ExploFood · North America
What to eat in Canada
Five dishes to try in Canada, the most typical first. One is vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Canada
Poutine
Fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy.
How to have it: Born in Quebec; try it late at night at a casse-croûte or Montreal's poutine shops.
Montreal smoked meat
Spiced, smoked beef brisket piled high on rye bread with mustard.
How to have it: Order it medium-fat with a pickle and fries at a classic Montreal deli.
Tourtière
Spiced minced-meat pie from Quebec.
How to have it: Traditional on Christmas Eve and New Year in Quebec; served with sweet ketchup or chutney.
Butter tart
Small pastry tart with a runny filling of butter, sugar and egg.
How to have it: Ontario bakeries sell them plain, with raisins or with pecans; locals argue over which is right.
Caesar
Vodka cocktail with clamato juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire in a celery-salt rim.
How to have it: Canada's brunch drink; bars garnish it with anything from a celery stalk to a slider.
What to eat next door
Plan the trip
Questions
What food is Canada famous for?
Poutine (fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy) comes first on our list, followed by Montreal smoked meat, Tourtière, Butter tart and Caesar.
What is the national dish of Canada?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Canada is Poutine: fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy. Born in Quebec; try it late at night at a casse-croûte or Montreal's poutine shops.
Which dishes in Canada are vegetarian?
One of the five on this page is vegetarian as usually made: Butter tart. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in Canada?
Poutine (fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy).
What do people drink in Canada?
Caesar: vodka cocktail with clamato juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire in a celery-salt rim.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
Keep exploring
Practical · 3 min readEat your way through a country: how to find the national dishesFood is the fastest way into a place. How to find a country's signature dishes, order them well, eat safely and keep a record of what you have tried.
Planning · 4 min readHow to choose the best time to visit anywhereWeather is only one part of it. Learn how to weigh seasons, crowds, prices and events, with real examples of the best months for popular destinations.
Planning · 4 min readHow to build a travel bucket list you'll actually useTurn a long wish list into a short plan: sort places by ease, season and effort, pick your next three, and keep the list alive after every trip.- Country guidesCountry guidesBest months, weather, holidays and plugs for every country.
- Free toolWhere can I go?Every country your passport opens, sorted by how easy it is.
Tick off every dish you try in Canada
Explo is a free app: light up the countries you have visited, keep the dishes you have tried, and check visa rules, weather and holidays before you go.
Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.