Only in Canada:

Although Canada is considered as one of the friendliest countries in the world, it is not particularly well-known for its food. We're not sure why, though, given the Great White North boasts an incredible variety of foods that highlight its history, culture, and plentiful produce, from Indigenous creations like pemmican bars to substantial home-cooked pies and fast-food favourites. Timbits, anyone?

All dressed crisps:

Can't decide if you want BBQ, sour cream and onion, ketchup, or salt and vinegar crisps? go all-dressed like Canadian. This delectable mash-up of all of the above ingredients is one of the country's most popular crisp flavours. Ruffles and Old Dutch Ridgies, a famous Canadian brand that began producing potato chips in Winnipeg in 1954, are the preferred brands.

Bannock:

Bannock was brought to Canada by European immigrants and fur traders, and its origins may be traced back to Scotland; its name comes from the Gaelic word bannach, which means'morsel'. This sort of unleavened bread, like soda bread, became a staple carb for Canada's indigenous tribes and is now an important part of many First Nations diets. It is frequently pan-fried and occasionally twisted onto sticks to cook over a fire. Many Indigenous-owned bakeries and Canadian chefs have evolved their own versions of bannock over the years.

Beaver Tails pastries:

BeaverTails pastries, named after Canada's national animal, are a must-have, especially after ice skating down Ottawa's Rideau Canal. The long, flat wholewheat pastries are shaped like a beaver tail (what else?) and deep-fried before being slathered in cinnamon sugar. Popular toppings include chocolate spread, bananas, crumbled cookies, and whipped cream. In 1980, Grant Hooker and his wife Pam opened the first BeaverTails stand in Ottawa's Byward Market, inspired by his German-Canadian grandmother's recipe for Bavarian küchle. BeaverTails now has shops around the country.

Butter tarts:

Québec and Ontario both claim ownership of these delectable morsels. A tiny, flaky pastry shell is filled with a batter made of sugar, butter, golden syrup (or maple syrup), and egg; raisins and nuts are occasionally added as well. When baked, the top develops a wonderful crust, and the whole thing is delicious served warm with lashings of whipped cream. Butter tarts are so popular that they have their own event, Ontario's Best Butter Tart event, as well as a specific road trip called the Kawarthas Northumberland Butter Tart Tour.

Cherry Blossom candy:

Cherry Blossom candy was created in the nineteenth century by the Walter M. Lowney Company of Canada, a confectionery company established in Ontario. These individually wrapped treats, now manufactured by Hershey Canada, exude old-school charm, from their vintage packaging to their cloyingly sweet centre. A pink, syrupy middle with a maraschino cherry awaits you within a pile of thick chocolate, desiccated coconut, and toasted peanuts.

Coffee Crisp:

When it comes to chocolate bars, Canadians prefer one brand above all others. Only available in Canada, the Coffee Crisp is an irresistible blend of coffee cream and vanilla wafers coated in chocolate. It was brought to the country in the 1930s by the British confectionery business Rowntree's, but is now manufactured by Nestlé, which also produces the (equally delicious) Coffee Crisp ice cream dessert bars.

Fiddlehead ferns:

May is a busy month at Tide Head, a little riverfront community in New Brunswick, because it is peak fiddlehead season. The Restigouche River, known as the "Fiddlehead Capital of the World," attracts foragers to its banks, where these tightly curled fern fronds thrive. Fiddleheads, plucked from the ostrich fern, have a texture and flavour comparable to asparagus. These coiled green beauties are available for purchase at many Canadian farmers' markets during the spring season.

Flapper pie:

This decadent cream pie originated in the prairie kitchens of Western Canada and has since become a Sunday supper staple. A cinnamon-sprinkled graham cracker base, a vanilla custard filling, and a fluffy meringue topping (sometimes sprinkled with more biscuit crumbs) make up this simple yet delightful dessert. Flapper pie dates back to the late nineteenth century, but the name is said to have originated in the 1920s. Calgary's long-standing Blackfoot Truckstop Diner is famous for its towering version, which boasts an exceptionally generous meringue-to-custard ratio.

Halifax donair:

The donair, a Halifax staple, was established in the 1970s by Greek immigrant Peter Gamouloukas, owner of the King of Donair restaurant. It's produced by grilling a seasoned beef combination on a rotisserie spit and wrapping it in a pitta with tomatoes and onion, similar to a typical gyro or doner kebab, but what truly distinguishes the donair is its sweet and garlicky sauce made with condensed milk. King of Donair presently has multiple outposts throughout Nova Scotia and abroad.