Banff Food & Beverage

Food and drink in Canada can be whatever you want it to be. From standard North-American fare—including nearly all of the multi-national chains—to world-class gourmet delights. The selection is endless.

One of the advantages Canada has is that because of its large immigrant population, just about every cuisine is available in larger centres. If you have special dietary needs most restaurants have low fat and vegetarian alternatives. Of particular merit is the wide range of Asian food available in Canada. The influence of immigration is also reflected in everyday home cooking, with items such as Ukrainian Perogies and Cabbage Rolls (particularly in the west where the Ukranians originally settled), and Scottish-style shortbread (baked in most Canadian households—especially at Christmas) having become national institutions. The great selection of fresh produce available means that Canadian chefs (who are brought in from all over the world) can create some wonderful gourmet specialties.

Additionally, various regions of Canada have their own specialties, be it British Columbia Smoked Salmon (exported worldwide), world-renowned Alberta Beef and other Western Food or wonderful Atlantic Canada fish and seafood dishes such as crab cakes and cod tongues. Newfoundland visitors must try the famous Jigg's Dinner (a mixture of salt beef, potatoes, carrots, cabbage and turnips) with Peas Pudding, which is a traditional family meal served in this area. Last but not least the regional cuisine of Québec is legendary, and includes delicious tortière and the artery clogging—but tasty—poutine (cheese curds that are often served with gravy and french fries). The majority of Canada's famous Maple Syrup is also extracted and manufactured in Québec and Ontario.

Beer is a distinct Canadian specialty. Molson and Labatt are the largest breweries in the nation. Molson produces major labels such as Molson Canadian, Molson Export and Molson Dry, as well as Light versions. Labatt's beers include Labatt Blue, Labatt Genuine Draft, Labatt Extra Dry, John Labatt Classic, Labatt Ice and other variations of these. There are also dozens of microbreweries that can be found from coast to coast.

Many visitors are surprised that Canada has quite a thriving wine industry, and many people are also surprised at how good some of them are now. The main wine growing regions are the Niagara Region in Ontario (famous for ice wine), the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia (which has some excellent fine wines) and to a lesser extent Nova Scotia.

The legal drinking age in Canada varies between the different provinces and territories: In Alberta, Manitoba and Québec the legal drinking age is 18 years, for all remaining provinces and territories the legal age is 19 years.