22 Sep 2023

A Little Bitter

Q. Amaretto – ‘a little bitter’ – is the almond-soaked liqueur you might know from the Amaretto Sour, The Godfather, Blueberry Tea. We know it’s a deeply historic potion with Italian roots, but who can claim inventor credits? . A.  With a name like ‘a little bitter’ are we surprised

28 Aug 2023

Yes To Black Forest Cake

Q. Chocolate, sour cherries, sponge cake, kirsch, whipping cream, dark chocolate curls. What’s not to like? What inspired this deliciousness? . A. Black Forest cake – or Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte –   gets its name from Schwarzwälder Kirsch, a sour cherry liqueur distilled in Germany. Some say that the inspiration for this 16th

04 Aug 2023

Popsicle, Please

Q. It’s hothothot this B.C. long weekend. Whom do we have to thank for inventing this beautifully juicy relief on a stick? . A. Most credit 11 year old Frank W. Epperson of Oakland, California for the invention of the popsicle. After an intense day of outdoor play, Frank retired inside

01 Aug 2023

Pre-Race Cheesecake

Q. What are some of the stranger foods that people have used to give them speed and power on race day? . A. Let’s lift our olive leaf crowns to cheesecake. Cheesecakes were on the menu for athletes at the first Olympic Games in Greece. Olympians were encouraged to reap energy

30 Jun 2023

Lucky Elephants, Thrills + Other Canadian Treats

Q. As we near July 1st and Canada Day: what are some Canadian-born sweets? 🇨🇦 . A. What does it say about our culture that we are the inventors of a gum whose tagline reads: ‘It still tastes like soap’? They may think us mad, but many of us would

29 Jun 2023

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Q. The heat is on. What is your favourite ice-cream flavour? How do flavour preferences play out in Canada? . A. In 2022, Narrative Research asked the question of 1, 239 Canadian adults over the age of 18. As you’ll see below, the top 4 came in close, but chocolate

03 Jun 2023

Poor Man’s Pudding

Q. It’s one of Canada’s most famous, historic desserts. What is Pouding Chômeur? . A. This delicious Depression-era Canadian dessert – Pouding Chômeur – was created in Quebec. ‘Poor Man’s Pudding’ is said to have been invented in 1929 by women who, after a long day working on the factory

23 May 2023

Canada + Maple Syrup Desserts

Q. When asked to think of Canadian foods, most will quickly generate: ‘maple syrup’.  Historically, how have we incorporated this marvellous maple sap into the most important part of the meal? . A. The preeminence of maple syrup comes through in a 2021 Narrative Research survey. 2000 Canadians were asked

01 May 2023

Canada’s Favourite Cookie

Q. Which homemade cookies do we Canadians crave the most? . A. In February, Food Network Canada analysed their considerable data to unearth the cooking channel’s most popular cookie recipes of all time. The winner? Good old-fashioned shortbread. Fittingly, in the 1944 ‘Canadian Favourites Cookbook’, Mrs. Jane Montgomery from Victoria, B.C.

18 Apr 2023

Sweet Tooth Canada

Q. How does the Canadian sweet tooth compare to those of our global counterparts? . A. We can start with the healthy sweets. Can you name the most consumed fruit in the world? According to the Guinness Book of Records, the most consumed fruit in the world is the banana