Canada: True, north, strong, and free. It’s been this way for 152 years now, and a lot has changed since its days as a mere colony of the British Empire. In terms of food, we’ve come a long way, like many other countries in the world. From the Indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands boiling down maple sap for syrup from a sugar maple tree, to the happy accident where a customer asked a restaurant owner for some cheese curds on her fries, Canada has had a rich history with food, along with a history of celebrating other cultures for their culinary contributions as well.

Like America, a lot of our food originates from different parts of the world. We have croissants, biscuits, wursts, pasta, and pizza, which all came from several countries in Europe; we even have rice, noodles, dumplings, and sushi, which all came from several countries in Asia. These delicious foods are all thanks to early immigrants that came to the New World in order to flee from tyranny, war, or for economic opportunities. Along with that came the rise in popularity of the aforementioned foods. Regarding Canada, we take pride in this diversity, seeing as how we, as a postnational state (shudders), learn the quirks and arts of different cultures across the world. It also means implementing these types of food into our Canadian culture, courtesy of immigrants.

Take for instance, Pierogies. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, parts of Ukraine belonged to both the Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires. During these times, Ukrainians suffered heavily from economic and national oppression, thus leading them to escape from their autocratic landlords and find refuge in Canada. Most Ukrainian immigrants settled in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and after taking the time to adapt in this new country, they introduced the nation to Pierogies. Pierogies became of a staple of Canada because they can be pan-fried, and still taste as good as they are after being boiled.

Another dish in this short, but sweet line-up of delicious foods are Donairs. The dish is of Turkish and Greek origins, and it made its way into the Canadian limelight thanks to a Greek man named Peter Gamoulakos, who gracefully served this one-of-a-kind kebab in Halifax of Nova Scotia. Due to its lavish use of beef and sweet sauce, Donairs became the signature food in Halifax. Eventually, Donairs would be served beyond Nova Scotia.

With every good, there must also the bad, unfortunately. For example, a Greek-Canadian named Sam Panopoulos woke up with the bright idea of putting pineapples on pizza. For some, Hawaiian was okay. For many, Hawaiian represented the worst in pizza, and it’s still the most despised pizza topping to this day. I can only assume the original creators of pizza are still spinning in their graves because of this absurd topping. In any case, sweet and juicy fruits should NEVER mixed with salty, delicious pizzas.

To continue our country’s occasional mishandling of foreign cuisines, we opened up to the world with… Sushi Poutine. Despite it being a very Canadian tactic to attract those who have never eaten sushi in their lives, it’s more or less the same case with Hawaiian Pizza, in that it combines two food types that don’t mix well together.

With all that being said, I hope you’re well-informed of the delicate history of Canada’s foods. It is because of immigrants that we have seen a tidal wave of so many foods that’s cherished by many Canadians. I mean, who would have thought Hawaiian Pizza toppings weren’t actually made in Hawaii, but instead, here? Crazy, huh? And to think, we managed to get away with this disgusting topping, and all blame was shifted on Hawaii. How amusing.
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Sources

• Poutine: https://cottagelife.com/outdoors/10-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-poutine/
• Maple Syrup: https://www.smmsa.org/things-to-know.php
• Pierogies: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XcS0gNUUGU-Nc7OgLVZHgE1OHL6riwPuo6wXg1oLQUI/edit#slide=id.g35f391192_00
• Ukrainian Immigrants: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ukrainian-canadians
• Donairs: https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/canada/articles/10-signature-canadian-dishes-and-where-to-try-them/ – https://www.foodnetwork.ca/shows/great-canadian-cookbook/blog/the-delicious-history-of-the-halifax-donair/
• Hawaiian Pizza: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_pizza
• Sushi Poutine: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-weird-sushi-items-2017