Nanaimo bars, Canada Day Cake, and poutine

The first place we stopped in for a quick desperation snack, about 30 miles from the city as we approached from the south, didn’t seem like the kind of place you’d want to experiment with, so I skipped the poutine there. Once we were in town, every time I saw poutine I’d just eaten. It wasn’t until we were driving back home that I realized I’d missed out on one of the more alluring delicasies I’ve heard about in a while.

So, you can imagine my frustration when I saw poutine right in the middle of iVillage’s recent Top 10 list of Canadian foods one must try.

A note of thanks to Yvonne Jones, for the tip on this list.

The iVillage list is definitely worth checking out for photos and complete descriptions of these treats (for those unfamiliar), but what I’m looking for is some feedback from Canadians on what was left off the list (seen below), and/or recipes for how to make your favorites on this list.

In no particular order (I think), here’s their list:

Canada Day Cake: A basic sheet cake decorated like a Canadian flag to be eaten on Canada Day (July 1). Sounds simple enough.

Canadian Bacon: We already know and love Canadian bacon in the U.S., though it’s fun to know that in Canada, it’s just called bacon and our kind is the “different” one.

Tourtiere: A savory pie usually made with ground pork.

Nanaimo Bars: Non-baked, three-layer bars named after their B.C. city of origin. Base layer is usually crushed graham crackers with cocoa and coconut, middle layer is a sort of vanilla pudding, and it’s topped with a chocolate frosting. Sounds incredible.

Poutine: Alas, poutine.

Saskatoon Berries: About the size of blueberries, they grow wild in Western Canada

Spruce Beer: Sort of like Ginger Beer, but made with spruce roots and bark mixed with molasses.

Beaver Tails: Not the real animal tails. Sweet fried flatbreads that take toppings like cinnamon, and fruit compotes.

Salmon Candy: Yes, the real fish, sweetened with maple syrup, salt and smoked which sounds kinda gross, I have to say. Am I wrong?

Maple Leaf Cookies: A buttery sugar cookie made with maple syrup.

Alright, Canadians. In my quest to learn as much about the Great White North as possible, please comment below with thoughts on anything that’s missing from this list (recipes welcome!), and suggestions on how to make or obtain any of your faves.