at home in London. My father and grandpa used to refer to the old old stuff as "moose milk cheese". !!!

[meatnveg]

OKA cheese from Quebec

[lagatta]

Oka has been around for a very long time, but now we have a wide range of artisanal cheeses in Québec. Well worth a visit!

[sirdrinksalot]

The Five Alive juice drink. I remember drinking it a lot as a kid in Toronto, but then my parents had to move us south of the border. My cousins know to stock up when I visit.

[OldGrayWolf]

I've also had Five Alive in the past but can't recall if it was in Michigan or New Hampshire; either is possible. If NH would have been up in the White Mountains...

[Caitlin McGrath]

I grew up in California, and Five Alive was in all supermarkets, with television commercials ubiquitous. I guess it's not, or not so, available in the US as it was in the '70s and '80s (I haven't really noticed).

[buttertart]

My MIL buys that in a tiny town in Iowa. I think it originated in the US, actually.

[jeanmarieok]

I can get it at walmart sometimes!

[Cokeylicious]

Lots of Five Alive in the UK!

[piccola]

More regional products: Moon Mist ice cream and mini-sips (basically liquid Kool-Aid sold in small pouches that you pierce with a straw), available only in the Maritimes, as far as I know.

[spazita]

Donairs, donair pogos, donair eggrolls
Deep fried pepperoni (has to be Brothers, made in Halifax) served with honey mustard

[piccola]

Donair pizza, too. :)

[meatnveg]

Perhaps an 'Ontario only' product - Kozlik's Mustards.

also, the 'Grace' brand of hot sauces and cooking sauces

[CanadaGirl]

We have those in nova scotia too

[maplesugar]

Milk in bags is a regional thing. IIRC it's sold in bags in Ontario but not out here in Alberta or BC.

[CanadaGirl]

It's in Nova Scotia too

[maplesugar]

Good to know. I miss the bags and the little corner cutting gadget that used to hang on our fridge.

[kpaxonite]

and quebec

[buttertart]

Baked goods I've never seen anywhere but: dream cake (a layered coconutty/walnutty square more than a cake, with a pink icing) and orange crullers (twisted cake donut sticks with a tart orange glaze with orange peel in it). Fondly remembered from bakeries on the way to or near the cottage (Port Franks, the bakeries were in Thedford and Forest).

[jlhinwa]

Mackintosh toffee.

[smartie]

that's English too! sigh. All this so called much maligned British foods huh?

[buttertart]

Mackintosh toffee isn't quite what it used to be, it seems to me.

[bytepusher]

The Mackintosh toffee in the bar format is no longer made, Nestle owns the brand and makes cello wrapped toffee candies with that name, they claim that they can be substituted in recipes but somehow now it doesn't seem right to not have to break the bar by smashing on the sidewalk.

[buttertart]

That was great, wasn't it? And the change of state from hard to chewy in your mouth was one of the best candy experiences ever. I liked the boxes and the waxed paper wrapper too.

[jlhinwa]

Seriously? No more toffee bars? That is just sad. I am surprised I never lost a filling eating those things but man oh man, were they good. Wrapped toffee candies just isn't the same.

[buttertart]

I'm bummed too.

[im_nomad]

Does anyone else remember when there used to be a scratch off circle on the box where you could win something?

[mollydingle]

I came here to mention Mackintosh toffee. So sorry to hear it has changed. The last time I had some was about 5 years ago and, like Jlhinwa, was surprised I never lost a tooth... I never won anything on the various contests which is just as well since claiming a prize from the US would have been a PITA!

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

Noooooo!!!!!

[02putt]

I am fortunate to live in a city where a lot of British people emigrated to Canada in the late 60's and 70's. My parents being 2 of them. So we have a couple of British Shops in town. I can still buy Mackintosh in the bar format. I can also get Bachelor Peas as well as a lot of other British Imports.

[Moedelestrie]

McLaren's Imperial cold pack cheddar. The only product of its kind worth eating. Even though it is a Kraft product and similar products are made by quality cheese makers like Cabot. McClarens Imperial is the only cold pack cheese food that rivals and in many ways surpasses real cheese.

[buttertart]

We always, always had it in our fridge, along with the old cheese.

[CanadaGirl]

agreed

[crawfish]

Oh my God, I love Imperial cheese! I haven't had it years. As a teen, I used to buy that with my own money with a box of Breton crackers and eat the whole thing.

[EM23]

Tim Horton's and hot turkey sandwiches with gravy.

[OldGrayWolf]

Ah, I see now what is happening; the lines are getting blurred on both sides of the 45th Parallel...at least in the border states/provinces. Michigan has Timmie's, too; have several young relatives working at one of them. Hot turkey (chicken, beef, pork) sandwiches are a staple of home-cookin' in The Big Mitten. I guess this is a universal phenomenon; my Danish grandmother made "Danish fruit soup" but it's exactly the same ingredients/method as that in one of my German cookbooks that therein is called "German fruit soup." You guys own hockey, though, and proved it in 2010 at Vancouver.

[buttertart]

Tim Horton's is all over NYC now. And hockey? Hell yeah.

[EM23]

True that Tim Horton's is now in the U.S. but it is Canadian through and through. It is, after all, named for it's founder, and hockey great, Tim Horton - a Canadian. Plus the Canadian TH's are really friendly and inviting. Not so much here in NY.

[buttertart]

I'm from London, Ont. originally. I know the history. I think the first store was in London?
The ones here are quite dreadful. No butter tarts either.

[EM23]

Agreed. Sadly, I never had a butter tart at TH's - just the Timbits and coffee.

[OldGrayWolf]

Okay; time to go out and renew my passport (isn't that just a pain in the border-crossing butt?) because I am way overdue for my usual 'run' across Ontario and this year, I have a list--courtesy of this forum--of special things to look for during the adventure. I must confess to never having a TH's anything...deprived I've been. OOPS! I just lied; the last time I came across ON, a counter person in one of the Service Centre restaurants surreptitiously suggested I go on down the line to the TH's to get the coffee that otherwise I'd pay an arm and leg for; she said theirs was a lot less expensive and better. My kind of lady! What is the ONE food item at THs that I should try first?

[CanadaGirl]

Don't worry about it; I'm going to commit heresy (or maybe treason) and go on record that Tim Hortons coffee is awful stuff!! But, a Tim's sour cream glazed donut is a thing of wonder!

[buttertart]

If the TH coffee in NYC is any gauge, it is rather weak and nastyish. With you on the donut, CanadaGirl.

[bytepusher]

The first one was on Ottawa Street in Hamilton, there's still a store in that location.

[buttertart]

Aha.

[Blush]

The first store was actually in Hamilton, Ont.

ETA: sorry, didn't read down far enough. Oops!

[02putt]

Yes, it is in Hamilton. It is on Ottawa Street in the lower east end. Tim Horton's requires that the franchises be renovated every so many years. They had left the original one as it was but time took its toll and it had to be replaced. The new building still stands in the same location and there is a plaque on the outside commemorating it as store #1. Unfortunately, when Timmi's went the frozen dough route to increase profits the donuts and baked goods have never been the same. Where at one time the food was freshly prepared and they sold pie etc it was excellent. Now I am sad to say it is mediocre at best. There are other coffee shops where the food and coffee is much better at the same price or cheaper. Think Coffee Time or Country Style. But people are loyal to the brand.

[meatnveg]

Chapman's Ice cream

Kawartha Dairy and Mapleton's Organic Ice creams

Club House Montreal Steak Spice

Breton Crackers by Dare (I think)

Red River Cereal

Thrills Gum

[buttertart]

Club House brand yes, but Montreal Steak Spice is sold here.

[CanadaGirl]

I still haven't been able to figure out what we did to be "blessed" with Thrills gum. Or why anybody buys it more than once. Blech!

[SAHCook]

I can get Red River Cereal here in Boise ... thankfully!

[buttertart]

Drinks: the Bloody Caesar is virtually unknown in the US, as is what my father called Calgary red-eye, beer and tomato juice mixed 50/50 (excellent for a hangover, but when I ask for it in the States it's a whole new concept virtually everywhere). Have to ask for a beer and a tomato juice and an extra glass, then put up with raised eyebrows when I make my own.
Foods: Back bacon - they sell "Canadian bacon" here, but it's usually completely round and more hammy than bacony, not the cured loin strip I know and love. Americans also seem to think that the real Canadian bacon is peameal, which I've never been crazy about and was always considered inferior in our house.

[porker]

"then put up with raised eyebrows" - hell, I get comments like "Thats disgusting" or "where the hell YOU from?"
Beer and tomato is quite tasty, but beer and clamato is downright delicious. Budweiser came out with a "Chelada" in the states - Budweiser (or bud lite) mixed with clamato. At first I thought it was going to taste awful - like the Miller Chill lime beer which misses the point altogether. However, the Chelada is very good.
I spoke to a beer truck delivery guy in Plattsburgh a few years ago and asked him about the Chelada sales. He said depending on location, it either doesn't sell at all, or they can't keep it stocked.
While in Mexico, it seems everyone knows about beer and tomato or beer and clamato; "Ojo Rojo", the red eye...

[buttertart]

I'm a lady (sort of) so people are less likely to do anything other than make faces. My local allowed as how it was "unusual".
I haven't seen the Chelada here (am a non-Bud drinker) but will look for it. Sounds great.

[Matt H]

All those chocolate bars like Caramilk, Coffee Crisp, Smarties, Aero, etc...can be found in quite a few cities now. They interestingly enough carry them in the "International Isle" at my local Shaws here in Boston.

Nanaimo Bars and Joe Louis I'm still searching for though.

[crawfish]

Joe Louis'
Lune/Moons

Was Black Cat gum Canadian? Mojos?

A friend from Newfoundland always brings back "Newfoundland savoury" - she swears it's different.

[Duppie]

Black cat gum I believe is British and was also available all through the Caribbean.

[im_nomad]

Mt. Scio savoury is indeed different ! Which is what everyone means by Newfoundland savoury.

[porker]

I'd like to say "beer", but even tongue-in-cheek would likely raise a ruckus.

Not sure, but

poutine (Quebec and maritimes version)

Montreal style smoked meat (although Brooklyn has Mile End)
Newfoundland Screech
Quebec Caribou

Red Rose tea

A&W double teenburger (or any A&W for that matter)

at one time, Clamato (although it IS making headway in USA)

Funny we DON'T have Canadian Bacon....

[Caitlin McGrath]

There's A&W in the US: http://www.awrestaurants.com

[porker]

OK - wasn't sure but it turns out A&W is actually American...sorry for the gaff.

[paulj]

However A&W Canada is a separate company, with 700 locations. I don't know the number of USA stores, but they aren't as ubiquitous as they were in the 60s and 70s.

[SnackHappy]

Yes, but Canadian A&W is not the same as US A&W. Different menu, no Chubby chicken. It might as well be a different restaurant.

[westaust]

Only item that bears the same name is the papa burger, and no mozza burger to be found on the US A&W website

[paulj]

No poutine (in a stryrofoam cup) in the US either (at least I think not)!

[Caitlin McGrath]

No, but I've been to A&W in the Midwest, and they sell fried cheese curds.

[OldGrayWolf]

I'm working on the poutine issue in Michigan; have spoken to the owner/managers of a Mom-and-Pop place in the nearest town of any size and strongly encouraged them to add it to their menu and be a truly unique place to eat! I promised to return with a couple of recipes for The Real Thing (Quebec style) and they were interested. Hoping, hoping, hoping...

[buttertart]

i would really like to know when poutine caught on in Québec and then in the rest of Canada - the closest thing to it was chips with gravy in the London, Ont. of the 60's and 70's, and I spent a lot of time in Laval with friends in the late 60's-early 70's and never saw it there either. Was in and out of Canada (in Toronto as well as London, and in Montréal and QC) and ate in all levels of restaurants until 2003 when my father died. It kills me when Americans talk about it as if it were a traditional Canadian delicacy.

[porker]

I live in a small town just south of Montreal and remember a chipstand "introducing" poutine in the mid-80s. It was probably smouldering in small-town Quebec years before that and the local joint copied it from somewhere... my guess is that it took off in the 80s.

[SnackHappy]

I'd say mid to late eighties is when it took off province-wide. Before that I was eating "patate sauce" (fries and gravy) and had never heard of poutine. I don't think anyone west of Cornwall had ever seen one until a few years ago. Now it's become a national craze with everyone claiming it's some sort of quintessential Canadian dish, which, of course, is just a load of hogwash.

[buttertart]

Thank you. I thought as much. Patate sauce I remember in Pont-Viau. And you should see the carry-on about poutine in the US media, if you haven't already.

[Mr F]

"I don't think anyone west of Cornwall had ever seen one until a few years ago."

Had it in Campbell River, B.C. in 1991.

[buttertart]

Québecois restaurateurs?

[porker]

Must of made an impression, remembering that 20 years later!

[Mr F]

It's only memorable because it was an unusual find at the time, though not a great example (too much sauce).

AFAIK the place had no Quebec connection, but can't say for sure. The only other detail I remember is that it was a London double-decker bus converted into a chip wagon.

[maplesugar]

Cornwall? My first job was at McD's in Cornwall in the late 80's I remember when we started serving poutine. I prefer Lafleur's or chip truck poutine usually.

[porker]

Ahhhhh, Cornwall....just hasn't been the same since they closed the mill.
Used to stop by the Moviola in the late 80s to drink Old Vienna (its not available in Quebec).

[maplesugar]

lol yeah no more smog warnings downtown.

Another local fave - Ste-Albert cheese curds. I have some in my fridge right now out here in Central Alberta. Now to find some sweet salty chip wagon fries :)

[Mr F]

Curds in the fridge? Say it ain't so. Now they're ruined.

[maplesugar]

Yeah well they have to be sold that way out here - health dept rules. I miss buying them off the counter that's for sure. I'll leave them at room temp awhile before digging in.

[Mr F]

That's a pity. If you miss the squeak, maybe you can find out when they're delivered to your local store and grab some before they hit the fridge.

[bytepusher]

We've found that otherwise reasonably fresh curd will bounce back from refrigeration and squeak again if you just give it some time at room temp.

[im_nomad]

It must be some kind of take on a traditional dish or evolved from it? (I have no idea). But hearing and seeing Acadian dishes such as Poutine rapee, I wonder.

[SnackHappy]

Quebecois poutine has no relation to Acadian poutine appart from its name and the use of potatoes. It is said to have originated in the Bois-Francs region of Quebec, with several people claiming inventorship. The oldest account of poutine, although it was only fries and curds without sauce, dates from 1957.

[OldGrayWolf]

O, no!!! Yer killin' me....not a traditional Canadian delicacy?! I have to rethink my entire Eastern Townships experiences...Beebe, Stanstead, Cedarville...OMG, does that mean that I'm just fooling myself if I think I have to drive over/up to Coaticook to the cheese-curd factory to get The Real Thing and then learn that my taste buds have been deceived? So, are you telling us that poutine is younger than Vernors? My world has been knocked off its axis. Sniff....

[buttertart]

Poutine is waaay younger than Vernors, mon vieux (ou ma vieille).

[im_nomad]

I can't tell you about Poutine, but "fries dressing and gravy" has been around since I can remember in Nfld.

[buttertart]

Dressing as in poultry dressing?

[CanadaGirl]

Yep! It is delish.

[im_nomad]

Yes, basically soft bread crumbs, mt. scio savoury, onions, s&p etc. For when you like carbs on your carbs, lol.

[buttertart]

Not known outside Nfld as far as I know?

[Moedelestrie]

The biggest problem might be the cheese curds but the New Era dairy in New Era does not treat their cows with BgHt and occasionally does not use colouring in their cheese curds which are very good. Above all else Michigan potatoes do make excellent fries which the potatoes from Idaho do not. I know it is not genuine but I must admit to preferring Ontario or Michigan gravy albeit my homemade stuff is what I consider de riguer but I think Michigan is where I would introduce poutine. There is still a lot of people of French Canadian origin in the New Era area.

[buttertart]

Poutine is hipster chow in Brooklyn...

[maplesugar]

Seriously? Lol. Who knew we were ahead of the curve all those nights at 3am...

[Midknight]

We do have Canadian bacon. It's simply called back bacon or peameal bacon. How that qualifies it as being "Canadian", I have no idea. :)

[BobB]

It's Canadian in the US the same way as french fries are simply pommes frites until they leave France. And what Americans call simply bacon becomes streaky bacon when it goes to England, to distinguish it from back bacon and a dozen other types. No need for a qualifier when it's the local standard product.

[Seattlerain]

Red Rose Tea is available all over the USA

[porker]

Pity

[CanadaGirl]

King Cole Tea, although I'm not sure that it is available across Canada. It might just be a Maritime thing.. I prefer it to Red Rose.

[faijay]

It's available in Toronto at Brunos and perhaps other stores.

[keloran]

I have purchased King Cole Tea at Shoppers Drug Mart. I live in downtown Toronto.

-Kel

[blackoak]

Not exactly - with the caveat that I haven't bought any U.S. Red Rose in over a year. There is a Red Rose brand sold almost everywhere but, at least here in NC, the Red Rose is not at all the same, and (to me) no where near as good, as the Red Rose relatives send to me from Canada. The taste is completely different (along with the size of the tea bags).

5Bedit] Whoops - didn't see all the earlier responses covering the same ground. My apologies.

[Seattlerain]

Clamato was created in California...

[buttertart]

You can buy Red Rose tea in the States but it's NOTHING LIKE the Canadian one (my favourite tea, my parents used to mail it to me).

[OldGrayWolf]

buttertart, I'm with you on this one; while it's sold here, it doesn't taste like that my friends serve me in the True North!

[buttertart]

Not at all, and the US teabags are paltry indeed. Maybe 1/4 of what's in a Canadian one.

[faijay]

I always take my teabags with me on any trip to the US. My father used to say that in the US they put the floor sweeping in the tea bags. But, of course, I love the loose tea my Aunt Shirley always made from loose Red Rose. I don't know if it is still available.

[im_nomad]

I don't know about Clamato, but having tried to order a Bloody Caesar a few times in the US, I got met with blank looks.

[porker]

One of my first trips with the wife was back in the 80's to the Sunshine State. I asked for a Bloody Caesar in a bar and the waitress asked what it was.
"Like a bloody mary, 'cept with clamato instead of tomato juice", I replied.
"Whats cluhMAYto?" she asks.
"Its tomato juice with clam juice" I says.
She brightened up, "Oh, yeah we have that, we can make it!"
They made their own "clamato" by mixing pure clam liquor (shellfish juice) with tomato juice and made my drink....it was strange.
So I say to my future wife, "We should distribute clamato around here and make a killing"
Well, 30 years later, clamato is widely available in most states, yet the Bloody Caesar is still very uncommon....

[KilgoreTrout]

I have worked in bars and restaurants in Boston for years. More then a few Boston bartenders have told me stories of exasperated Canadian visitors in a state of near disbelief being told "don"t stock it, no one but the odd Canadian tourist orders it".

[porker]

It must have been in demand a few weeks ago (Bruins vs Habs)? hehe

[KilgoreTrout]

Considering all the press about hatred between these two fan bases, we seem to have no problems and the business is great for the bar. I worked 500 feet from the entrance to the Garden until last year. Habs fans are awesome. We get requests for the Bloody Caesar and the bartenders know you are Canadian. Still not enough to order any, but frequent enough to be a minor inside joke. "hey, had 2 requests for bloody caesars today. Montreal must be in town"

[porker]

Hey, it might be a marketing gimmick: "We serve Caesars" or "Best Caesars in Town" with a sign like this
http://talesblog.com/wp-content/uploa...
In Canada, Pepsi has the rights to distribute the concentrate for the bar gun, but obviously you don't have the demand - start off with a case of the single serve cans...

[KilgoreTrout]

I am intrigued that it is popular enough to be a bar gun option. Is it considered a brunch or daytime drink like the Bloody Mary is here? Probably can't put up a sign mentioning Canada's favorite anything while the Bruins are playing a Canadian team

[porker]

Like I mentioned, distributed by pepsi along with their syrups, gas, etc. Like gun OJ, its a concentrate which gets mixed with water at the gun. Tune it up just right, and your bloody caesar is better than mixed with the can clamato (similar to a finely tuned coke dispenser i guess).
It is a brunch or daytime drink - like a bloody mary, its a pretty good first or second drink on the day after (making the hair of the dog a touch more palatable...). Some people will drink it all night, but me, I'd get too full after 2 or 3.
6 degrees of the Bruins/Habs/Clamato thing: was at a rock concert at Montreal's Bell Center (newish home of the Habs since the Forum was re-done into a shopping complex) and ordered drinks for the gang: 2 Molson, 2 shots, and a caesar. So the bartender, in his Frenglish repeats the order: "2 bieres, 2 shot, and a soup" - I thought that was amusing!

[CanadaGirl]

It is definitely an all-day drink. If you go into any bar, at any time, you'll probably find someone drinking a Caesar.

[bytepusher]

It started out as a daytime/brunch drink but it's sort of become the cocktail that people who don't know jack about cocktails order in bars, sort of like the screwdriver once was.

[KilgoreTrout]

Hey all, thanks for the info. If you ever make it to Boston, shoot me an email [e-mail] I'll buy you a Bloody Caesar or 3. I was speaking to my bar manager about this. He is originally from deep upstate New York. He knew exactly what I was talking about. He actually prefers it to the traditional Bloody Mary mix. So we will have it in the house next week. Do we need to mention it as an allergy issue? Seems like no matter how hard it gets processed it would still be shellfish allergy dangerous.

[porker]

Thanks for the offer, KT!
Ahhh, the USA and litigation worries....maybe THATS why its popular in Canada and not the States!? - hehe.

[KilgoreTrout]

I wonder if that is the issue. Mexico and Canada both enjoy tomato and clam combos with booze, but not Lawsuit Nation here. It seems like a stretch but not out of the realm of possibility. I'm going to have one in a day or two when the case of Clamato we ordered arrives. I'll report back. Any interesting twists to the Caesar I should know about? Brunch places in the states can get crazy with the Marys to stand out. Like chipotle infused vodka or adding cocktail shrimp.

[petek]

Add fresh horseradish, spicy pickled beans/ asparagus and crab claws as garnish.
Pretty much anything you can do with a Mary you can do with a Caesar..yumm

[buttertart]

I would definitely mention it if I were you, given what goes on here. You'd think CLAMato might give its nature away, but.

[KilgoreTrout]

The fact that hot coffee has to be labeled as "hot" is a sign to err on the side of caution. That being said, shellfish allergies can be deadly.

[buttertart]

Agreed on both counts.

[bytepusher]

The canonical Bloody Caesar is spiced like a Mary with Tabasco and Worcestershire served in a glass rimmed with seasoned salt and garnished with a celery stalk (preferably with a leaf or two still attached) and a lemon wedge.

Grated horseradish, either in the drink or on the rim is a common addition. But as petek noted, pretty much anything you could do to a Mary will work here. The big deal here lately has been bacon infused vodka.

[porker]

We usually rim with celery salt. Besides tobasco, worcestershire, S&P, the celery stalk, I also like a healthy squeeze of lemon. Some places charge a couple of bucks to garnish with a chilled jumbo shrimp.

[petek]

Bacon infused vodka!! I gotta get out more often..

[KilgoreTrout]

Bacon infused vodka with clamato sounds great. Some horseradish, tabasco, lemon, black pepper and some olives!

[buttertart]

A Bloody Casino! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/clams-ca...

[piccola]

I feel like it's one of the few cocktails guys will order because it's not seen as "girly," like so many other mixed drinks.

[meatnveg]

Beaver Tails
Steamwhistle Beer

[km_mcrc]

you can find Nanaimo bars here and there in the states. At least in the border states that I've lived in. They're available in a number of grocery stores here in Western Washington and I was also able to find them at a couple of stores in Michigan when i lived in Grand Rapids.

[paulj]

But are the Washington ones made with Bird's Custard Powder? :)

[jiminy]

oh man I love bird's but its engkish I thought

[Seattlerain]

I have no idea if the Nanaimo bars sold here are made from Bird's Custard Powder or not...but Bird's Custard Powder is sold at nearly any large supermarket here in the Seattle area.

[Gary]

Do Kinder Eggs qualify as a food? I guess so, since technically the chocolate-ish shells are edible. These have not only the distinction of only being available in Canada, but also of being illegal to bring into the US due to the toys inside being potential choking hazards for small children. Border guards will actually confiscate them on sight. Yet, if you open the egg in Canada and eat the chocolate, you can then bring the small toy itself over the border without hassle. One of the oddities of our modern world.

[ferret]

These are imported into the US from a number of countries. In Chicago, I have seen Italian and Polish Kinder eggs in addition to those made for our market.

[Fromageball]

I thought Kinder was a German company? I got those all the time in Germany and can only find them at places like World Market in the US. Well actually, not the Kinder eggs, but other Kinder stuff....

[ferret]

Kinder is (was?) a German company, but they roll out to markets worldwide. Don't know if that includes manufacturing.

[SnackHappy]

Kinder is sorta German but actually Italian. It's a Ferrero product, but was first sold by Ferrero's German subsidiary.

[jlhinwa]

I have a friend who had Kinder Eggs confiscated at the border last year. She was bringing them back for my daughter and didn't think twice about it but got pulled over and had to surrender them. The 222 aspirin and cigars she had in her trunk made it through just fine.

[Cokeylicious]

Kinder eggs are possibly the least Canadian confection! Manufactured by Italian company Ferrero and marketed through their German subsidiary Kinder, they are available widely across Europe and Asia.

[paulj]

Purity Hardbread
Fish and brewis
Pâté chinois
puffed wheat squares
Habitat Pea Soup

[jiminy]

pate chinoise is sheppards pie, or more correctly cottage pie. at least according to my mother in law

[paulj]

though it usually has the addition of corn (or creamed corn).

[OldGrayWolf]

Habitant pea soup has been available in Michigan for at least the past 50 years; my mom loved it and I've asked our local grocer to stock it...not always available in every store, but it's down here and it's still great!

[BobB]

That brings back memories. I don't recall seeing Habitant canned soups in ages, but when I was a kid they were sold here in the Boston area and used to have very catchy ad jingles: "You mustn't EVER put water in a Habitant soup!"

[paulj]

It is produced by Campbells, but is a French-Canadian style of soup. It's not surprising that it might be sold in neighboring parts of the USA.

[MsDiPesto]

I used to see commercials for Habitant soups on WRGB, the Schenectady NY TV channel when I lived in the Hudson Valley

[porker]

I saw Habitant pea soup in Northern NY Pricechoppers (heresy, I know...)

[im_nomad]

Purity anything was close to being not available anywhere there close to Christmas. They were on strike. My mother had me looking everywhere for Purity hard bread. Ended up making her own from scratch, but they are back to producing now. mmm Jam Jams.

I'll add to the list, buckets of salt beef, cans of corn on the cob (the full cobs, not the minis that go in salads and stir fries)

[paulj]

I got a got a couple of bags of hard bread via a backpacking shop 10 years ago, and still have part of one in the pantry. I was mainly curious how it compared with pilot bread.

In the Seattle area I am still able to buy the Sailor Boy brand of pilot bread, which remains a staple in the Alaska bush. On vacation in BC I occasionally found Barge and Flaky pilot bread (mainly in coastal towns). That seemed to disappear, though last I heard Purity is making those in addition to their hard bread.

[BobB]

Yes, I mentioned spices - that's one thing my son like most about it, he can get just a little of some exotic spice when he's trying a new dish (one of the things I'm proudest of in this life is the fact that he's followed my example and become an avid cook.)

[BobB]

Not a food per se but a unique type of food outlet: bulk food stores. I was up visiting my son in Toronto last weekend and he pointed out that these are common in Canada but unheard-of in the US, stores where all sorts of things, from grains and spices to cereals and candies are sold loose in bulk, allowing you to take just as much or as little as you want to buy. Places like Whole Foods have small bulk departments here, but these stores are wall-to-wall bulk bins. I was impressed.

[Davwud]

They're a pretty decent source for spices too Bob. I usually get mine simple ones from there.
You can also rent cake forms for things like train shaped cakes and such.

DT

[im_nomad]

Are you talking about Bulk Barn ?

[BobB]

I didn't notice the name of the one he took me into, but he said that they are fairly common, implying that there's not just one chain.

[Blush]

Bulk Barn and Bulk Barrel are the two that are common in SW Ontario.

[jjw]

We always bring back a big box of Red River Cereal when we visit.

[bytepusher]

How come every time this topic comes up all anyone mentions is crap snack and fast foods

How about smoked arctic char, Mipkuzola, Fiddleheads (ok not strictly only in Canada but close enough), BC Spot Prawns

[thinks too much]

Because they don't require refrigeration, are nonperishable and can be packed into a suitcase/car. Fiddleheads are wonderful, but almost as delicate as fresh rasberries.

[Duppie]

...and generally not frowned upon as much as fresh fish,shrimp and vegetables by border authorities...

[BobB]

Fiddleheads are quite common in the northeastern part of the US - possibly north central and northwest as well but I haven't spent enough time in those parts to know.

[corneygirl]

We have fiddleheads in Iowa!

[fryerlover]

Saw smarties in Switzerland last week......funny as I brought some for family only to see they had them.

[ferret]

Smarties originated in the UK and are widely available throughout Europe.

[kiwiFRUIT]

Smarties are available in New Zealand as well.

[harrie]

Are Smarties the sweet/sour candy or something else?

[bytepusher]

No, the product known as Smarties in the rest of the world are basically the same as plain M&Ms

The sweet/sour candy called Smarties in the US is called Rockets in Canada

[Caitlin McGrath]

Candy-covered chocolate, along the lines of M&M's.

[harrie]

Aha - thanks and thanks.

[CanadaGirl]

Along the lines of M&Ms, but taste very different. I find the chocoloate inside Smarties much creamier than M&Ms. The shell has a different texture too. I prefer Smarties anyday.

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

As far as I can tell, you can get Smarties anywhere *except* the US. I've foudn them in Asia.

[KilgoreTrout]

You can find Smarties in the U.K. section of "foods of the world" Aisle of U.S. super markets.

[TorontoJo]

Similar discussions here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/423312
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/475671

[TorontoJo]

But I will add that the glory of a good, runny buttertart is not to be dismissed lightly...

[buttertart]

:)

[TorontoJo]

Not that I'm saying that YOU'RE runny or should be dismissed or anything like that...

[buttertart]

Only on occasion! And runny is definitely best - and a serving is two tarts. With a nice strong cup of Red Rose tea.

[TorontoJo]

If you're ever in Toronto, please do try the ones at Flaky Tart. They look enormous, but they are actually quite normal sized, but with an extra large "edge" on the crust. She makes them beautifully runny, and you break off some of the fabulous, flaky crust and dip it into the center. It's like butter tart fondue.

[buttertart]

I will, getting back next spring for a conference. My mother used a thick (lard) crust on hers. (I'm buttertart in her honour.)

[Davwud]

Peameal bacon.
PC "Decadent" CC cookies.

DT

[Duppie]

Sweet Heinz Ketchup,Crunchy bars,Lays classic BBQ chips.

[jiminy]

Tarte au sucre, Cretons, tortiere. Just moved to quebec, can you tell

[Duppie]

I envy you....

[srobes]

Ketchup flavored chips as well as All Dressed.

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

And dill pickle. Ketchup flavoured ringolos, the single most addictive snack food in the known universe. Mr Big, Oh Henry, Aero and Crunchie chocolate bars. Vernors ginger ale. Thrills gum, aka soap gum. Kernels popcorn seasonings, particularly the salt and vinegar flavour.

[buttertart]

Aero and Crunchie originated in the UK and are common there too. Wunderbar may be Canadian only? Laura Secord chocolates are, of course.

[SnackHappy]

Wunderbar is from the UK, but ti's known there as Starbar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Bar

[bytepusher]

Since the founders sold Laura Secord to Rowntree in the 60's there's been nothing particularly uniquely Canadian about Laura Secord other than the name, and for most of the last 50 years the company has been owned by a selection of UK, European and American companies before finally being re-Canadianized a few years ago by a company in Quebec associated with Biscuits Leclerc. The products they sell are essentially the same chocolate confections and ice creams sold in other markets by other companies, in the US there's even a company that looks and feels just like Laura Secord (the name escapes me, it's also a woman's name, a first lady I think)

[buttertart]

Fannie May? Out of business for several years. Not quite the same, but similar. I didn't know that LS had been sold in the 60s, must have been very hush hush because my mother was one of their most dedicated customers then and I would expect her to have caught wind of it.

[bytepusher]

The O'Connor family sold LS to the Ault Foods division of Labatt's in 1969 which in turn sold it to Rowntree in 1983 (my error above, i had forgotten about the Labatt's period) Rowntree was then acquired by Nestle in 1988. Nestle sold LS in 1999 to an American company Archibald Candy which also operated the Fannie May and Fanny Farmer stores (so for a while they were in fact the same company) then in 2004 it was sold to a consortium of private equity firms, it was sold again in 2010 to the a company controlled by the Leclerc brothers of Quebec CIty.

[buttertart]

Very interesting, I do remember the Labatt purchase because of it being (then at least) a London-based company.

[ferret]

FYI: Fannie May is back.

[GoodGravy]

mmm...I like Trinidads so this is good news for next time I'm in Chicago.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Laura Scudders?

[faijay]

I think Vernors is or was invented in the US. When I was a child and we visited family in Detroit we had two stops there, the Vernors factory where we stocked up for home and the potato chip factory where we bought large tin tubs of the yummiest chips (in memory) ever.
Back in thoses days you could not get Vernors in Toronto.

[delong99]

We have All Dressed chips in Maine - but that's pretty much Canada!

[OldGrayWolf]

Vernors ginger ale (only the very best ginger soft drink on Earth) is wonderful, but not Canadian. It was originated by James Vernor (a pharmacist from the Detroit, Michigan, area) quite by accident; he started a batch of ginger ale, had it in the oak barrels, then went off to the American civil war. When he returned, voila, the wonderful "flavor-aged (4) years in oak" soft drink that is available in only a few places in the US (but hey, I'm really glad to know it's available in Canada, my favorite 'get away to' spot on Earth). We share the Great Lakes, so it's only right we also share a love of Vernors!

[Moedelestrie]

When in Michigan Vernor's is the Ginger Ale of choice. Here in the Eastern Townships of Quebec Bull's Head is our Ginger Ale and it has the same pedigree as Vernor's. Never have seen Vernor's in Canada but Michigan has a US border.

[buttertart]

My parents used to bring back Vernor's from Detroit back in the day. I (desperately) wish it were available in the NY metro area.

[OldGrayWolf]

Eh, buttertart; we transport it to family and friends in New Hampshire by the case. You should see the looks we get from BPAs at Customs...they no longer question it, though. And yes, we also took along stock for my brother when he lived in Brooklyn four years. The "Boston Cooler" is our traditional family-reunion drink/dessert. (Vernors w/Briar's vanilla ice cream float). You can tell how close a family friend someone is if they're from Somewhere Else but are hooked on Vernors...

[buttertart]

Nice. Ever get a bit farther south? ;-)
They sold it in northern California when we lived there, why not here???

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

We got it in CA when I lived there. My parents were from Detroit, and Warren, so I grew up with Vernors in the house. My aunt, and uncle had it delivered to England via submarine when he was in the Air Force. I believe it was his brother that was in the Navy. Good stuff, but alas it is no longer aged in oak, but oak flavored. It is probably stirred with an oak spoon, or poured over oak planks now =)

[buttertart]

Or International Flavors and Fragrances or Givaudan or another lab's "olde oake flavour additive no. 104" made especially for them!

[Moedelestrie]

Sherbrooke Quebec is a lot closer to New Hampshire than Michigan. Give Bull's Head ginger ale a try I think it compares favourably with Vernors. In fact Sherbrooke is closer to New Hampshire than it is to Montreal. I was brought up on dry Ginger Ale but my Michigan raised wife converted me to the traditional Vernors and Bulls Head ginger ale.

[Leepa]

I can buy Vernor's at the market here in North Carolina. Not as good as my favorite Blenheim's. But it will suffice as a second choice. ; )

[Jenny Ondioline]

Several American brands (my favorites are Herr's, Old Dutch and Wachusett, in that order) have ketchup chips. They're more common in the northeast and upper midwest, so yes, Canada-adjacent but not exclusively Canadian.

Unfortunately, we can't get an All-Dressed chip down here.