Food Map Of Canada

Map created by TasteAtlasThe map above shows some of Canada’s most popular regional dishes.

Although it’s got some pretty notable misses like Montreal-style bagels (smoked meat is great), Donair and of course Kraft Dinner (although that’s a Canada wide thing).

As a Canadian expat living in the UK here are my top 5 Canadian foods I miss:

1. Kraft Dinner
2. Poutine
3. Coffee Crisp
4. Montreal Bagels
5. Maple Syrup

And here’s a very brief overview of the food from the map above:

1. Moose Stew – A hearty stew made with moose meat, often prepared by Indigenous communities.
2. Jellied Moose Nose – A traditional First Nations delicacy where moose nose is boiled, sliced, and set in its own jelly.
3. Muktuk – Whale skin and blubber, eaten raw or cooked, traditional to Inuit cuisine.
4. Caribou Stew – Stew made from caribou meat, common in Northern Indigenous diets.
5. Muskox Roast – Roast made from muskox meat, known for its rich flavor and lean texture.
6. Bannock – A simple fried or baked bread, widely associated with Indigenous peoples.
7. Cedar-Plank Salmon – Salmon fillets cooked on cedar planks, lending a smoky, woodsy flavor.
8. Pacific Smoked Salmon – Cured and smoked salmon, a staple on the West Coast.
9. Kubie Burger – A burger made with garlic sausage (kielbasa).
10. Nanaimo Bars – No-bake dessert bars with layers of custard, chocolate, and coconut-graham crust.
11. B.C. Roll – A sushi roll filled with barbecued salmon skin and cucumber.
12. Ginger Beef – Crispy strips of beef in a sweet and spicy sauce, invented in Calgary.
13. Saskatoon Berry Pie – Pie made from Saskatoon berries, which taste like a mix of blueberries and almonds.
14. Schmoo Torte – Rich torte made with whipped cream, caramel, and pecans, originally from Winnipeg.
15. Honey Dill – A sweet and tangy sauce made from honey, mayonnaise, and dill, common with chicken fingers.
16. Beaver Tails – Fried dough pastry shaped like a beaver tail, topped with sugar, cinnamon, or chocolate. One of my personal favourites as kid skating on the Ottawa canal.
17. Persians – Sweet rolls with pink icing, specialty of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
18. Butter Tarts – Small pastries filled with sugary, buttery syrup, sometimes with raisins or pecans.
19. Windsor-Style Pizza – Pizza known for shredded pepperoni and canned mushrooms, unique to Windsor, Ontario.
20. Peameal Bacon Sandwich – Sandwich made with pork loin rolled in cornmeal, known as “Canadian bacon” outside Canada.
21. Montreal Smoked Meat – Smoked, cured, and spiced beef brisket, typically served on rye with mustard.
22. Poutine – French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, originating from Quebec.
23. Pâté Chinois – A French Canadian dish similar to shepherd’s pie, with layers of ground beef, corn, and mashed potatoes.
24. Salmon Pie – A savory pie filled with salmon, popular in Quebec.
25. Fricot – Acadian chicken stew with dumplings or potatoes.
26. Fish and Brewis – Newfoundland dish made with salted cod and hard bread, softened and boiled together.
27. Touton – Fried bread dough, often served with molasses, from Newfoundland.
28. Poutine Râpée – Potato dumpling with pork filling, an Acadian specialty.
29. Garlic Fingers – Pizza dough topped with garlic butter and cheese, cut into strips and served with dipping sauce.

Food missing from the list above:

Donair

• What it is: A spiced ground beef (or sometimes lamb) meatloaf cooked on a vertical rotisserie, sliced thin, and served in a pita with diced tomatoes, onions, and sweet garlic sauce.

• Where it’s from: Originally inspired by the Turkish döner kebab and Greek gyro, but uniquely adapted in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The sweet sauce is what makes the Canadian Donair distinct.

• Fun fact: The Donair is so beloved in Halifax that it was officially declared the city’s official food in 2015.

Montreal Bagels

• What they are: Smaller, denser, and sweeter than New York-style bagels, Montreal bagels are boiled in honey-sweetened water and baked in wood-fired ovens.

• Where they’re from: Montreal, Quebec, with famous bakeries like Fairmount Bagel and St-Viateur Bagel leading the way.

• Two classic types: Sesame (“white seeds”) and poppy seed (“black seeds”).

• Fun fact: Unlike New York bagels, Montreal bagels are typically hand-rolled and don’t use salt in the dough.

Kraft Dinner (KD)

• What it is: Boxed macaroni and cheese made with elbow pasta and a bright orange powdered cheese sauce.

• Why it’s Canadian: While Kraft Mac & Cheese exists elsewhere, Canada has the highest per capita consumption in the world. It’s often referred to simply as “KD” here.

• Fun fact: KD is so culturally entrenched in Canada that it’s considered a “national dish” of sorts, especially among students and young adults.

Coffee Crisp

• What it is: A chocolate bar made of layers of vanilla wafer and coffee-flavored foam, coated in milk chocolate.

• Where it’s from: Manufactured by Nestlé Canada; although Nestlé is international, Coffee Crisp is considered uniquely Canadian.

• Flavor profile: Light, crispy, and mildly coffee-flavored — not overpowering, so even non-coffee drinkers often enjoy it.

• Fun fact: Coffee Crisp has been around since the 1930s and has a cult following; many Canadians abroad miss it because it’s rarely available outside Canada (you can’t even buy it on Amazon in the US).

You can read more about Canadian foods on Taste Atlas here.

What do you think is missing from the list?