Are you planning a trip to Canada during the Christmas time? It is a perfect occasion to taste a variety of amazing dishes some of which have very strong traditions in this country. This article will help you to explore the traditional Canadian cuisine of the Christmas time.
Eggnog
The very first associations you might have with Christmas treats in Canada are certainly butter tarts and Yule Log. Fruitcake is also pretty well-know. Yet, how about a fantastic creamy beverage which is known as Eggnog?
Eggnog is an absolutely seasonal dish which can be found in Canada starting from October while every Canadian family has a stock of this beverage prepared for the Christmas time.
What is so special about Eggnog? This beverage is simply delicious! It is made of eggs and milk with an addition of cinnamon or nutmeg. It can be consumed just like that, however, it is also frequently mixed with bourbon, whiskey, rum or brandy. Actually, this is a traditional way of enjoying Eggnog and the beverage even has its name coming from the concatenation of the word “egg” with “nog”. The meaning of the latter is strong spirits.
The beverage was developed at the end of the 18th century, however, it is highly possible that this was the time when the name of the beverage was created while it had already been popular in the medieval times.
As you can imagine, such a delicious beverage is perfect as an ingredient for other delicious dishes. That is why there is an entire variety of pies, cupcakes, cakes and even eggnog lattes which are all enriched by the addition of Eggnog.
Soufflé Vegetables
What is a popular dish other than a dessert in Canada during the Christmas time? Soufflé Vegetables is one of the typical dishes cooked for the Christmas dinner.
When it comes to Soufflé Vegetables, there are different opinions about this dish since there are many fans of fried crunchy vegetables. Of course, these are delicious, however, it is a good idea to cook something more elegant for such a special celebration which will also be featured with a more complex taste rather than simply fried vegetables.
Soufflé Vegetables include a variety of ingredients such as scalloped corn, broccoli, potatoes and French turnip. as you can imagine, the ingredients are mashed. Actually, there are two major versions of this dish as it can be cooked in the way so that it appears more sweet or more savoury. Yet, you should not forget about egg whites which are the most essential part of this dish. Their fluffy texture makes them perfect alternative to various heavy sauces used for other dishes. That is why, unlike many festive dishes, Soufflé Vegetables can actually be called a healthy dish.
Tourtiere
While the previous dish is more vegetarian, albeit not suitable for vegans because of the eggs, Tourtiere will be suitable for meat-eaters. Tourtiere is a meat pie which is a Canadian alternative to the traditional Christmas dish of turkey, however, it is not equally popular in all of the parts of the country. This dish is preferred over turkey in Manitoba, Quebec and New Brunswick. A popular way of serving this dish is with cheese, wine and even with a sugar pie.
Tourtiere can be made of either beef or pork and as you can imagine, it is the most essential ingredient of the meat pie.
Tourtiere has not been thus popular as a Christmas meal for a long time. Actually, people started adding it on their festive menu in 1970s. Yet, the dish had existed for hundreds of years prior to that as it was developed in 1600 BC.