Canadian cuisine, like the country, it’s very varied. Canada is one of the most multicultural countries in the world, so it’s expected its inhabitants have different tastes in food.
Canadian cuisine varies widely depending on the regions of the nation. The three earliest cuisines of Canada have First Nations, English, Scottish and French roots.
Poutine
It is said that Poutine is the most defining dish or side dish for Canada. this meal comes from a French inspiration and best served with a meat-based gravy and curds on top of the bowl of fries. You may even find this dish at the fast food chains such as McDonalds and there are annual festivals where this dish is the star. As for its origins, a number of towns in Quebec claim to have invented it, and as far as can be known, poutine traces its first introduction back to the 1950s.
Beaver Tails
It was essentially a flattened donut without a whole, but now it is emblematic for the Canadian Cuisine. It was first invented by Graham Hooker who passed it from generation to generation, being introduced to a large audience in 1978. It can be topped with sugar, Nutella or other variety of sweets.
Beaver Tails’ Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
5 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 pinch white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 beaten eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
5 cups whole-wheat flour, divided
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
Preparation:
- Mix warm water, yeast, and 1 pinch of sugar in a large bowl, and let stand until the yeast begins to foam and form a creamy layer, about 5 minutes. Stir in milk, 1/3 cup sugar, salt, vanilla extract, eggs, and 1/3 cup vegetable oil until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in about half the whole-wheat flour, and stir until the dough is too stiff to add more flour. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, place into an oiled bowl, and cover. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough, knead a few times to reshape it, and pinch off a piece of dough about the size of an egg. Roll the dough ball out into an oval shape about 1/4 inch thick. Place finished fried dough on a cloth and cover while you finish rolling out the pastries.
- Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large, deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Oil should be at least 4 inches deep. Combine 2 cups of sugar with cinnamon to taste in a shallow dish or pie plate, and set aside.
- Gently lower the pastries, one at a time, into the hot oil, and fry 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Blot excess oil from fried pastries with paper towels; gently press each pastry into the cinnamon sugar while still warm. Shake off excess sugar.