Food » North America » Continental North America » Canada »

Canada

Food, Dining, & Drinks

Dining Etiquette

Dining in Canada varies from highly sophisticated to extremely informal and, fortunately, usually falls closer to the informal side of the spectrum. With a fast food culture growing and eating on the run popular, eating as you walk or in the company of others isn't considered rude, although offering some food to those around you is polite. In these quick service restaurants there are no true dining rules.

In more formal settings, place your napkin on your lap, wait to eat until everyone is served, and use your silverware (cutlery) from the outside in. These rules also apply if you're a guest at anyone's house, although there may be appetizers you can snack on without waiting, plus some people are extremely informal so just follow your host's lead.

If dining as a guest at someone's house in English Canada, always arrive on time, bring a small gift (or a dish if asked), and follow the host's traditions; this could mean a pre-meal prayer or toasts, which are typically limited only to the host, but if others join in, all are welcome to participate. It is also not considered rude to turn down a dish that does not appeal to you, however do so quietly and ask for another dish instead. It is also commonly considered polite to eat all the food you take; leaving food can be implied it was not satisfactory.

In French Canada rules vary a bit from the rules in English Canada. People show up late for dinner and it is more of a social event than an eating event. Wine also takes a prominent role in dining and most formal dinners begin with at least one bottle of wine. After the wine arrives and the conversation begins, the first course arrives, typically with more wine and conversation. This is of course followed by the main course and wine, finally dessert and perhaps more wine. It is expected that each guest orders a starter, main course, and dessert, but portions tends to be small.

Paying also varies by region. In English Canada there are no set rules; typically the host will pay, but you should offer to assist and many times the offer will be accepted or the bill will be divided evenly. At a restaurant in French Canada however, the inviter always pays, so if you invite others expect to pay the entire bill and if you are the guest, it's still considered polite to offer to pay, but after your offer is turned down, asking again can be rude so graciously thank your host instead.

For restaurant tipping information, read Canada's Expenses & Tipping section.

History & Influences

Canadian food begins with the First Nation's Peoples, who primarily acted as hunters and gatherers. Living off  the land meant most foods were what was in the area from fruits and berries to meat, such as deer, buffalo, and turkey.

When the English arrived they brought with them simple cooking techniques and some basic food staples, however they did little more than introduce cooking styles and utensils to make cooking easier. The French however consider cooking an art and became more creative with the local ingredients. None-the-less, even today most food is based on locally available ingredients, such as fish in the southeast and meat on the great plains, but cooking styles vary drastically.

As technology grew and life became more hectic, mass food production hit Canada by storm. Cereals became popular, fast food restaurants popped up, and the coffee and doughnut craze hit the country. More recently, as an immigrant destination, Canada's food is growing more and more diverse with dozens of ethnic foods available in every medium-sized to large city.

Staple Foods

Being a country of immigrants, there are no staple foods that exist across Canada. Many of the immigrants, however have staples, from rice for many Asian immigrants to corn tortillas for Hispanic immigrants.

Regional Varieties & Specialties

Quebec: poutine, now popular everywhere in Canada, is French fries topped with cheddar cheese curds and gravy
Montreal: smoked meats are famous here; they are cuts of beef that are slowly smoked & seasoned until very tender
Ottawa: beaver tails: fried dough topped with any number of toppings
Toronto: street meat, typically Polish sausage, hot dogs, Italian sausage, & others
Vancouver: Indian & Asian foods are popular here due to the immigrant populations

Drinks

While nearly every non-alcoholic drink is available in Canada, the Canadians love beer and it goes great with a hockey game. Wine is also popular, particularly in Quebec.

This page was last updated: May, 2011