When I came to the US for college last year, I quickly learned that Americans are particular when it comes to their food staples: Dunkin’ Donuts, Shake Shack, Olive Garden breadsticks, and Chick-fil-A (just to name a few). Well step back, America, because anything you can do, Canada can do better.
1. French Fries
Photo courtesy of La Poutine Week
Ever heard of poutine? Canadians take plain french fries to a whole new level by adding cheese and gravy to them. And we don’t just stop there. They also add toppings such as bacon, lobster, any kind of meat, and vegetables.
2. Beer
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Okay, beer may be a drink, but it is definitely something Canadians do better than Americans. In Canada, the average “normal” beer has a higher alcohol content than American beer, with a range of 4.0 percent to 6.1 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) as compared to America’s 4.1 percent to 5.9 percent ABV. No one actually likes beer, but at least Canada can get you drunk faster.
3. Bacon
Photo by Kirby Barth
Americans love their bacon. But because it’s made from pork loin and not pork belly, Canadian bacon is much leaner and has tons more protein than its American counterpart. Want to eat like a native? Canadians often roll their bacon in cornmeal before being sliced, which gives it a sweet and juicy taste (also known as “peameal bacon“).
4. Potato Chips
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Forget salt and vinegar, barbecue, and sour cream and onion potato chips. Canada has the best flavors that you cannot buy in the US. Try Lay’s Ketchup chips, Ruffles All Dressed chips, Lays Dill Pickle chips and Hickory Sticks. And yes, we even have poutine-flavored chips.
5. Coffee
Photo by Holly Lipka
I know America runs on Dunkin’, but that’s only because you guys do not have Tim Hortons (in most states). Tim Hortons’ coffee is far superior to that of Dunkin’ Donuts and if you haven’t heard of a “double double,” you sure are missing out.
6. Chocolate Bars
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During my first weeks of college, I was extremely taken back when I could not find Coffee Crisp or Caramilk bars in American stores. Who doesn’t love a chocolate bar with squares full of caramel? There are so many more chocolate bars such as Oh Henry, Crispy Crunch, Wonderbar, Bueno, and Aero – and every one of them is way better than its American counterpart.
7. Milk
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You might be confused by this one. How can milk be better in Canada? Two words: bagged milk. Stop that face you’re making right now and understand just how amazing bagged milk is. Not only does it taste better out of a bag, but it also is much more fun to pour, not to mention cheaper.
8. Mac ‘n Cheese
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I quickly found out upon arriving at college that what I called “KD” (short for Kraft Dinner) does not exist in America. Instead, it’s called macaroni and cheese and does not taste nearly as good as KD. *SIGH* It’s fine, I’ll just have to make it better myself.
9. Maple Syrup
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There is no question that pure Canadian maple syrup is better than the over-processed, over-sugared maple syrup in America. Canadian maple syrup is much smoother, lighter, and thinner than processed maple syrup. It goes perfectly with pancakes, waffles, french toast and can be used as a great substitute for sugar in baking recipes.
10. Bagels
Photo by Nikhil Tangirala
Ask any American about bagels, and New York bagels will almost always come up. However, Montreal bagels are smaller, denser, and sweeter than New York bagels, and are most commonly found topped with sesame or poppy seeds. A little less daunting, and they taste much better than the typical bagel.