http://www.foodreference.com/html/artcanadianfoods.htmlThere are 10 provinces in Canada. Some provinces have their own unique foods. Here are some of them
Newfoundland is famous for its wild partridge berries, seal flippers, and cod tongues when they are caught ( these days cod is almost an endangered specie. Once upon time fishermen could scoop cod in nets but the specie has been fished almost to extinction). Squid and shellfish are now being fished to compensate for the losses suffered.
Prince Edward Island was the first province to produce cultured mussels. They are plump, contain virtually no sand and are larger than their natural counterparts. Because of these highly desirable characteristics, chefs use them more than previously. Today, one company alone raising mussels on nylon strings in water sells over three metric tonnes a week and could market four times as much if only production could be increase. Cultured mussels (muscults) are harvested after 16 months of their seeding, whereas a comparable wild mussel requires double that time to achieve the same size.
Nova Scotia has been always famous for its outstanding quality of lobster, scallops, smoked mackerel, and Belon oysters, which were once imported from France. These most delicious oysters are hatched under controlled conditions to ensure the best genetic stock. Strong and promising spat are transferred to carefully selected nursery sites for their first summer. At the end of the summer only the best juvenile oysters are placed in nets suspended in clean cool coastal waters of Nova Scotia, to grow slowly to full size. Grits do not find their way in oysters grown away from the bottom of the “pond”.New Brunswick is the site of many eel ponds. The eels are marketed live or smoked. A proportion of eel raised in this province is exported to Europe, although demand in other provinces is also increasing.
New Brunswick potatoes are famous and exported to many countries. The world’s largest potato processor, McCain, is located in Florenceville, New Brunswick. The company maintains many plants throughout the world
Quebec, long considered to be a province where eating and drinking are a part of good living, offers many delicacies, Brome Lake duck, apples from Rougemont, Matane shrimps, cider vinegar, genuine maple syrup, honey, salmon and cheeses are just a few of the gamut of specialties of Quebec. This province has an enviable cheese industry consisting of small family operations. Oka is well noted for the cheese by the same name, but there are many others that produce excellent cream type cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, Triple cream just to name a few. The following cheeses are worth looking for: Cheddar (nine year old), Cheddar ( eight year old), Cabriole, Mamirolle, Le Metis, Bluebry, Ermite, Le Pied de vent, Le Bleu de la Montonniere.
Ontario is justly famous for its superb quality corn fed pork, and back bacon (a k a Canadian bacon), pemeal bacon, just to name a few. Ontario strawberries and raspberries in season are excellent, Northern Spy apples unsurpassed for baking. Pears, plums, peaches and all kinds of other fruits yield fine wines, or distillates. Some are marketed fresh and others go to canneries.
Ontario grown grapes of vitis vinifera family (Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah) yield extraordinary wines. Ontario icewine is now exported to many Pacific Rim and European countries. The provinces icewines win golden awards every year in European wine competitions. Ontario’s cheddar cheese manufacturers compete for the coveted reputation of Canada’s best, with their counterparts in Quebec. Ontario also boasts several game farms specializing in ring-neck pheasants, quails, ands partridges. Ontario maple syrup is well noted for its superb flavour and purity.
Manitoba is known for various foodstuffs: Winnipeg gold eye, wild rice, whitefish, mullet, pickerel, northern pike, lake trout, carp, golden caviar and arctic char, harvested in the many pristine lakes of the province.
Alberta is justly famous for its superior quality beef, pork and potatoes. Small dairies started to market specialty cheeses successfully. Alberta is now breeding commercial buffalo, which happens to be leaner than beef, and finer in texture, richer and more flavourful. It is more expensive because of its longer life cycle than cattle.
British Columbia is not only famous for its salmon, fruit and vegetables but for oysters, Manila clams, cepe mushrooms and other delicacies. Oyster beds, approximately 1`60 kilometers north of Vancouver in Hotham Sound produce excellent quality oysters. Manila clams first imported from Japan, thrive in this pristine bay. Salmon of course has been bred ad released to the Pacific Ocean, later to return to native rivers. Fresh, frozen or smoked British Columbia salmon is now exported to many European countries. British Columbia’s wine industry is second to none and excels in dry and sweet white wines.
