Canadian Cuisine Eh? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Poutine

Poutine first started showing up in Quebec in the 1950s and although it's not entirely confirmed who conceived of it first, it is a traditional and popular Quebecois and Canadian dish. Made of fries, cheese curds and brown gravy, this dish is now celebrated at annual poutine festivals that take place in Canadian cities such as Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto and American cities such as Chicago.

This dish can be a side dish or an entrée.

Answer: Butter tarts

This tasty little dessert that is associated with Canada consists of butter, sugar, egg and syrup. Those ingredients are baked in a flaky pastry shell and there are variations on ingredients included in the filling. Some people include raisins, pecans or walnuts and some adventurous cooks include ingredients such as bacon or pumpkin.

Although they were common in pioneer cooking, the very first published butter tart recipe can be traced back to a lady named Mary Ethel MacLeod of Barrie, Ontario.

Answer: Bannock

Bannock is a type of flat quick bread that is usually round and cut into pieces for eating. It is not only associated with Indigenous cooking as it also has a tie to Scotland however it is a universally cooked dish of various tribes throughout Canada.

It is cooked with white or whole wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, lard and water or milk. It can be combined with spices or dried fruits and can be fried, baked or cooked on a stick.

Answer: Split pea soup

The yellow split pea soup is a popular version of split pea soup that originated in Quebec and is enjoyed throughout Canada. It is typically made with whole yellow peas, salt pork, and herbs. This soup has been popular in Quebec for more than four hundred years, its origins with the settlers who needed a hearty and healthy soup to help them get through the tough Canadian winters.

Answer: Ketchup chips

The history behind Ketchup flavored chips is that they were invented in the 1970s in Canada. Hostess chip company thought that fruit flavored chips would be a good idea and bet on grape and cherry flavors. This didn't go over well but what did result from that experiment was chips using tomato flavors and Ketchup chips became a flavor.

They were a very Canadian snack but are now available south of the border as well to those who can stand the taste.

Answer: Nanaimo bar

Nanaimo bars are the best! They are three delicious layers that includes a base of wafer, a nut and coconut. The middle layer is custard and the top is chocolate. This delicious dessert requires no baking and is named after the city of Nanaimo, British Columbia.

The first printed copies of the recipe started showing up in the 1950s and in 2019 the dessert was featured on a stamp. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted President Obama and Nanaimo bars were on the menu.

Answer: Pouding chomeur

Pouding chomeur is quite simple. It consists of cake batter that is covered with either hot syrup or caramel before it is baked. It was created by women who worked in factories in Quebec during the Great Depression. When the depression got particularly bad, the cake batter was replaced by stale bread.

The literal translation of pouding chomeur is unemployment pudding (also known as poor man's pudding).

Answer: Tourtiere

Tourtiere is a meat pie with its origins in Quebec. It is a traditional Christmas Eve and New Years Eve meal in Quebec, it's popular in New Brunswick and is available throughout Canada. It is made from minced pork, veal or beef and potatoes. The type of meat varies depending on the region. For instance, in Montreal, Quebec it is typically made with ground pork.

In Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean it is made with potatoes and cubed meats.

Answer: Tire d'erable sur la neige

This sweet treat is Canadian maple syrup taffy. Made by boiling maple syrup and that is poured on snow, it will harden and can be picked up and eaten. It is best consumed fresh. In Quebec, this treat is made at a cabane a sucre (which translates to sugar cabin) and served along with other traditional Quebecois dishes. It's also popular in Manitoba and in New England.

Answer: Peameal bacon

Peameal bacon is a type of unsmoked back bacon that is found typically in the province of Ontario, Canada. The name peameal bacon comes from the practice of rolling the loin in ground yellow peas in order to extend the shelf life. The creation story of peameal bacon is pretty interesting. William Davies, who moved from England to Canada, is in part credited with creating it in the 1850s.

He sent a side of loin back home to relatives in England and cured it in yellow peas so it would last the trip.

It's not certain if he was actually the first to do this but it was well received. He set up a stall in the iconic St Lawrence Market in Toronto, Ontario and his William Davies Company expanded. It became so big that it processed nearly half a million hogs per year and contributed to the Toronto nickname "Hogtown."