Canadian Treats Trivia Quiz

Answer:

As a native Ontarian, I was surprised to learn that not all Canadians can buy milk in bags! It isn't as messy as it might sound, either. Typically, three smaller bags are packaged in a larger bag to be sold together. One can purchase a purposely made, reusable, plastic pitcher in which one places one of the smaller bags, before snipping off one corner of the bag to provide a spout for pouring. You need to be careful not to make the hole too big, to avoid spills.

Maple syrup is about as Canadian as you can get. In the springtime it is possible to see pails attached to trees that have been tapped, to collect sap from the maples. This is processed to provide maple syrup and maple sugar.

Traditional French Canadian pea soup should be made with yellow peas, though whether they should be split or whole is debatable. The soup should simmer for several hours, with a ham hock (or bone) adding flavour. For the tourtière, both the filling and the type of pastry can vary, depending on the region, and the availability of meat to mince. Various recipes can be found.

A box of KD (short for Kraft Dinner) is an easy meal for a student to make. What is it? Macaroni and cheese, of course! One cooks the macaroni, drains the water, adds a bit of milk (if desired) then opens the pack of cheese powder, shakes it on the macaroni and mixes it all together. Too much liquid results in a cheesy slush and bland macaroni, so be careful!

Love it or hate it, Hawaiian pizza, with pineapple, is a Canadian invention and Hawaii should be neither thanked nor blamed for it. Sam Panopoulos, the Greek-Canadian restaurateur who invented it, named it for the brand of canned pineapple he used on his first concoction.

Poutine is a comfort food, and at its most basic consists of french fries, topped with cheese curds, all smothered in brown gravy. It originated in Quebec in the 1950s and its popularity has spread across Canada. Many variations exist, but the basic dish is hard to beat.

Butter tarts are simply wonderful, gooey, sweet, decadent treats, consisting of brown sugar, butter, an egg, water cooked in a pastry shell. Nuts and raisins are optional. Homemade are best, but some store bought ones are pretty good too.

Nanaimo bars, named for the city in British Columbia, first appeared under that name in the 1950s. They are a no bake dessert consisting of three layers (crumb base, custard icing, chocolate on top). Variations exist, of course.

Originating at a community fair in the 1970s, beavertails are a type of flat pastry dough, made to resemble the tail of Canada's national symbol, the beaver. Eventually giving their name to a restaurant company, the sweet treat comes in many flavours with a variety of toppings.