Bits & Bites

One of the fun things about taking a trip or going on vacation is sampling some great food and beverages but with all due respect to our friends to the north I don’t believe anyone heads to Banff or Jasper specifically for the cuisine. That said, there are some eats and treats we look forward to each time we cross the border at the 49th parallel.

Take tea for example. I live in Celestial Seasonings backyard and drink my fair share of Sleepytime Tea and Morning Thunder. I’m enough of a fan that I’ve even toured their Boulder facilities where they blend all their delicious flavors. But when I head north I really look forward to the Canadian tea blends. Canadians drink twice, per capita, as much tea as coffee loving Americans so they know how to make a great cup. From their classic Breakfast teas to more exotic blends like Blueberry Icewine tea its a tea lovers delight. We always end up bringing back boxes and boxes to last us until our next visit.

Another favorite when we visit Canada is sampling all the great maple products from syrup to fudge and everything in between. Canada takes maple products seriously as it produces 70+ percent of the world’s output. I know, I know, you can get all types of maple syrup at your friendly neighborhood grocery store but have you ever had maple flakes or maple butter? Did you know there are multiple grades of maple syrup from light colored (collected early in the season) to dark (you guessed it... collected late in the season) and that the darker the color the stronger the flavor? If so you’re a real maple connoisseur!

Like salsa? Wouldn’t peg Canada for particularly tasty versions of this Mexican staple? Then try Rasberry Salsa for a really delicious variation. Definitely one of my new favorites. To heck with chips - just the jar and a spoon and you’re in for salsa heaven. 

One of the things I really appreciated was a break from most of the American chain restaurants. Didn’t see the Golden Arches anywhere we went though the Canadian equivalent, Tim Hortons, was well patronized. Downtown Banff has a Chile’s Restaurant but generally speaking you’ll see more locally produced cuisines. One particularly Canadian treat we did not sample was Poutine which is a delightful blend of French fries,  cheese curds, and brown gravy. Mmmm, yum... But hey, I haven’t tried Fried Butter at the Iowa State Fair either. Poutine is so popular it’s sometimes referred to as Canada’s national dish though it actually originated in the province of Quebec back in the 1950’s.

Well, all this talk of food is starting to make me hungry so I’ll leave you with a quick video recap of some of our Canadian culinary favorites. Bon appetit!