With Canada Day coming up on us quickly—how time does fly!—I’ve decided to take a quick look into some of the dishes that are quintessentially Canadian. Dishes that have been invented and patented in some cases by innovative Canadians on the search for something super tasty. Given the diversity of Canada and the diversity in these dishes, this may become a regular feature where I’m able to take a deeper dive into the history behind them.
Here’s a quick list of Canadian Food Inventions
- Bannock
- Poutine
- Canadian (Peameal) Bacon
- Hawaiian Pizza
- Sushi Pizza
- Split Pea Soup
- Butter Tarts
- Nanaimo Bars
- Ketchup Potato Chips
- California Rolls
- Instant Mashed Potatoes
- Kraft Dinner
- Maple Syrup
- Peanut Butter
- Coffee Crisp Candy Bars
- Caesars (the drink)
- Canola Oil
- Saskatoon Berry Pie
- Montreal Smoked Meat
- Montreal Style Bagels
- Beavertails
- Tortiere
- Persians
- Canadian Club
- Ginger Ale
- Pablum
- Rapure (Rappie Pie)
- Clodhopper candy
- Donairs
I’m sure there are more obscure dishes that have been developed and perfected over time within families, but many of those I’ve mentioned above are main staples in our diets or treats we can enjoy year-round. But let’s take a deeper look into one of the items on this list that truly surprised me: Peanut Butter!
Did A Canadian Really Invent Peanut Butter?
The answer is yes! In 1884, Marcellus Gilmore Edson, of Canada, patented peanut paste, the finished product from milling roasted peanuts between two heated surfaces. While this may not be the refined peanut butter we know today, it was the precursor and the first peanut ‘butter’.
Okay, so you may be thinking that cuisines around the world have used peanuts and ground peanuts in their dishes for longer than the recent patenting of the process, but what is important to remember is that it’s the process of milling roasted peanuts between two heated plates that actually creates peanut butter. Ground, raw peanuts just isn’t the same as what you get when you roast the peanuts before grinding them—you need the heat to help the peanuts release their natural oils—and to be honest, it gives the end result a deeper, more complex flavour.
So which food on the list above surprised you as a Canadian invention? Maybe I’ll do a deeper dive into that one next!
Have a Happy Canada Day next week!
Until next time,
Julie
