Nosh and Nibble

The earliest influences on Canadian cuisine came from England, Scotland, and France.  You will also find that different cuisines influenced different regions in Canada.

English Canada’s cuisine relates closely to cuisine in Britain.  French Canada was influenced by French cuisine.  The difficulties that new colonials faced during the 16^th-century and onwards also changed their food culture.

The 19^th and 20^th centuries brought more influences from all parts of Europe, parts of Asia, and the Caribbean.

These influences affected the regional cuisines throughout the nation.  And, before all these influences, there were the Indigenous peoples with their traditional cuisine.  Based on wild game, farmed products, and foraged foods, their food changed with the seasons.  They used local resources and techniques to prepare their food.

With the influences from other countries’ cuisines, traditional food in Vancouveris called a “fusion of cuisines”.  Traditional might not be the best description of these foods, but the foods had their origin in tradition.

For this reason, you could not visit Vancouver without trying their seafood dishes, such as wild salmon, spot prawns, mussels, crab, or oysters.  Caught daily and locally.  Seafoodis a great part of the food culture and tradition.

Another fact that can be seen as traditional is that the people care where the food comes from.  They want to know that the ingredients are sourced locally and that will also show in their meals.  Restaurant menus may vary throughout the year with seasonal offerings.

Fine dining restaurants serving traditional dishes which change with the seasonal food offerings can also be found in casino resorts.  You can dine, play online casino games, and relax in luxurious surroundings.  To play casino games is great fun and great for relaxing.

Even though the food culture is hard to define, the people of Vancouver love food.  Whether it is seasonal seafood, a prime cut of meat, ramen noodles, summer tomatoes, or wild salmon; their food excites them.

Vancouver is part of a nation that largely consists of immigrants from all over the world.  The immigrants brought with them the cultures and food traditions of their home countries.  From the earliest times, the influences of other cultures were fused with the original, traditional foods of Vancouver which changed the look of both culture’s food.

Other influences come with the proximity of the ocean, the mountains, and easy access to agricultural land.  Traveling from coast to coast to border will bring about different staples.  Seasonal produce also changes what is offered in restaurants or when buying ingredients for preparing your food.

Being a multicultural city, influenced from the earliest by Britain, Scotland, and France, and also influencing those cuisines, the diversity is understandable.  And then later, more cultures and cuisines were added.

Japan, China, the Mediterranean, India, and many more immigrants from other countries, came into the mix of fusing traditions and cultures together.  This only meant excellence in food offerings.

Salmon is a traditional staple from early times, and Sushi is a newer traditional food added to the mix.  Maple syrup comes in as an original, traditional staple, and then you can add Butter tarts as a more current tradition.  Roast turkey, venison, duck, and roast beef can be added from Polish and Hungarian heritage, now tradition in Vancouver.

Vancouverites are very passionate about their food and the components that go into the preparation of a meal.  They care about the sustainability of sources, using everything that can be used, and they use mostly local produce.

These are all traditions that came down from the earliest occupants of this region.  Gather and catch that which is available and use it well.