As a Canadian, I'll admit that you guys have much more to offer in the food product category than we do. I mean, I've wanted to try Sonic ever since I first witnessed those tragically unfunny ads starring those two balding dads, and Pinkberry looks like a damn good option for dessert. But instead of writing an article of what we Canadians don't have that you do, I felt it would be beneficial (and I'll admit, easier) to showcase the foodstuffs we Canadians enjoy that aren't available south of the border. Which is exactly what I've done. Below are some of the best food items, companies, and franchises we've got in Canada that, if you're ever in the area, should definitely pick up..
All-Dressed Chips
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
All-dressed chips possess an indescribable flavor that's essentially a combination of every chip flavor available (sour cream and onion, salt and vinegar, and ketchup). It's the bastard child of starchy junk food that nobody should love, but many do - they're a best-seller here. All-dressed chips were available in the U.S. for a while as a promotion, but were since returned back to us, the rightful owners.
Nanaimo Bars
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
These delicious, no-bake baked goods are a Canadian staple and something I always grab when they're available. Having originated in Nanaimo, B.C., the rich chocolate square includes a crunchy crumb-based layer, a smooth layer of custard flavored icing, topped with a melted chocolate layer. Of course, many varieties of this decadent dessert exist, but this recipe's the O.G..
Coffee Crisp
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
It's all in the name with this one. Coffee Crisp is a beloved chocolate bar to Canadians as it possesses a unique coffee taste that can't be found in any other chocolate bar on the Canadian market. The bar is a faultless combination of chocolate, coffee and crispy wafers, and has been available in Canada since 1939.
Swiss Chalet's "Chalet Sauce"
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
I'm of the belief that if it weren't for senior citizens and Swiss Chalet's infamous Chalet Sauce, that Swiss Chalet (a sit-down/fast-food hybrid that specializes in chicken dinners) wouldn't be the booming business it is today. The recipe for their sauce is top secret, and has been unsuccessfully replicated many, many times. This beloved sauce has become so popular that you can buy it at supermarkets as well. Personally, I don't like the stuff, it tastes like a watered down gravy with tons of salt, but I'm in the minority.
Harvey's
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
Harvey's is my favorite fast-food burger chain -- and it's Canada's too. Harvey's is the largest Canadian-established hamburger chain in the nation, and is second only to our beloved Tim Hortons as the most successful Canadian fast food business in our nation. What sets it apart from most burger joints is that the burgers taste like actual burgers, they're quite substantial and you can completely customize your burgers as you do a sandwich at Subway. An added bonus is that they offer onion rings and deep-fried pickles as a side when you don't fancy fries.
Jos Louis
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
Having originated in Quebec back in 1923, the Jos Louis has become one of Canada's most iconic food products and is essentially a snack-sized chocolate cake with vanilla cream covered in chocolate. It's real good, and was a staple in every Canadian child's lunch bag.
Passion Flakie
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
Though not as popular as the Jos Louis, the Passion Flaky (a personal favorite of mine) was created by the same company as the Jos Louis, and is just as delicious. The portable dessert, a block-sized flaky pastry filled with cream and combined with another sweet flavor -- which include apple-raspberry, caramel, blueberry, and so on -- is something you should definitely pick up if you ever happen to be in our neighborhood.
Butter Tarts
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
A quintessential Canadian dessert, butter tarts are like a portable pecan pie, but with a runnier filling that contain raisins. Sometimes walnuts or pecans are added, but the traditional version of this dessert contains butter, sugar, raisins and eggs all in a buttery pastry shell.
Montreal Bagels
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
New York might own the bagel market in the U.S., but Canadians have our own superior bagels, and those reside in Montreal, where Canadians will (and have) traveled great distances to get their hands on as many as they can. With the same general doughnut shape to most other bagels, Montreal's take tends to be sweeter and smaller than the standard, making them less harmful to the gut, yet significantly better tasting.
Smarties
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
I've heard your version of Smarties is our version of Rockets, and that's beyond bizarre to me, as I'm sure our version of Smarties - a more colorful take on M&Ms, essentially - are a hugely popular candy that sell particularly well around Halloween. As do your Smarties, I've heard.
Crispy Crunch
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
Canada's answer to the Butterfinger bar that's been around since the '20s. We actually have Butterfingers in Canada as well, so we essentially have two of the same chocolate bar on the market, and choose which we prefer based on which packaging is prettiest.
Poutine
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
We have entire restaurants amassed courtesy of this national dish. As I'm sure you know by now, the classic poutine consists of gravy, cheese curds and french fries. However, in recent years, it has evolved in every way possible (substituting fries for smashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, etc. as well as adding every and any topping known to man) that to say poutine isn't Canada's proudest, most recognized dish is a backhand to Canadians everywhere.
President's Choice Products
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
We may not have a President, but we do have President's Choice: a proudly Canadian brand that manufactures everything from ice cream to barbecue seasonings. What Canadians love most about the brand, are their somewhat recent and unique take on chips (with flavors like: maple bacon, thick cut ballpark hot dog, general tao chicken, for example) and ice cream (flavors include: cinnamon bun, watermelon crunch, red velvet cake, etc.).
Kraft Dinner
![Canadian Products You Can't Get In America]()
What you call "macaroni and cheese" we call "Kraft Dinner," and this box of cheesy pasta has become so popular in Canada that the Kraft company's product -- which is totally just macaroni and cheese - has strong brand ties to Canadians that we attribute the entire meal to the Kraft company -- hence why we call it "Kraft Dinner." Though there are many macaroni and cheese products available here, none come close to the popularity of KD. And for that, you have to get your hands on a box.
All-Dressed Chips
All-dressed chips possess an indescribable flavor that's essentially a combination of every chip flavor available (sour cream and onion, salt and vinegar, and ketchup). It's the bastard child of starchy junk food that nobody should love, but many do - they're a best-seller here. All-dressed chips were available in the U.S. for a while as a promotion, but were since returned back to us, the rightful owners.
Nanaimo Bars
These delicious, no-bake baked goods are a Canadian staple and something I always grab when they're available. Having originated in Nanaimo, B.C., the rich chocolate square includes a crunchy crumb-based layer, a smooth layer of custard flavored icing, topped with a melted chocolate layer. Of course, many varieties of this decadent dessert exist, but this recipe's the O.G..
Coffee Crisp
It's all in the name with this one. Coffee Crisp is a beloved chocolate bar to Canadians as it possesses a unique coffee taste that can't be found in any other chocolate bar on the Canadian market. The bar is a faultless combination of chocolate, coffee and crispy wafers, and has been available in Canada since 1939.
Swiss Chalet's "Chalet Sauce"
I'm of the belief that if it weren't for senior citizens and Swiss Chalet's infamous Chalet Sauce, that Swiss Chalet (a sit-down/fast-food hybrid that specializes in chicken dinners) wouldn't be the booming business it is today. The recipe for their sauce is top secret, and has been unsuccessfully replicated many, many times. This beloved sauce has become so popular that you can buy it at supermarkets as well. Personally, I don't like the stuff, it tastes like a watered down gravy with tons of salt, but I'm in the minority.
Harvey's
Harvey's is my favorite fast-food burger chain -- and it's Canada's too. Harvey's is the largest Canadian-established hamburger chain in the nation, and is second only to our beloved Tim Hortons as the most successful Canadian fast food business in our nation. What sets it apart from most burger joints is that the burgers taste like actual burgers, they're quite substantial and you can completely customize your burgers as you do a sandwich at Subway. An added bonus is that they offer onion rings and deep-fried pickles as a side when you don't fancy fries.
Jos Louis
Having originated in Quebec back in 1923, the Jos Louis has become one of Canada's most iconic food products and is essentially a snack-sized chocolate cake with vanilla cream covered in chocolate. It's real good, and was a staple in every Canadian child's lunch bag.
Passion Flakie
Though not as popular as the Jos Louis, the Passion Flaky (a personal favorite of mine) was created by the same company as the Jos Louis, and is just as delicious. The portable dessert, a block-sized flaky pastry filled with cream and combined with another sweet flavor -- which include apple-raspberry, caramel, blueberry, and so on -- is something you should definitely pick up if you ever happen to be in our neighborhood.
Butter Tarts
A quintessential Canadian dessert, butter tarts are like a portable pecan pie, but with a runnier filling that contain raisins. Sometimes walnuts or pecans are added, but the traditional version of this dessert contains butter, sugar, raisins and eggs all in a buttery pastry shell.
Montreal Bagels
New York might own the bagel market in the U.S., but Canadians have our own superior bagels, and those reside in Montreal, where Canadians will (and have) traveled great distances to get their hands on as many as they can. With the same general doughnut shape to most other bagels, Montreal's take tends to be sweeter and smaller than the standard, making them less harmful to the gut, yet significantly better tasting.
Smarties
I've heard your version of Smarties is our version of Rockets, and that's beyond bizarre to me, as I'm sure our version of Smarties - a more colorful take on M&Ms, essentially - are a hugely popular candy that sell particularly well around Halloween. As do your Smarties, I've heard.
Crispy Crunch
Canada's answer to the Butterfinger bar that's been around since the '20s. We actually have Butterfingers in Canada as well, so we essentially have two of the same chocolate bar on the market, and choose which we prefer based on which packaging is prettiest.
Poutine
We have entire restaurants amassed courtesy of this national dish. As I'm sure you know by now, the classic poutine consists of gravy, cheese curds and french fries. However, in recent years, it has evolved in every way possible (substituting fries for smashed potatoes, sweet potato fries, etc. as well as adding every and any topping known to man) that to say poutine isn't Canada's proudest, most recognized dish is a backhand to Canadians everywhere.
President's Choice Products
We may not have a President, but we do have President's Choice: a proudly Canadian brand that manufactures everything from ice cream to barbecue seasonings. What Canadians love most about the brand, are their somewhat recent and unique take on chips (with flavors like: maple bacon, thick cut ballpark hot dog, general tao chicken, for example) and ice cream (flavors include: cinnamon bun, watermelon crunch, red velvet cake, etc.).
Kraft Dinner
What you call "macaroni and cheese" we call "Kraft Dinner," and this box of cheesy pasta has become so popular in Canada that the Kraft company's product -- which is totally just macaroni and cheese - has strong brand ties to Canadians that we attribute the entire meal to the Kraft company -- hence why we call it "Kraft Dinner." Though there are many macaroni and cheese products available here, none come close to the popularity of KD. And for that, you have to get your hands on a box.