B

Bannock: Flatbread with origins in indigenous, Métis, and Scottish traditions. Traditionally cooked over open fires using flour, baking powder, salt, and fat.

BeaverTails: Fried dough pastries shaped like beaver tails, originating in Ottawa. Topped with cinnamon sugar, maple butter, or Nutella.

Bison: Lean red meat from North American plains bison, raised sustainably on prairie grasslands.

C

Canola: Canadian-developed oilseed producing neutral cooking oil, grown extensively across prairie provinces.

Caribou: Wild ungulate providing traditional protein for northern indigenous peoples. Lean meat with distinct flavor.

Char, Arctic: Pink-fleshed freshwater fish from northern lakes and streams, related to salmon and trout.

Cheese Curds: Fresh cheese pieces with characteristic squeak, essential for authentic Quebec poutine.

Chowder: Thick seafood soup, with 13 distinct regional variations across Atlantic Canada.

D

Dulse: Red seaweed harvested from Bay of Fundy rocks, eaten dried as snack or condiment, rich in minerals.

I

Ice Wine: Luxury wine made from grapes frozen on vine, Ontario produces 80% of Canada's supply.

M

Maple Syrup: Boiled sap from sugar maple trees, Quebec produces 70% of world supply in Golden, Amber, Dark, and Very Dark grades.

Montreal Smoked Meat: Beef brisket cured with spices, then smoked and steamed, developed by Jewish immigrants.

P

Pemmican: Traditional concentrated food combining dried meat, fat, and berries, developed by indigenous peoples.

Poutine: Quebec dish featuring fries, cheese curds, and gravy, originating in rural Quebec 1950s.

S

Saskatoon Berry: Purple prairie berry with flavor combining blueberries and almonds, used in pies, jams, wines.

Scallops, Digby: Large, sweet scallops from Bay of Fundy, reaching 3+ inches diameter.

T

Tourtière: Savory meat pie traditional at Quebec Christmas tables, regional variations use different meats and spices.