8 foodie-approved gift ideas from Canadian small businesses

These local food-related gifts will surely bring joy to food lovers this holiday season 

By: Madeline Liao

(Dzenina Lukac/Pexels)

With the holidays fast approaching, many of us are scrambling to find the perfect gift for our loved ones. Gift shopping can be difficult, especially if you don’t know what to buy and where to look. Luckily, there are plenty of small businesses right here in Canada that can help you check things off your shopping list. Here are some potential gift ideas from Canadian businesses that may be just the thing that the foodie in your life is looking for.

1. Fruit syrups from Summerland Sweets 

Based in Summerland, B.C., Summerland Sweets carries a variety of fruit jams and syrups sourced fresh from the Okanagan Valley. Other products also include fruit jellies and nut brittles, which all make for sweet treats. The company is family-owned and the products are made right in their production facility in Summerland. Their assorted gift packages would make for an excellent present and can pair nicely with some Christmas morning pancakes. If you’re in the Summerland area, pay a visit to their facility to see their process (and enjoy some ice cream while you’re at it).

2. Mini six-pack pepper sauces from Spice of Life

Spice of Life is a small, Toronto-based business that carries handmade hot sauces and preservatives. Their products use natural, locally sourced ingredients and are free of artificial flavourings. With a large selection of flavours, Spice of Life sauces could be a fitting gift choice for someone who likes every meal with a little bit of spice. If you’re not sure which flavour to go with, the six-pack of pepper sauces can serve as a trial for the recipient to find their favourite.

3. Loose-leaf teas from Cup of Té

Cup of Té is a Black-owned online tea retailer based in Toronto. Founded by former gymnast Taylor Lindsay-Noel, the company “take[s] pride in the quality and unique blends of [their] products while ensuring that each tea is hand selected, organic and ethically sourced.” When you shop from Cup of Té, a portion of proceeds goes to mental health awareness causes. Check out their gift ideas page for products like the iron cast teapot set or matcha whisk bundle that could make a tea lover happy in the cold weather.

4. Barrel-aged whiskey maple syrup from Wabanaki Maple

One thing this Canadian gift guide definitely needs is barrel-aged maple syrup from Wabanaki Maple, an Indigenous and women-owned company located in Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), N.B. They work to preserve the environment and Indigenous communities, and invite customers to “discover a piece of history and a taste of culture in every bottle.” Their whiskey maple syrup is a twist on traditional maple syrup culture from the Indigenous Peoples of the First Nations and is perfect for the winter. Each bottle is made using techniques that have been preserved through generations.

5. An Indigenous cuisine cookbook by Shane M. Chartrand with Jennifer Cockrall-King

This cookbook, tawâw - Progressive Indigenous Cuisine, is a great gift idea for the foodies who are also (aspiring) cooks. The book follows Chartrand’s culinary journey from childhood to adulthood — from learning to hunt and raising livestock to working as a professional chef, making this work transcend the scope of just a cookbook. It shares the meaning of cooking, eating and sharing food in Indigenous homes and communities.

6. Astrological sign resin coasters from Hando Meido Studio 

These custom star sign coasters can be a fitting gift for the astrology-obsessed friend on your list. Each coaster is handmade and can be personalized with the recipient’s name, so every time they drink their morning coffee or tea, they can save their table from stains in style. The Etsy shop, HandoMeidoStudio, ships from Toronto and offers free delivery in Canada. Check out their page for more handmade coasters and other crafty products.

7. Cookie gift box from Craig’s Cookies

With over 40,000 followers on Instagram, Craig’s Cookies is a popular Toronto destination for those with a sweet tooth, and cookies are certainly a practical gift idea for a foodie. There are over 100 cookie flavours to choose from at Craig’s, which can be overwhelming for even the biggest of cookie lovers. Luckily, the store offers gift boxes that are neatly wrapped up for any gift exchange. Those in the Greater Toronto Area can also pick up their order at a store location to avoid shipping delays — Craig’s Cookies can be found in The Village, Parkdale, Leaside, Leslieville and at Yorkdale Mall.

8. Chocolate bundle from Chachalate

A gift guide simply cannot be complete without chocolate. Chachalate is an Asian-owned chocolate company in Toronto that produces vegan chocolate. Their products come from ethically sourced cocoa beans and are all made from scratch, producing a “naturally fruity” flavour. Chachalate’s chocolate bars contain only two to five ingredients, making them a healthier alternative to mass-produced chocolates. The “build your own bundle” option is a great choice for a gift, especially if you’re finding it hard to choose from all their flavours.

Take me out to Katsuya

This Japanese spot in downtown Toronto is best known for katsu, a popular breaded deep-fried meat cutlet. 

By: Darya Soufian

The storefront of Katsuya’s downtown Toronto location at 66 Gerrard St. E. (Darya Soufian/CanCulture)

This article is part of CanCulture’s food review series, where our writers explore some of the best food finds across the nation.

If you’ve ever been to the corner of Church and Gerrard Streets in Toronto, then you know where Japanese katsu fusion restaurant Katsuya is. I passed it almost daily in my first year of university, and since I moved back to the city recently, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try the place out. 

I always wondered if the food truly lived up to the signs displayed out front. Hanging outside on the beige brick wall is a poster that reads “2019/2020 Yelp Top 55 Restaurants.” Another poster says “Do you know what is the best katsu in Canada?” Well, that’s what I went to find out on a cold and dreary Wednesday afternoon. That may be the reason why the restaurant wasn’t exactly buzzing with customers that day, but a few food couriers came and went during the 15 minutes I was there. It’s no surprise that Katsuya actually has a total of 10 locations across Ontario and British Columbia cities.

I walked up the brick stairs after entering the building and found a discreet door at the top. It led me into a warm setting, with a small walkway lined with benches and exposed brick. There are lightbulbs hanging from the walls and ceilings, attached to thick pieces of rope — a detail I love but rarely see in restaurants. The kitchen could be seen from every corner, giving a rustic yet comfortable feel to the eatery. 

The greeter that assisted me was very kind and patient while I was admiring the space. After examining the takeout menu, I settled on the sweet chili pork katsu. I have a soft spot for anything sweet chili and was really hoping the research I did into Katsuya’s food wouldn’t let me down on this dish.

A swift 10 minutes passed, and the hostess waved me over to hand me my sweet chili pork katsu. After I basically speed-walked back to my apartment, I ripped open the bag and found two takeout food bowls, along with a longer, rectangular, bento-like plastic container. 

Inside of the bowls were miso soup and the sweet chili sauce. There was a decent-sized portion of pork in the bento box, along with a small amount of rice and side vegetables. There was also a small container holding soup broth in the big container, but I actually saved the miso soup for last and dove right into the pork katsu. Before pouring the sauce on the meat, I dragged the end of my chopsticks across the top to rate the crispiness. Unfortunately, it was not as crispy as I had hoped it would be — but it definitely had some texture to it.

A top view of the pork katsu meal, minus the bowls of miso soup and chili sauce. (Darya Soufian/CanCulture)

I drizzled the sweet chili sauce all over the katsu and dug in. Although the crunch factor wasn’t fully there for me, the pork was certainly tender and moist. I liked how the coating on the pork didn’t make me feel heavy. With deep-fried food, I also can’t stand when there are pools of oil at the bottom of my plate — and there definitely weren’t any with this one. 

I was also looking forward to the sweet chili sauce because it has the sweet and spicy factor that I’m always searching for. It ended up missing the “chilli” for me, so if I visited again, I would definitely try something else marked as spicy. But I would definitely order this katsu again for when I want a non-spicy dish. 

I cleaned the rice and pork off my plate pretty quickly, then followed it up with the side veggies and miso soup. I tried the yellow pickled radishes without the portion of ginger included and quite liked them. Had I tried them earlier, I would’ve eaten them throughout the meal, but there were only two slices. The side salad was also a nice touch, although I wish there was a more generous portion of rice.

This dish is $17.25 before taxes and the total was almost $20. As a student, this is a bit pricey for me so I would only go here again for a special occasion, but I wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to try something else when I do. I would recommend this place to a friend or family member if they were visiting for a casual dinner out. 

If I had to give Katsuya a rating out of 10 combining the service, price, quality and taste of the food, I would give it a seven point five. The quick service and fairly fulfilling food made for this to be an enjoyable experience. While I still think the pork katsu missed the mark for me and the portion sizes were a bit off, there are some other interesting items on their menu that I would try if I went again.

Tut’s: A taste of Egypt in Toronto

Their signature Egyptian sandwiches with a North American touch will have you delightfully surprised!

By: Kaden Nanji

Tut’s combos come in a handy box that mimics the style of Egyptian street food. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

This article is part of CanCulture’s food review series, where our writers explore some of the best food finds across the nation.

Take everything you think you know about sandwiches and toss it out the window, for Tut’s Egyptian Street Food will change your notion of a sandwich forever. Tut’s is open every day of the week until 12 a.m., and Fridays and Saturdays until 3 a.m., making it a great restaurant to visit for your late-night cravings. I decided to try out Tut’s for dinner after a friend recommended it to me. 

Tut’s is an Egyptian street food spot located at 567 King St. W. which specializes in different types of sandwiches that you would find in Egypt — but with a North American twist. One great example of this is the soguk (sausage) sandwich, where Tut’s takes a traditional Middle Eastern sausage and combines it with North American flavours, such as mustard, to give it a unique taste. 

Let me note here that, more than anything, Tut’s is an absolutely unique restaurant. Its interior design is stunning: one of the walls is lined with a neon board featuring Egyptian symbols, another wall has a colourful graffiti display of hieroglyphics and King Tut’s sarcophagus, and the surroundings of the stairs leading down to the bathrooms are designed to look like the inside of a tomb. Furthermore, the restaurant has a rustic design, with exposed pipes (in an aesthetically pleasant way) and a wooden ceiling.

A vibrant display of Egyptian symbols can be seen along the walls of Tut’s. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

Now, let’s take a look at the food. Tut’s specializes in sandwiches. And in order to let you know the optimal meal here, I tried four different flavours. Tut’s offers each sandwich — which are fairly small but filling — for $5. However, I recommend going with a combo: the Tut’s Combo ($12.50) contains two sandwiches, a side and a drink, or the Tut’s Plus Combo ($19.50) which contains four sandwiches, a side and a drink. Both of these combos are innovatively served in a box, which matches the restaurant’s street food theme. 

The four sandwiches that I tried were the ferakh (chicken), soguk (sausage), kofta (beef) and kebda (beef liver). I was recommended the first three dishes by the server, and I decided to be a little adventurous and try the kebda as my fourth. For my side, I chose to try the fries with dukkah – an Egyptian spice blend. The server also recommended I try the tomeyya (garlic sauce). Overall, for the value of the food and for the experience itself, the prices are not exorbitant.

From left to right: the ferakh, the soguk, the kofta, the kebda and the fries. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

Let’s start off with the ferakh, which is a combination of grilled chicken, onion and coriander, served with garlic sauce on a bun made on-site. In fact, all of the buns in the restaurant are baked in-house. The buns are light, airy and help transcend the flavours of the fillings. Overall, the ferakh sandwich was delightful; the grilled onions and coriander helped enrich the taste of the perfectly seasoned chicken. Also, the garlic sauce went along perfectly with chicken, without overpowering the taste.

The second sandwich I tried was the soguk, which is a grilled beef sausage with caramelized onions, sumac and mustard on top. The sausage was cooked well and contained hints of different Middle Eastern spices. The strong mustard balanced the taste of the sausage, while the caramelized onions provided some sweetness. However, one thing that I did not like was the sumac in the sandwich. This is a Middle Eastern spice that has a slightly acidic and fruity taste; unfortunately, I do not think that the use of sumac in the sausage was a good choice as it created a strange contrast between the flavours. Overall, the sandwich wasn’t the best, but it was far from a bad dish.

The soguk, an Egyptian beef sausage with mustard. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

The next sandwich, kofta, was my favourite. It consisted of kofta (grilled minced beef with Middle Eastern spices), pickles, parsley and tahini (a sauce made of sesame seeds). The kofta was incredibly tender and contained an abundance of aromatic spices. Moreover, the tahini and pickles helped elevate the taste of the kofta while not overpowering the overall sandwich. This dish was incredibly simple, relying on more complex spices rather than complex ingredients — which made it my favourite.

For my final sandwich, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try the kebda sandwich, which is pan-fried beef liver with green chili peppers, tahini sauce and a lime wedge. I have never tried beef liver before, and honestly, upon looking at the dish, I was a little grossed out. But I shook that thought out of my head and dug in… and boy am I glad that I tried this sandwich!

The beef liver has an earthy flavour that creates a flavourful punch in one bite when paired with the green peppers and tahini sauce, and the acidity of the lime does wonders to the dish. However, I felt that there was still something missing from the beef, so I used my culinary thinking skills and put some garlic sauce on the sandwich. This small addition to the dish helped elevate its flavour profile entirely and made it even more delicious.

However, my favourite dish probably wasn’t even the sandwiches, but the fries with dukkah. Dukkah is an Egyptian blend of spices and nuts, and it made the fries absolutely delicious and flavourful. They were even better when dipped into the garlic sauce (tomeyya), which is probably one of the best garlic sauces that I have ever had. 

In terms of recommendations, I would have to give my nod to the Tut’s Combo, as it contains just enough to satisfy your hunger without being excessive. But if you are starving, the Tut’s Plus Combo is the way to go. For the sandwiches, first of all, I would recommend the kofta (beef) as it was absolutely delicious. Secondly, I would recommend either the ferakh (chicken) or the kebda (beef liver.) If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, go with the kebda, but if you want to play it safe, the ferakh awaits. There are vegetarian options as well, which I, unfortunately, did not get to try. However, based on customer reviews, the taameyya, a fried falafel sandwich, seems like a pretty tasty option.

I like to end off all my articles with my restaurant rating scale, which contains six different categories: taste, presentation, service, ambience, price and creativity. Each of these categories will be ranked from 1 to 10 on the scale. For more details on the restaurant rating scale, check out the end of my last article, a review of Hong Shing.

  1. Taste: 8.6/10

  2. Presentation: 9/10

  3. Service: 7.5/10

  4. Ambience: 9.1/10

  5. Price: 8.1/10

  6. Creativity: 9/10

Review: Timbiebs bring me feelings of Canadian nostalgia

Justin Bieber’s collaboration with Tim Hortons is as Canadian as it gets.

By: Aru Kaul

(Ronald Chen/CanCulture)

When I found out that Timbiebs were coming out on Nov. 29, I did what any Belieber would do and walked in the snow to the nearest Tim Hortons on the day of.

For me, Tim Hortons has always been more than just a coffee shop. As someone who moved to Canada very young and had trouble adjusting to new norms, Tim Hortons was a way for me to embrace being Canadian. This was one of the things that made me so eager to try Timbiebs; and my unrequited love for Justin Bieber, of course.

In the days leading up to the Timbiebs launch, I saw creators on TikTok coming up with new names for the snack. Some of the new names are “Biebits,” “Justims” and my personal favourite – “Bieberballs,” but that’s probably just my inner 12-year-old talking.

@timhortons

Ever dream of being fed our new delicious Timbiebs by Justin Bieber? Canada and US only.

♬ original sound - Tim Hortons

As I waited in line for my turn to get the Timbiebs, I practiced the order in my head, trying out each funny name. Then, when I got to the cashier, they almost instinctively said: “You want Timbiebs right?” I was a little disappointed that I didn’t get to make the joke, but I was still excited to try them.

I always get a white hot chocolate to drink with my Timbits. I did the same for my Timbiebs, but this time, I tried one of each flavour first. The three flavours are called birthday cake waffle, chocolate white fudge, and sour cream chocolate chip, which sounded especially interesting. It might seem like sour cream and chocolate won’t go well together, but in reality, it’s the perfect blend of sweet and sour!

Just like the name suggests, birthday cake waffle was kind of like eating a cake, but smaller. The sprinkles made it even more convincing! As for chocolate white fudge, the white chocolate pieces perfectly complemented its chocolatey centre. I found that the sour cream chocolate chip tasted the best with the white hot chocolate.

The flavours were made by Bieber himself. According to a press release, Bieber worked with Tallis Voakes, the director of culinary innovations at Tim Hortons, to come up with the flavours. This made me want to try Timbiebs even more because I knew they were more than just Bieber’s name attached to them. 

The entire experience was enough to remind me of my preteen and teenage years, when I would spend all of my money on Justin Bieber merchandise. All I’m saying is, if Timbiebs had come out back then, I definitely would have spent all of my money on them — something that my present self completely wouldn’t mind. 

Hidden Gems: Great Fountain Fast Food

As part of his Hidden Gems journey, CanCulture's multimedia editor Ronald Chen explores Great Fountain Fast Food, a Hong Kong restaurant in the heart of Scarborough, Ont.

By: Ronald Chen

Great Fountain is a family-owned restaurant located in a hidden food court in the Dynasty Centre food court on 8 Glen Watford Dr. They offer a wide range of food items from traditional Hong Kong dishes and fusion Chinese-Western style cuisines at affordable prices. With an accumulated total of over 7,000 followers across social platforms, they post daily content of food, promotions, and food reviews.

As a Chinese Canadian, Great Fountain provided good home comfort food that felt very nostalgic to me. In this video, I travelled to Great Fountain to try out their food and got the opportunity to interview the owner’s daughter, Anna Peng.

Hong Shing: A late-night staple in Toronto

Since 1997, Hong Shing has been a leading go-to spot for Torontonians looking for a Chinese meal, well into the night. 

By: Kaden Nanji

Hong Shing lies at the corner of Dundas Street West and Centre Avenue in Toronto. (Courtesy of Minh Truong)

This article is part of CanCulture’s food review series, where our writers explore some of the best food finds across the nation.

Do you ever get super hungry late at night when virtually every restaurant is already closed? Well, I was stuck in this particular predicament a few weeks ago. I skipped lunch and dinner due to a busy schedule and was completely famished. I wanted to eat somewhere nice, not just a fast food place, but nothing was open at the time. 

“Go to Hong Shing,” my roommate told me as I briefed him on my situation. My roommate swears by this place; he talks about Hong Shing nearly every day. Usually I ignore his ramblings about this restaurant, but at that time, I could eat just about anything. I gathered up a few of my friends and decided to try out this restaurant — and this is the part where Hong Shing became my new late-night staple.

Opened in 1997, Hong Shing is a Chinese restaurant located at 195 Dundas St. W., which specializes in Chinese “family style” and comfort dishes. When I first entered Hong Shing, I noticed that the interior has an appealing dark-themed design with a particularly scattered spatial concept, creating a small and intimate dining experience. Another diner who sat at the table next to mine described the decor as being “rustic with an urban punch.” Along the walls are patterned wooden art designs and a chalkboard with some common phrases in Cantonese, which alludes to the restaurant’s origins.

Hong Shing’s crispy beef. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

As soon as we sat down, we were met with great service, particularly by hosts Anna and Ranger, who made it their priority for us to have an enjoyable dining experience. Anna helped us pick the best items off the menu and provided us with her earnest opinion, something that I thought is quite rare in restaurants. I decided to order the crispy beef after it was recommended to me by Anna. My friends ordered the spicy chili chicken, garlic beef, fried chili squid and sweet and sour pork. 

Ranger remarked that in order to have been open for nearly 25 years, through ups and downs, “the restaurant must be doing something right.” And he was absolutely correct, as the food was absolutely delicious. My crispy beef was delectable; the great flavour and sweetness of the sauce with the pieces of beef, along with a side of rice, was extremely pleasant. The aromatic fragrance that escaped the dish made me salivate as soon as the food was brought out, and after I tried the first bite, I could not stop eating. My friends were met with equal satisfaction from their dishes.

If you’re planning to visit after reading this, I would have to recommend my dish, the crispy beef, as well as the garlic beef, which was also absolutely delicious. Crispy garlic flakes alongside the tender, juicy meat in the garlic beef made this dish one of the highlights of the evening. Both of these dishes were mouthwatering and I cannot wait to have some more the next time I visit.

Hong Shing’s garlic beef. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

The only issue that I have, which is quite understandable from the restaurant’s perspective, was the overall price. As a university student, I find it difficult to afford expensive meals; the total cost of my crispy beef came to around $20. Although this is a little on the pricey side, I felt that the quantity and quality of the crispy beef helped balance the costliness of the restaurant.

Finally, I would like to end off with my restaurant rating scale. Ever since I was younger, whenever my family would go out to eat, we would rate different aspects of the restaurant and dining experience from 1 to 10. These different categories are taste, presentation, service, ambience, price and creativity. They are quite self-explanatory, except creativity, which represents the steps that a restaurant takes to distinguish itself from another restaurant that may have a similar dish — does the restaurant stand out? All of these categories would be measured while considering the overall price of the dish.

  1. Taste: 8.7/10

  2. Presentation: 7.3/10

  3. Service: 9.2/10

  4. Ambience: 8.8/10

  5. Price: 7/10

  6. Creativity: 8/10

What do Canadians consider their national dish?

CanCulture asked Canadians on social media to vote for the food that best represents Canada from 10 strong contenders.

By: Kaitlyn Stock

(Cedric Fauntleroy/Pexels)

Due to Canada being an incredibly diverse and multicultural country, it may be difficult for Canadians to think of a food that screams Canada. Could it be sweet old butter tarts and Nanaimo bars? What about our infamous ketchup chips? And how could we ever forget salmon jerky or muktuk, both treasures from Canadian seas?

In a poll CanCulture conducted on social media, 55 Canadians were given 10 examples of popular Canadian food and we asked them to select the one that they thought most represented Canada. Take a guess of your own, see the top five results below and let us know how you would have voted!

4. In a tie for fourth place, with 7.4 per cent of votes each, we have peameal bacon and Timbits!

A plate of cooked peameal bacon. (mhaithaca/Creative Commons)

Peameal bacon, also known as “Canadian bacon” to Americans, was originally made by William Davies, a ham and bacon curer from Toronto. If you are not vegetarian, you may know that it is made from pork loin instead of pork belly like typical bacon, and is then rolled in cornmeal — hence its yellow crust. 

The Carousel Bakery, located inside St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, is famous for its peameal bacon sandwiches. As peameal bacon is hard to find outside of Canada, Torontonians should seize their chance to visit this hotspot and learn about a food created in their city.

A box of Timbits. (Conor Samuels/Unsplash)

If you are Canadian, you will definitely understand the hype around these tasty little cakes from Tim Hortons known as Timbits. Timbits are bite-sized versions of the chain’s doughnuts and are a good treat to bring to meetings, gatherings and parties. 

Timbits were first introduced at Tim Hortons in 1976, 12 years after its first restaurant opened. The most popular flavours are birthday cake, old-fashioned glazed, chocolate glazed, old-fashioned plain and honey dip.

3. In third place: beaver tails (and not the animal part…)

Embed from Getty Images

9.3 per cent of participants chose this sweet treat as the peak Canadian food. The beaver tail is a fried dough pastry that is pulled to resemble the tail of a beaver. It is then topped with anything from Nutella to cinnamon sugar. 

Beaver tails were first sold in the late 1970s at a Killaloe, Ont. community fair, by Pam and Grant Hooker. In 1980, the first BeaverTails stand was opened at the ByWard Market in Ottawa and is still there today!

2. In second place for what Canadians think of when they hear “Canadian food” is maple syrup!

A bottle of Canadian maple syrup. (Nadine Primeau/Unsplash)

25.9 per cent of participants chose maple syrup, also known as “liquid gold,” as their top Canadian food. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, maple syrup first came from “Indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands, including the Abenaki, Haudenosaunee and Mi’kmaq”, before European settlers discovered this treat. To get the sap out, Indigenous people tapped the trees by cutting v-shaped patterns into the bark. 

The production of maple syrup took off in the late 1700s and was collected by colonists drilling holes into maple trees and fitting them with wooden spouts. This way the sap would flow out for collection. The production of maple syrup in Canada is so huge that we produce 85 per cent of the world's maple syrup!

1. Finally, in the number one spot is, unsurprisingly, poutine!

A plate of Canada’s most popular dish, poutine. (mttsndrs/Creative Commons)

38.9 per cent of participants selected this classic dish as their pick for Canada’s top food. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, poutine first appeared in rural Quebec snack bars in the late 1950s. The pronunciation of poutine also varies throughout Canada, with Quebecers pronouncing it as “poo-tin” and those outside of Quebec pronouncing it as “poo-teen.” Not only is the pronunciation of poutine unclear but so is the founder of this dish, with several individuals claiming the credit for inventing poutine. 

It was not until the early 1990s that poutine entered popular fast-food chains, such as McDonald’s, Harvey’s and Burger King. Poutine is popular across Canada, however, it is especially liked in Quebec, its place of origin.

Canadian food Instagrams you need to follow: Eastern edition

If you live in Eastern Canada, these 22 accounts have your next meal idea covered.

By: Yanika Saluja

(Abby Grant/CanCulture)

Late-night scrolling through your Instagram explore page always leads you to some exemplary mouth-watering dishes that make you want to hop in the kitchen and get your apron on, doesn’t it? We thank food influencers and bloggers for that.

Here in Canada, being one of the largest countries in the world and a melting pot of many cultures, we have tons of phenomenal food to offer — and influencers hard at work exploring them.

In this two-part series, CanCulture is going to save you the hassle of browsing through social media to look for new recipes by introducing you to some extraordinary Canadian food accounts on Instagram. Their content will surely entice both your eyes and palate. Our first stop: the eastern provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

1. @hungry.jo

Jo is a Toronto-based food blogger interested in promoting local restaurants and food outlets. She shares appealing photos of different dishes and cuisines she fancies from the places she visits. And the best part? Jo recommends her go-to restaurants when craving something specific, so as her audience you’re always covered. If you’re a restaurant in Toronto, you can also collaborate with Jo by contacting her at @eventswithjo.

2. @diningwithchrissy

Chrissy gives exceptional recommendations for numerous food outlets in the Greater Toronto Area. Her Instagram feed is heavenly and will make you drool for sure. She focuses on different cuisines in this diverse area and is your person if you are craving divine appetizers (such as her posts of the messy wings and hot fries at Chicken Dough) and desserts (such as assorted cheesecake bites from Toronto Food Boss). 

3. @smileey.lucy

If you are looking for some homemade recipes with a touch of mother’s love, Lucy should be your go-to food influencer. Lucy shares her favourite orders from restaurants around Toronto, with honest reviews and detailed descriptions. Not only that, Lucy also unfolds her own special recipes for delicious foods and drinks that you do not want to miss out on. So, if you are looking to impress your guests with sensational dishes and eye-catching presentations, you have to check out her account on Instagram.

4. @livinglou

Louisa Clements is a Toronto-based food blogger who has countless recipes to offer, from breakfast to desserts and even mid-day snacks. She inspires beginners to be greater cooks, especially those who just started their adulthood journey and are living alone. Her website features a whole separate section for simple five-ingredient recipes. Her creations will surely give your taste buds butterflies.

5. @hungrysheepie

Based in Toronto, Cherrie exercises her photography skills and has the sophisticated palate of a food blogger to suggest drool-worthy eats, from everyday foods like burgers and pizzas to authentic specialty restaurants. She even takes care of minimizing your search for desserts by recommending tempting cakes, cookies and our favourite, milkshakes!

6. @t.foodie_blog

This eye-pleasing Instagram food blog will make you get into your car and drive to all the restaurants you were missing out on before in Toronto, Mississauga, Ont. and the Kitchener-Waterloo region. It focuses mainly on takeouts, breakfast, sushi and mouth-watering desserts. The feed itself has such a tempting look to it that you won’t be able to stop yourself from following along.

7. @markhamfoodie

Can’t decide where to go with your partner for a date night? Well, food influencer duo Bonnie and Frank got you covered. This amazing couple goes around the GTA, mainly Markham, Ont., and snaps the most delicious pictures of the foods and cuisines they try. The best part about their Instagram is that Bonnie and Frank put up story highlights of all the restaurants and cafes they visited, so it’s easier for viewers to check out the place they are planning on going to.

8. @katherinewants

This has to be one of our favourite food accounts on Instagram. Randy Feltis from Barrie, Ont. uses his magical hands to cook up the most heavenly dishes, and his fiancée Katherine Grace takes up the job of enjoying and leaving the audience to drool. They showcase their recipes through videos, with Randy voicing the instructions, making the experience as simple as it can get.

9. @maggielicious.to

A boba enthusiast and Asian food fanatic, Maggie shares her best tastes from around Toronto, focusing mainly on Chinese and other Asian cuisines. It’s like Maggie has a PhD in boba, so make sure to check out her page the next time you crave milk tea!

10. @itslivb

Liv B from Halifax reveals her vegan cooking tips and plant-based recipes for all the vegans out there who are craving for a good meal right now. You can also find Liv on YouTube, where she posts all of her wholesome recipes, including a series dedicated to homemade coffee shop-standard drinks that will greatly interest all the coffee lovers.

11. @gregsvegangourmet

Greg from Halifax, who also happens to be the husband of the previous influencer on this list — @itslivb, is an amazing vegan food blogger with equally amazing and easy-to-make recipes to offer. His aesthetic reels where he executes the recipes are a must watch — and you won’t be able to stop drooling once you do.

12. @eatingwithwinnie

If you are a parent who wants to make your child’s lunch boxes creative, or you want to add some funk to your everyday food, Winnie from Toronto is the influencer you are looking for. Her artistic talents are clearly evident on her Instagram, which may just inspire you to also decorate everything you eat. She makes her foods come to life by shaping them as adorable characters that will surely make you go “Aww.”

13. @bigspoonfull

From Indian to Indonesian food, from desserts to smoothies, Ashley from Toronto has tasted it all. Her account has impressively diverse food selections and should be your one-stop source for all kinds of cuisines. Beyond Toronto, Ashley sometimes recommends restaurants and dishes from around the world when she travels.

14. @foodiemibear

Maria, based in Toronto, is possibly one of the most aesthetic food bloggers in Canada. Her phenomenal taste in different eats and cocktails alone makes it worth following her, but it’s her photography skills that make you want to jump into the screen and pull out the dishes for real.

15. @marisasitaliankitchen

For all the Italian food lovers out there, Marisa from Montreal is your girl. You can find all of her easy-to-make Italian recipes in the form of Instagram reels, which are going to leave you stunned and rushing to the kitchen instantly.

16. @savourbyshannon

Shannon McQuaid from Prince Edward Island is a local food advocate working with @canadasfoodisland and @fallflavourspei. She has amazing recipes worthy of trying and an especially good hand at making yummy cookies for every kind of season.

17. @dansmonverre

Are you a wine enthusiast? If so, then following Patrick from Quebec is a must. He embarks on a mission to review different brands and flavours of wine. Check out his Instagram before ordering a glass on your next fine dining experience. 

18. @dibbsondining

D Dibblee from Nova Scotia offers some really amazing and delicious diet-friendly recipes among nutrition content catered mostly to women. On top of her occupation as a dietician, she is also a teacher and a writer. If you want to eat more nutritiously, make sure to give her page a visit.

19. @taste.montreal

If you are looking for the most delicious restaurants or cafes around Montreal, @taste.montreal is the Instagram for you. From juicy burgers to mouth-watering doughnut places, this colourful feed has it all.

20. @wheretoeatmontreal

Craving tacos? Burgers? Pizzas? Dessert? Good brunch places? This food Instagram is a Montrealer’s haven, so make sure you check it out — you can count on it to lead you to a delicious meal.

21. @bistronomie.mtl

We agree that this page is perfect for, as it says in their Instagram bio, “when your girlfriend can’t decide where to eat.” Based in Montreal, the informative food account follows a consistent theme with its uploads by adding post-it reviews right on the pictures.

22. @kathyjollimore

As a food stylist and owner of Side Hustle Snackbar in St. Dartmouth, N.S., Kathy Jollimore has some phenomenal dishes and recipes to share. She regularly posts the most aesthetic photos of the food and baked goods she makes.

More than eye candy: 5 Halloween decorations that double as food

Halloween food combinations to help you get in the spirit!

By: Aru Kaul

(Daisy Anderson/Pexels)

Get ready to throw the best party this Halloween with these spooky food combinations! You’ll give your guests a good scare and serve some delicious food at the same time.

1. Bloody Hot Dogs

To make this no-cook bloody treat, all you need is: 

  • Hot dogs

  • Hot dog buns

  • Ketchup 

  • A knife 

Instructions:

  1. Take the knife and cut off the top layer of the sausage on one end so that there is pink showing.

  2. Then, use the knife to make knuckle marks. 

  3. Put some ketchup in the hot dog bun and place the sausage on it. And there you have it! The perfect finger food (no pun intended).

2. Spider Pizzas

This is the perfect way for pizza lovers to get in the Halloween spirit! You seriously only need to prepare two items:

  • Mini pizzas

  • Black olives

Instructions:

  1. For the base of this creepy-crawly treat, it’s easier to buy ready-made mini pizzas, but you could definitely make your own too. 

  2. To make the spiders, cut some black olives in half, then cut the other half into thin slices. This will be the body and legs. 

  3. Assemble the olive slices in the shape of spiders on the pizza!

3. Monster Burger

This recipe is the perfect way to enjoy your burger of choice while also getting in the Halloween spirit!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Your patties of choice

  • Burger buns 

  • Cheese

  • Lettuce 

  • Green olives

  • A pair of scissors

  • Toothpicks

You can also include other ingredients if you like, but these are the main ones to make this scary sandwich! 

Instructions:

  1. The first step is to cook your patties until they’re ready and place them on the bottom burger bun, on top of the lettuce. 

  2. Then take your cheese out of its wrapper and start cutting. You’ll want to make a zigzag pattern on one end. Place it on the patty so that the zigzag hangs over the edge. 

  3. Once you’ve closed the burger with the top bun, finish by putting two toothpicks with green olives on the top — these are the monster’s eyes. 

4. Eyeball Pasta

This green, alien-like pasta is the perfect way to fill you up so you don’t eat too much candy! 

For this dish, prepare some: 

  • Pasta

  • Pesto sauce

  • Mozzarella balls

  • Black olives 

Instructions:

  1. The first step is to boil your pasta and toss it with your pesto sauce of choice. If you want to make the pasta even more green, you can add a few drops of green food colouring. 

  2. Slice some black olives and put them over the mozzarella balls — this is what you’ll top the pasta with. 

  3. Now you can enjoy. Just don’t look it in the eye!

5. Jalapeno Mummies

Now, jalapenos can be a little hard to swallow on their own for many (especially young kids), but I bet you nobody will even have their guards up when they’re looking this adorable. All you need for these mighty little guys is:

  • Jalapenos

  • Cream cheese

  • Croissant dough

  • Candy eyeballs 

Instructions:

  1. Cut each jalapeno in half and fill with cream cheese. 

  2. Cut some croissant dough into thin strips and wrap them over the jalapeno to resemble a mummy. Leave some space for the eyes. 

  3. Put them in the oven for 11 to 13 minutes and once they’ve cooled, stick on the candy eyeballs. Now you have something that will certainly spook out your guests with the spice!

5 candy recipes to try this Halloween

Because making desserts shouldn't be scarier than a horror movie

By: Ayleen Karamat

(Karolina Grabowska/Pexels)

Halloween is the best time of the year! With endless amounts of sweet treats, pumpkin patch visits and horror movies in the dark, there are so many things you can do to prepare for the spooky season. And while COVID-19 restrictions might have been relaxed across Canada this Halloween, some parents are still feeling uncertain about letting their unvaccinated or immunocompromised little ones go out trick-or-treating. But that’s no reason to miss out on all the fun, as you can learn how to create your own sweet treats for the season!

I’ll admit that I have absolutely no talent in the baking department. I mean, I'm shocked I haven’t set anything on fire yet. You would think that with my cooking abilities (self-proclaimed, obviously, but I can make a mean Thai red curry), I would have some talent for baking. No… not at all, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. This Halloween, I decided to challenge myself by making a few sweet treats and they all actually turned out pretty amazing! 

If you're worried about going out for Halloween because of COVID-19 and you want to experiment with making some sweet treats for trick-or-treaters, or perhaps with younger siblings or children who want to help you, here are some of the easy candy recipes I made. If I can make them taste decent then so can you!

1. Peanut butter fudge

An easy version of peanut butter fudge (Ayleen Karamat/CanCulture)

Growing up, fudge used to be — and still is — my favourite sweet snack. I never knew that one day I could also be making it in my kitchen. This recipe by Insanely Good is so easy to make and only requires three ingredients! Did I tell you that this is all made in the microwave in under five minutes? You couldn't ask for a simpler recipe than this! You will need:

  • 250 ml (1 cup) unsalted butter 

  • 250 ml (1 cup) peanut butter (the original recipe called for creamy peanut butter but I’m a fan of crunchy peanut butter)

  • 750 ml (3 cups) powdered sugar 

  • Water (if your dough becomes too grainy, add at your own discretion)

  • 20-cm (8-inch) square pan

  • Parchment paper

  • Microwave-safe bowl

  • Spatula

Instructions:

  1. Line your pan with parchment paper and leave enough paper to hang over the edge. This makes it easy to remove the fudge from the pan as you can lift it out!

  2. Combine the butter and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl.

  3. Place it in the microwave for one minute and stir. Do that again for another minute and mix until the mixture is completely smooth.

  4. Add in the sugar and stir. The batter should be paste-like and a little thick.

  5. Spread the batter in the lined pan. 

  6. Place another sheet of parchment paper on top of the fudge and press it down to make the top even.

  7. Place the pan in the fridge for up to two hours or even overnight. 

  8. After the mixture has cooled you can cut the fudge into small squares with a knife. Enjoy!

Before the expert fudge makers come and attack me, yes, this recipe isn’t like a normal fudge recipe. You don’t cook the mixture in a pot, but this process makes instant fudge without all the hassle of temperature, heat and time. You can even have young children help out in the process. There isn’t an open flame that you have to worry about and it significantly decreases the cooking time. If you don’t like peanut butter or have a peanut allergy, there are so many other flavours you could use instead. If you want to make chocolate fudge, this recipe also only has three ingredients and uses the microwave!

2. Dalgona (Korean sugar candy)

Squid Game-inspired dalgona candy (Alyeen Karamat/CanCulture)

With the rise of the Netflix show Squid Game, the candy featured in the show has become a worldwide sensation! According to ABC News, “a dalgona stall in Seoul says sales boosted up to eight times” because of the popularity of the show. The recipe only calls for two — yes, two — ingredients and can be made within five minutes. Unlike the show, a thriller about survival in life-threatening games, dalgona has a cute history. Street vendors in Korea sell dalgona, also known as ppopgi, which was a very popular snack in the '70s and '80s. Customers who buy the candy and can get the shape out of the centre without breaking it get another free dalgona from the vendor. Making this candy can be a fun activity for young children and fans of the show for Halloween. This recipe makes enough for one candy piece. You will need:

  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) of white granulated sugar 

  • A pinch of baking soda 

  • Ladle or small egg frying pan

  • Wooden stick (disposable is better)

  • Baking tray 

  • Butter or oil 

  • A plate (or another flat surface)

  • Cookie cutters (any shape will do but if you want to mimic the show, find cookie cutters with the shape of circles, triangles, stars and umbrellas)

  • Lollipop sticks — optional

Instructions:

  1. Coat the flat surface and pan with a little bit of butter or oil. This helps the sugar not stick and makes for easy removal.

  2. In the ladle or small pan, add the sugar. Place this over medium to low heat.

  3. When the sugar starts to melt around the edges, use your wooden stick to stir in the rest of the sugar. 

  4. Do this constantly, while making sure the sugar won’t burn on the heat. If there is smoke, take the mixture off the heat for a few seconds until it cools down. Repeat this as necessary until the mixture has no sugar clumps and is completely melted. 

  5. Remove the mixture from the heat and add a tiny bit of baking soda. This is where your mixture should expand and become foamy. Stir until the baking soda is completely dissolved and caramel in colour. 

  6. Pour the mixture onto the pan. This is where you can add the lollipop stick.

  7. Let this mixture cool for 30 seconds. Take the lightly oiled plate and press the slightly cooled mixture for five seconds into a thin disc.

  8. Immediately stamp it with a cookie cutter and let it set. Remove from the pan and use a toothpick or needle to get the shape out. Enjoy!

  9. For clean up, if you have hard sugar stuck to your materials, boil a pot of water and when it is boiling, plop your materials inside! Take them out after a few minutes and your materials should be as good as new.

You can also find countless videos on YouTube and TikTok about this viral candy that everyone seems to be making. For only two ingredients, this recipe takes a few good tries before you get the perfect candy, but once you get it right you won’t be able to stop making them!

3. Peanut butter cups

Homemade chocolate peanut butter cups (Ayleen Karamat/CanCulture)

Peanut butter cups are my vice, but homemade is really the way to go. If you are obsessed with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups like I am, challenge yourself to see if you can make them from scratch! Here is what you need for the recipe:

  • A package of milk chocolate chips 

  • 250 ml (1 cup) of peanut butter

  • Cupcake pan

  • Muffin liners 

  • Microwave-safe bowl

Instructions:

  1. Place your muffin liners in a cupcake pan.

  2. Place half of the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and melt in the microwave for two minutes.

  3. Once melted, fill the muffin cups halfway with the melted chocolate. Use a spoon to help you coat the sides of the muffin cups. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before the next step.

  4. Spoon the peanut butter into the chocolate cups, filling them about three-quarters of the way.

  5. Melt the remaining chocolate chips in the microwave and spoon them over the filling.

  6. Refrigerate for 10 to 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Instead of using milk chocolate, you can mix it up and use dark chocolate. The warm and dark taste of chocolate complements the nutty and salty flavour of peanut butter. I also tried making a strawberry jam filling and a Nutella filling by taking both fillings and adding them about three-quarters of the way into the cups, and then covering them with melted chocolate to lock it into place. This makes for great a peanut-free recipe! Here is a great resource for other fillings you can use in your cups.

4. Peanut brittle

This peanut brittle can be made in the microwave (Ayleen Karamat/CanCulture)

This recipe is something I’ve grown up with and had at every family get-together, so making it was very nostalgic. The best part of this recipe is that you can cook it all in your microwave. Here is what you need:

  • 250 ml (1 cup) white sugar

  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) light corn syrup

  • 250 ml (1 cup) peanuts (use whatever kind of nuts you want! I used 125 ml of peanuts and 125 ml of walnuts)

  • 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract 

  • 5 ml (1 tsp) butter

  • 5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda

  • Butter, cooking spray or parchment paper to coat the bowl and pan

  • Microwave-safe bowl

  • Baking pan

  • Spatula

Instructions:

  1. Add butter or cooking spray to the bowl, baking pan and spatula. When the sugar hardens it will be very hard to get out so this helps you prepare beforehand! If sugar does harden on your materials, you can always put them in a bowl of boiling water.

  2. Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a bowl. Microwave for four minutes at one-minute intervals. Be very careful, the bowl is very hot!

  3. Add in the peanuts and use your spatula to stir in the sugar mixture. 

  4. Place the bowl back into the microwave and cook it for 3.5 minutes (again, at one-minute intervals so you don’t burn anything)

  5. Take the bowl out and add the vanilla extract and butter.

  6. Microwave the mixture one last time for one minute.

  7. Remove the bowl from the microwave and add the baking soda. Keep mixing until the peanut brittle becomes orange and foamy.

  8. Take the candy out of the bowl and spread it evenly on the buttered baking pan. Try to be quick and careful because the mixture is very hot. If you take your time it will almost immediately set.

  9. Let the peanut brittle set at room temperature until it is cool to the touch.

  10. Break it into small pieces and you’re done!

This sweet and salty recipe is perfect for dinners, snacking or even gifting. I served this at my mom’s birthday and my family approved — so you know it tastes amazing!

5. Candy cookie bars

This cookie bar is a delicious use for your leftover Halloween candy (Ayleen Karamat/CanCulture)

I think out of all the recipes I tried, this one had to be my favourite. I liked the freedom I had with the chocolates I could use, and I’m also a sucker for cookie dough! Any kind of candy will do, from peanut-free options to your leftover Halloween candy. Who doesn’t love a cookie bar filled with all of your favourite sweets! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 250 ml (1 cup) white sugar

  • 250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar 

  • 250 ml (1 cup) melted butter

  • 2 eggs 

  • 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla extract

  • 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt 

  • 2 ml (1/2 tsp) baking powder 

  • 500 ml (2 cups) flour 

  • 375 ml (1.5 cups) assorted candy of your choice

  • Large bowl

  • Spatula

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F).

  2. Chop your candy of choice into bite-size pieces.

  3. Mix the two sugars and melted butter in a large bowl. Whisk until the mixture turns lighter in colour.

  4. Add in the eggs, vanilla, salt, flour and baking powder until the mixture is completely blended and smooth.

  5. Add in your candy. Make sure that everything is evenly mixed.

  6. Pour your mixture into a lightly greased pan. Smooth and place it in the oven.

  7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

This recipe allows a lot of freedom for whatever choice of candy you would like. You can even add in leftover candy from Halloween. To make the cookie bars look more colourful, add different types of chocolates. You can even add small candies like M&Ms or candy eyeballs to give them that pop of colour.

I hope some of these recipes inspire you to make something delicious for Halloween, whether it’s for yourself, your kids or for family get-togethers.

Canadian celebrity chefs take on a whole new challenge in 'Fridge Wars'

By Ruby Asgedome

Photo: fridgewars via Instagram

Fridge Wars is bringing something new to cooking television. The show, which premiered on CBC on Feb. 27, hosts two different Canadian celebrity chefs each week who compete against one another to create exceptional meals for two different families. The twist? The meals are prepared using ingredients from the fridges of these families. 

Canadian actress and host Emma Hunter goes searching for families of different cultural backgrounds every week so that the chefs are challenged in what they create. Every episode starts with Hunter visiting the homes of the families where she shows viewers what’s inside their fridge, then selects what she will bring back to the Fridge Wars studio for the chefs to cook. 

The show invites world-renowned chefs to appear, bringing their various backgrounds of cooking along with them. In the first episode, Matt Basile and Massimo Capra went head to head. Basile is known for his famous Toronto-based street food and Capra is a restaurant consultant who has been featured on many Canadian cooking shows. Both chefs come from very different cooking backgrounds which is exactly what spices things up. With the rotating and diverse roster, viewers will constantly be finding themselves cheering on their favourite chefs.

The chefs at the studio are given a mere 45 minutes to cook up the most creative recipe they can with what they are given. You may be asking yourself, how do they declare the winner? Well, that’s up to the family who provided the ingredients to decide. These chefs are expected to cook for families who they know nothing about and the most they can do is get an idea on their taste based on what’s in their fridge. What could possibly go wrong?

In the middle of the studio, a huge clock shows chefs and viewers how much time they have left. The pressure is on as the chefs scramble through a fridge with the family’s ingredients and conjure up some kind of recipe that incorporates everything. When the 45 minutes are up, each chef's meal is presented to the family. The family ranks each meal based on originality, taste and look and the marks are tallied.

Photo: fridgewars via Instagram

However, the chefs will have to wait for their scores to be revealed as a second challenge with a whole new family and set of ingredients awaits them.  The chefs are again given another 45 minutes to come up with an out of this world meal to present to this new family. But this time, the chefs are hit with a mini challenge as they prepare this meal. A ‘What the Fridge’ challenge, which changes from week to week, throws a curveball at the chefs. This challenge is a curveball for both the chefs and the viewers at home who are wondering what the challenge could be. During the premiere, the challenge was the addition of four new family members which meant that the chefs had to now prepare more food in the time they had left. 

The food is then presented to the second family and the chefs are once again scored on originality, taste and look. With all the scores added up from the first and second families, the week’s Fridge Wars champion is announced.

The show lasts about an hour but because everything happens so fast; time flies. As viewers watch, it’s very easy to learn new recipes along the way. The show also puts a great emphasis on how you can make so many different meals from your fridge items even when you think ‘there’s nothing to eat at home.’

Host Emma Hunter does a great job limiting how much she inserts herself into the show. Although she is the one who goes to the houses of the families invited on the show and picks what she wants to be used from their fridge, when the time comes, she gives the chefs space to prepare their meals. She checks in from time to time but her presence isn’t overbearing. 

Overall, Fridge Wars brings out a whole new side to cooking shows and has proven to be unique and fun to watch.

Mystic Muffin: A Jarvis jewel

Coffee, apple cake and authenticity 

By Brooke Houghton 

Mystic Muffin is your old friend. It's your high school sweetheart. It's your worn-out sweater in the left drawer of your childhood closet. Mystic Muffin is a second home, and in three years, there may no longer be a mat for you to knock off your boots, pull up a chair and order your favourite apple cake.

What we can always count on is the past — the 27 years of good food and good service the Mystic Muffin has given to Toronto. 

On the corner of Jarvis and Richmond streets, Mystic Muffin is old school, both in service and style. When you walk in, the owner Elias Makhoul yells, "Hello," at you from behind the counter. If you've been there before he’ll remember your name and your story. He'll ask about your day and listen and if you don't have money to foot the bill, he'll tell you to pay next time, even if you haven't paid from the time before. 

Mystic Muffin owner Elias Makhoul with his son in at his store in Toronto. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

Mystic Muffin owner Elias Makhoul with his son in at his store in Toronto. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

One Saturday a couple came in, the woman paused at the door and took a second look at the afternoon crowd huddled in clumps around the tables, leaning, talking and sipping. 

"It's busy today!" she said. 

Behind the counter, Elias pointed in my direction. 

"No! She's from Microsoft, she wants to buy me out! She almost changed her mind!" he said.

They laughed, handed over their change and left with a coffee and a smile.

Elias is a simple man; he doesn't own a cellphone, or drink or smoke. He bikes to work and he doesn't have cable. He's managed to shrink his business to fit the rising costs of downtown living for a business owner and a family of four. 

In the earlier days, he used to cater and deliver daily downtown with two full-time employees but now, his old catering cart has retired to the corner of his shop brimmed to the top with newspapers and him and his wife Annie Makhoul run the show alone.

Elias moved to Toronto from Lebanon when he was 21. He worked odd jobs for about three years until one day he saw a property listing in the Toronto Sun — or was it the Toronto Star — he couldn’t quite remember. 

Back then Jarvis Street wasn't the mixed cultural bag it is today with its hipster drip coffee shops, thrift stores and safe injection sites, and as it grew, Elias learned that he couldn't get away with only selling coffee and muffins. So, to compete, he started adding to what now has become a sprawling list of specials and combos stretched along with the chalkboard behind his till and onto the walls of his shop.

A slice of the world-famous apple cake at Mystic Muffin in Toronto. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

A slice of the world-famous apple cake at Mystic Muffin in Toronto. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

The Mystic Muffin is cozy. It's about the size of an average studio apartment with two circle tables in the middle and a row of tables along the far right wall. It has a counter alongside the storefront window and a window sill filled with rocks and Lego building blocks. One wall is dedicated to photos of customers from around the world wearing Mystic Muffin T-shirts. Each photo is marked in uniform with thick, black writing of the year and place. Old articles, family photos and memories are framed along the walls leaving barely an inch of paint to be seen.

In 2003 Elias ran for mayor and lost, but his love for the community and politics didn’t stop there.  Any given day you can talk to Elias about politics, or anything really, and he still cares for his community like an old friend. His regulars are encouraged to bring in their own lunches from home in return for a cookie on the house.

Ross Carter-Windgrove, who has been a regular for 18 years, and his wife Anne-Marie Carter-Windgrove stopped in for one of their semi-annual visits and in between the bites of their lunch they told me a little bit about those 18 years.

"Elias is quite a character as you know and the food is amazing. He makes it every day by himself … We come on the weekends every now and again … You know he's one of a kind,” said Ross. “I hope he always prospers and he’s always here, it would be very strange to not have him in Toronto."

An egg and cheese bagel from the Mystic Muffin menu. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

An egg and cheese bagel from the Mystic Muffin menu. (CanCulture/Brooke Houghton)

“I like the fact he was doing summer camps I mean that was just incredible … I don’t know if it was a workshop but he did something in the summer with children,” said Anne-Marie.

Ross interjected, “And he ran for mayor too once did you hear that?” He paused for a moment before continuing. “He really supports the community too. When people come in from the neighbourhood and they can’t pay, he’ll take care of them.”

Elias has two-and-a-half more years on his lease but he’d like to make it to thirty years in total. After that you might find Elias, Annie and their two children on a train somewhere in Canada seeing the country day by day. But as Elias says, it’s hard to think when you’re working 16 hours a day.

Is saving money by eating in really worth it?

By Chloe Cook

One of my biggest guilty pleasures is eating out or ordering in. Getting to eat great meals without the hassle of cooking or cleaning up — count me in! However, this luxury often comes with a hefty price tag not suitable for my feeble student budget, so I decided to make a resolution in the new year to stop wasting so much money on food that I could make at home. I did a trial week of cooking all my meals at home and compared it to a regular week of eating out. Here’s how that went:

While eating in obviously saves a lot of money in the long run, I found that there were a few challenges with doing so. Firstly, there was a serious lack of variety.

I found myself consuming so much lasagna that I never want to hear the word again — perhaps this is an indication that I need to take some cooking classes. Secondly, there was the social aspect of not being able to go to a restaurant with friends. I found myself cancelling plans in order to eat at home or inviting people over and force feeding them lasagna in an attempt to get rid of it. I think that overall, eating out is great — in moderation.

In 2020, I am going to be a lot more conscious of my spending habits and I will definitely not be eating out nearly as much as I did before. However, I won’t set such strict boundaries on going out with friends in the future. I just need to delete the UberEats app off of my phone and hopefully that will snuff out my desire to order in.

Toronto hosts second Winter Chocolate Show showcasing local and international chocolatiers, sustainable chocolate making

By Laura Dalton

The historical Enoch Turner Schoolhouse was bustling as the second annual Winter Chocolate Show commenced in Toronto.

The show concluded its second year on Feb. 1, fitting 27 local and international vendors into the cavernous schoolhouse.

The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse. (CanCulture/Laura Dalton)

The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse. (CanCulture/Laura Dalton)

This year, co-founder Paola Giavedoni expanded the event into the church adjacent to the schoolhouse to fit the vendors. The church hosted the festival’s seminars and chocolate tastings. 

Giavedoni owns The Candy Bar, a chocolate and candy store at College Street and Ossington Avenue in Toronto. Her store, which opened in 2013, features the creations from chocolatiers across Canada.

“That business started that love for chocolate … So I created these walls of chocolate and it's all these makers that I'm representing in my shop so people can buy from [chocolate makers] across Canada,” she said.

Paola Giavedoni had her own table at the show where she sold some of the chocolates featured in her shop. (CanCulture/Laura Dalton)

Paola Giavedoni had her own table at the show where she sold some of the chocolates featured in her shop. (CanCulture/Laura Dalton)

Another business owner who attended the event, Nick Davis, is a former journalist and Jamaican originally born in the United Kingdom. Davis runs One One Cacao, a chocolate company he started in 2016, based in Kingston, Jamaica. 

Davis spoke on the challenges facing cacao producers in Jamaica, saying that the nation’s 7,000 small farmers are only producing 100 tons per year of raw cacao, where there is an export potential of 3,000 tons per year.

“It's a miniscule amount,” said Davis. “If you compare back to Haiti or compared to Dominican Republic it's a drop in the ocean.”

Davis added that the Dominican Republic exports as much as 66,000 tons annually.   

Davis sources sustainable cacao and works with farmers in Jamaica in an attempt to make cultivation more prosperous for the nation. The lengthy process of producing chocolate means Davis can only make one or two batches per year, making recipe improvements a challenge.

Davis’ chocolate won a silver and a bronze award from the Academy of Chocolate in 2017. The academy was founded in Britain in 2005 with the aim to bring awareness to the significance of fine chocolate over common confectionaries, and to promote transparent sourcing of cacao.

Ariane Hansen is a co-founder of DesBarres Chocolate based in Uxbridge, ON. Like Davis, she is very conscious when sourcing the raw cacao used in her chocolate and works directly with a farmer in Jamaica. She explained that she also orders samples of cacao from fairtrade brokers in Guatemala, Belize, Tanzania, the Dominican Republic and Madagascar. 

Desbarres chocolate bars featured at the show. (CanCulture/Laura Dalton)

Desbarres chocolate bars featured at the show. (CanCulture/Laura Dalton)

Hansen said she uses the cacao samples to make a sample bar of chocolate and then decides which one is best for her chocolate. 

Originally from the Ottawa Valley, Hansen said that she started the business for fun and for the love of chocolate. Her partner Erik Hansen is the other co-founder of the chocolate show. 

Marco Mecozzi has been a chocolate maker since 2018. He is the co-founder of Tribe Chocolate based in Colborne, ON. Mecozzi sources his cacao from a supplier in Honduras, who tests the cacao for its quality. 

At the show, Mecozzi described the process of tempering, in which the chocolate is heated and then cooled — creating crystals in the cacao butter — and results in the hard and snappy texture of chocolate. 

After only two years, Toronto’s annual Winter Chocolate Show has expanded and touched the surrounding Corktown community. After only a few hours into the show, The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse was brimming with eager customers pining to find original and local chocolate.

The inspiration behind Toronto's fusion restaurants

By Pooja Rambaran

In 2016, Toronto was named the most multicultural city in the world by BBC Radio, and there's no doubt why that still holds true. The city boasts of over 250 ethnicities and 170 languages, with roughly half of the population identifying as a visible minority (in particular Asian, Black, Arab or Latin American), according to Toronto Global.  

But Toronto's growing multicultural population goes beyond just the demographics, bleeding into the city’s culture and lifestyle. Over the years, Toronto has become a stomping ground for food innovators and food lovers alike and these unique cultures and perspectives have contributed to the city’s melting pot of a food scene, allowing it to become quite the hub for fusion cuisine. 

Here’s a look into the inspiration behind one of Toronto’s biggest food trends: fusion restaurants. 

Hungary Thai

Pad thai and schnitzel? Not a very common combination, but a tried and true personal favourite of many who visit Hungary Thai. 

Hungary Thai's entrance sign. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Hungary Thai's entrance sign. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Cozy and quaint, Hungary Thai sits in the midst of the bustling Kensington Market. 

About 20 years ago, Marianne Kecskeméti and her partner started Hungary Thai. With Kecskeméti handling the Hungarian dishes and her partner handling the Thai dishes, each represented their personal cultures. 

“Originally, we just wanted Thai food and Hungarian food separately, but then everyone else wanted fusion so we started the fusion too,” Kecskeméti said. 

Now partnerless, Kecskeméti sits in the vibrant restaurant and recalls starting the fusion of the two cuisines some three years ago. 

The bar at Hungary Thai. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

The bar at Hungary Thai. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Kecskeméti explained that fusion restaurants are rising in popularity because these unique combinations cannot be found anywhere else. The novelty of the cuisine brings back customers. 

“If it’s good,” she added with a smile. 

The Haam

A quick hop over to Entertainment District lands you at the trendy Japanese-Mexican restaurant, The Haam. 

With exposed brick on one side, modern light fixtures and the bright fluorescent sign that gives you a little extra boost of confidence, The Haam brings two very distinctive flavours together.

Fluorescent sign at The Haam. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Fluorescent sign at The Haam. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Tristan Kwon came to Toronto from Korea 10 years ago and started working at a Japanese izakaya, a casual Japanese pub.

In 2014, he moved on to work at the Mexican restaurants Playa Cabana Hacienda and Playa Cabana Barrio Coreano before he was hired as head chef at The Haam. 

“I combined these two cuisines because they are what I learned from my experience in Canada and I also like their food and culture,” Kwon said. 

Camaron/Shrimp Tacos comprised of chilli shrimp, mozzarella, guac, onion, garlic mayo and queso fresco. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Camaron/Shrimp Tacos comprised of chilli shrimp, mozzarella, guac, onion, garlic mayo and queso fresco. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Kwon believes each of the cuisines could individually appeal to a western palette, but the combination is born from all of his knowledge, skills and experience. Moreover, he wanted to express creativity and showcase a new style.  

“When I create new dishes, the most important parts are their identity and character of the dishes. The taste and look of the dishes have to be something new and familiar at the same time,” Kwon said. 

Samba made with yam tempura, avocado, guacamole, tortilla chips and chipotle mayo. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Samba made with yam tempura, avocado, guacamole, tortilla chips and chipotle mayo. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Kwon has learned that it is better to consider what he would enjoy if he was the customer. 

He expressed that Canada itself is multicultural and people enjoy experiencing a variety of cuisines as they are generally open-minded and respectful of the creativity. 

Mother Tongue

Only a short walk away from The Haam takes you to Mother Tongue, an intimate hole-in-the-wall divided into two spaces with a restaurant on the top that continues into a moody cocktail lounge on the bottom floor that's open to customers from Thursday to Saturday. 

Mother Tongue's entrance sign. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Mother Tongue's entrance sign. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Mother Tongue fuses Asian cuisines like Filipino, Chinese and Japanese food with North American influences. 

Head chef Francis Bermejo was born and raised in Manila, Philippines, then moved to Toronto in 1997 at the age of 13. 

“Chinese, Japanese and American culture and cuisine had a big influence in the Philippines and I was introduced to them as a kid growing up by trying different kinds of food,” Bermejo said. 

Bermejo was familiar with and enjoyed the flavours, aromas and tastes of all the cuisines individually, but when mixed right, he loved them even more. 

"An example is our bistek tataki. The technique in tataki is Japanese but the flavour profile is Filipino," Bermejo said. 

Bistek tataki. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

Bistek tataki. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

This dish combines the tataki technique of briefly searing thinly sliced beef with the flavour profile of bistek where the beef is marinated in soy sauce and citrus juice and served with charred onions and garlic crumbs. 

When Bermejo creates a new dish, he tries to focus on one ingredient, be it a vegetable, meat or fish, and decides how he would like that ingredient to be showcased in the best way possible with some supporting components.  

General Tao Bao Buns made with fried chicken, lemon mayo and pickled onion. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

General Tao Bao Buns made with fried chicken, lemon mayo and pickled onion. (CanCulture/Pooja Rambaran)

"Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world, which I think is what makes it great when it comes to different cultures coming together and embracing each other's differences," Bermejo said. 

Chop & Wop Ristorante

Expanding beyond downtown Toronto, Chop & Wop Ristorante combines Italian and Portuguese cuisines in a fine dining experience all the way in Burlington. 

Inside of Chop & Wop Ristorante. (Courtesy of Marco Rodrigues)

Inside of Chop & Wop Ristorante. (Courtesy of Marco Rodrigues)

Owner and operator Marco Rodrigues is first-generation Portuguese and his partner Giovanni Falbo is second-generation Italian. 

“We wanted to combine them to honour both of our families, and his nonna (grandmother) and my bisavó (great-grandmother),” Rodrigues said. 

Rodrigues explained that while Italian is a very popular cuisine, Portuguese is less so.

In fact, CNN called out Portuguese cuisine’s difficulty in reaching across borders, stating it often caters mainly to Portuguese immigrants yearning for a taste of home. 

However, Rodrigues and Falbo decided to combine these two cuisines because they complimented each other very well. 

“An example would be our spin on a caprese salad by adding corn and a port reduction instead of balsamic. It is a Portuguese caprese and is our best selling salad,” Rodrigues said.

The unique combinations discussed are only a few of the many scattered around Toronto and even beyond the GTA.

“I think like anything, people are looking for unique experiences and fusion gives you that while still having some traditional favourites,” Rodrigues said. 

As Toronto continues to grow as a multicultural city, the desire for fusion restaurants will only grow with it. These unique perspectives contributing to the city continue to spark inspiration and we can only await for the introduction of even more exciting fusion cuisines and restaurants in the future.

How I embraced Toronto as my own Little Ethiopia

By Ruby Asgedome

Growing up as a first-generation Canadian-Ethiopian, I often found it challenging to connect with my roots and integrate my Ethiopian culture with the Western way of life.

As an only child, I found that a lot of my time was spent with my parents, cousins and family who tried their best to help me understand and embrace my roots. 

My parents came to Canada around 25 years ago after spending about five years in Greece. This was a time when many Ethiopians left the country in hopes to find education and a new life somewhere other than Ethiopia. It also happened to be the time when Canada was accepting many immigrants.

During my childhood, there was always Ethiopian food being cooked in the house, such as a traditional Ethiopian meal consisting of sourdough-risen flatbread known as injera. It is served with meat and vegetable stews known in the culture as wot. 

When my daycare would host their annual multicultural night, my parents would make sure that I was sent in with an abundance of Ethiopian food, some Ethiopian music and that I was dressed head to toe in a kemis — a traditional Ethiopian dress.

Although my parents loved to cook, they also loved going out with the family and enjoying a night out in the town visiting different Ethiopian restaurants. There were many Ethiopian restaurants close to where we lived. Though many of them were located downtown, The Danforth was starting to house more Ethiopian restaurants and businesses.

According to Banchi Kinde — owner of The Danforth’s oldest Ethiopian restaurant Rendez-Vous — she has taken part in petitioning the Danforth Business Improvement Area on numerous occasions to acknowledge the area as Little Ethiopia. Kinde explained that the association stated as of right now, the area doesn’t have enough Ethiopian-owned businesses to be labelled Little Ethiopia.

IMG_2312.JPG
Ethiopian businesses and restaurants on The Danforth. (CanCulture/Ruby Asgedome)

Ethiopian businesses and restaurants on The Danforth. (CanCulture/Ruby Asgedome)

Rendez-Vous opened its doors in 2001 and is one of the original places where my family and I would go to enjoy injera and coffee, or buna, as Ethiopians call it. 

It was the first restaurant I have ever truly enjoyed and embraced my culture within.

On a recent visit to the restaurant, Kinde talked to me about why she picked Toronto and that little strip of The Danforth as the location for her restaurant. 

“What makes Toronto unique and amazing is that there is a corner for everybody,” said Kinde. “There’s Greektown, Little Italy, Koreatown, you name it.” 

When she opened Rendez-Vous, her goal was for people on the east side of Toronto to have a restaurant that was close to home.

Injera and wot served at Rendez-Vous restaurant. (CanCulture/Ruby Asgedome)

Injera and wot served at Rendez-Vous restaurant. (CanCulture/Ruby Asgedome)

Rendez-Vous’ menu, featuring common Ethiopian vegetarian options. (CanCulture/Ruby Asgedome)

Rendez-Vous’ menu, featuring common Ethiopian vegetarian options. (CanCulture/Ruby Asgedome)

Emebet Asegidew, a Rendez-Vous employee, immigrated to Canada in 2015 and has been working at the restaurant ever since.  

Asegidew had to try and get familiar with Canadian culture after moving to Toronto from a different country. When she first arrived, finding Ethiopian food wasn’t hard since she lived downtown near the influx of Ethiopian restaurants. 

“Downtown Toronto had a big Ethiopian community at the time and Bloor and Ossington was where people would normally go to eat when they first came here,” said Asegidew. 

 Another staple of Ethiopian food is Mocha Café and Pastry, located right near the Danforth and Monarch Park intersection. They serve Ethiopian coffee and desserts to many Toronto residents.

Azeb Yehdego, a Mocha Café employee, came to Canada 10 years ago. She lived with her sister near Bloor and Ossington, which is where she went to enjoy all things Ethiopian. 

“Though the restaurants downtown are fun to go to, the Danforth is where most Ethiopians now spend their days and nights to get a taste of Ethiopia,” said Yehdego.

Growing up in Toronto has been a long journey of understanding myself, my family and my culture and through it all, this little strip of the Danforth has played a huge role in who I am today and how much of my culture I’ve grown to embrace.

Sipping the bubble tea: Toronto’s best spots

By Ashley Alagurajah

Calling all bubble tea lovers! Toronto is one of the most diverse places in the world. That means getting to enjoy delicacies from all over the globe in this evolving Canadian city.

Bubble tea, a drink straight from Taiwan, finds its popularity in the city due to the increasing number of cultures making their way to Canada, one of the largest groups being those of Asian heritage. Bubble tea has stolen the hearts of many, both those from Taiwan and those who aren’t.

It is a drink usually served cold that consists of tea and milk of various flavours – topped with most commonly tapioca pearls. There are countless variations of the drink, some made with purely tea, others topped with custard and aloe vera. No matter what your preference is, the infinite combinations will allow for you to find a drink just right for you.

With the growing number of shops popping up in the city, CanCulture did some digging to find out where the best bubble tea is served in downtown Toronto. For now, Real Fruit Bubble Tea, Chatime, CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice, and Bubble Republic Tea House go neck and neck to see who does the original - black milk tea with tapioca - best.

Boxcar Social: The taste of coffee from around the world

By Akanksha Dhingra

(CanCulture/Akanksha Dhingra)

(CanCulture/Akanksha Dhingra)

A sunny day, a small cafe, and a variety to pick from. Nothing sounds better than a day out on the streets of Toronto and a chance to taste coffee flavours from around the world, without having to travel.

Boxcar Social’s Summerhill location is a two-storey cafe with glass windows, natural light and unique infrastructure. White walls, artistic decor and red bricks can be the background of your next Instagram picture.

Boxcar Social in Summerhill, Toronto has unique infrastructure and a warm vibe. (CanCulture/Akanksha Dhingra)

Boxcar Social in Summerhill, Toronto has unique infrastructure and a warm vibe. (CanCulture/Akanksha Dhingra)

Be it the coffee beans from Africa and South America farms or the coffee roasters of Oregon and Scandinavia, it is all accessible to Torontonians now thanks to the new and interesting initiatives put together by the Boxcar Social team. They say you can see the world through coffee, and now customers can come see for themselves.

Prior to now, tasting coffees from Burgundy, France and Tanzania was nearly an impossibility for me. Along with the welcoming staff, the calm, comforting atmosphere one experiences when entering the cafe is something you would not want to miss.

The story behind the bean

One of the many different coffee flavours served and tested at Boxcar Social. (CanCulture/Akanksha Dhingra)

One of the many different coffee flavours served and tested at Boxcar Social. (CanCulture/Akanksha Dhingra)

“We are a multi-roaster coffee house and our aim is to not stick on specific coffee flavours,” said Niall Curran, a professional coffee taster and host of the tasting.

The multi-roaster cafe is a concept in which the shop purchases and sells beans from various roasters instead of making their own product.

Niall Curran at the tasting event. (CanCulture/Akanksha Dhingra)

Niall Curran at the tasting event. (CanCulture/Akanksha Dhingra)

The cafe works with different roasteries that are located in different parts of the world. Not only do they serve coffee, wines and scotch, but they also focus on narrating the hidden stories behind the coffee beans.

“My job is to taste different coffees and approve them for the cafe,” explained Curran.

Boxcar Social does not rely on one bean but instead has an evolving coffee profile. Every week, new coffee samples come in that could potentially be served in the cafe’s ever-changing menu.

“We are really interested in why it tastes the way it tastes, and we get that flexibility by being a multi-roaster,” said Curran.

According to Curran, the cafe’s main goal is to bring together interesting flavours that taste good.

“It is a really fun way to operate this coffee shop, we bring the best wines and coffees of the places one cannot always travel,” he said.

You can tell how much focus the cafe puts on coffee, wine and craft beers as the Boxcar team hosts a free coffee cupping event every Saturday, which is often crowded.

The coffee cupping event is a thirty-minute process of grinding, smelling and mixing the beans. It gives customers the chance to grind coffee beans themselves,  taste every coffee and decide their favourite.

Curran is a great host and storyteller who explained the story behind the bean and the country it belongs too. It would make you wonder about the coffees you drank before without knowing how the beans got to your cup.

Curran expertly guides customers throughout the coffee-grinding process and you can expect to go back home with some newly learnt coffee tasting methods. If you are a caffeine lover, this is your next go-to spot.