Canadian food Instagrams you need to follow: Western and Northern edition

15 food Instagrammers that you need to check out if you live in Western or Northern Canada!

By: Ruby Asgedome

(Abby Grant/CanCulture)

At some point, we have all found ourselves stalking food influencers for quick, easy and fun recipes — especially since spending the last two years cooking from home has impacted the food creativity of many Canadians. 

If you live on the west or north sides of the country,  you might already be familiar with these 15 influencers below. They post daily unique food content that is guaranteed to make your mouth water and inspire you to try making your own versions. In case you’re following us from an eastern province, be sure to head over to the first part of this series!

1. @deannawoo – Vancouver

If you love Asian food, you need to check out Deanna! She spends her time trying out new food spots across Vancouver and includes reviews in her Instagram posts and TikTok videos. She also doesn’t limit her posts to just food; followers are able to find drink reviews and ideas across her page as well. 

2, @9jafoodie – Saskatchewan

Created by Ronke Edoho, this Saskatchewan-based account showcases Nigerian recipes that you can make in the comfort of your own kitchen. Edoho’s videos walk followers through the creation of a number of Nigerian delicacies. If you love anything and everything with spice, you need to check her out.

3. @busybakerblog – Winnipeg

If you’re looking for healthy, easy recipes and some tasty desserts, Chrissie’s got you covered. From simple soups to pumpkin oat bread, she walks you through the easy steps to make these fun and tasty creations. As the seasons change, so does @busybakerblog and the featured recipes. 

4. @foodbymaria – Calgary

If you’re a vegetarian or love vegetarian food, head to Maria’s page, filled with mouthwatering food. She links all her recipes in her bio so that followers are able to recreate their own (hopefully) just as tasty versions. Be sure to check out this Calgary-based chef. 

5. @vancouverfoodie – Vancouver

If food is your love language like @vancouverfoodie’s Emma, you need to hit that follow button. The Vancouver-based foodie fills her page with heavenly Asian food and restaurants. From late-night pho spots across Vancouver to the best halo-halo and happy hour offers in the city, Emma’s got your back with the best recommendations for a night out!

6. @yukon_foodie – Whitehorse

If you ever find yourself in Whitehorse and looking for the best food spots, Heather Roach has all the drops on the best food across the city. Her account includes images of select menu items from a restaurant, their prices, flavour, service and any special touches. Even if you don’t have a trip planned to Yukon anytime soon, it doesn’t hurt to check out this aesthetically pleasing page.

7. @heyhangryhippo – Kelowna, B.C.

Whether you’re looking for breakfast foods, lunch ideas or even fun desserts, you can find awesome recommendations here. Kenny’s food Instagram is surely going to have you drooling! Every post looks amazing and will have you making the ride to Kelowna to try all of the amazing food spots that Kenny highlights. 

8. @peppersandpennies – Manitoba 

If you’re looking to whip up some quick meals on a budget, pay @peppersandpennies a visit. This proud Manitoban showers her followers with easy breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas. Cheap, quick and healthy— the ultimate trifecta. 

9. @foodkarmablog – Calgary 

Vancouver-turned-Calgary foodie Carmen showcases a range of cuisines bursting with flavour. The page includes photos of tacos, rice bowls, brown butter chocolate and Skor cookies, just to name a few. Carmen includes the restaurants’ location tags in her posts, along with fun reviews that help you know exactly what you can expect when you visit.

10. @wpgeats – Winnipeg

This couple has got you covered on all the amazing food spots across Winnipeg. Their page features the two of them trying sushi, burgers, pasta and more around the city. They also always make sure to include a breakdown of what they’re eating and where followers can find the food spots!

11. @lindork – Edmonton

This fun food blogger can be found running around Edmonton, tasting delicious foods and giving her followers the plug for free or discounted yums. Linda of @lindork is also on YouTube with a series where she tries different food each week and gives a fun and quick review. 

12. @tiffy.cooks – Vancouver

TikTok-famous @tiffy.cooks is based in Vancouver. Her verified page features an assortment of juicy Asian cuisine — and don’t worry, she’s got your back with all the recipes linked in her bio! So if you’re looking for some inspiration and don’t want to eat out, check out her account and cook some delicious food following her detailed instructions!

13. @miss_foodie – Calgary

If you ever find yourself in Calgary and don’t know where to eat, check out Patricia’s page to find anything and everything you need to know about restaurants in the city — especially if you love desserts! From a mouthwatering crème brûlée danish to a loaded stuffed-crust pizza, Patricia knows good food.

14. @manitobarestaurants – Manitoba

If you’re ever visiting Manitoba but aren’t sure where to visit for a bite, @manitobarestaurants has got you covered! This is the ultimate Instagram directory for all of Manitoba’s yummiest restaurants. On their page, you’ll find images of chicken and waffles, burgers and so much more from a range of restaurants across the province!

15. @sask.eats – Saskatchewan

@sask.eats is the go-to page for all of the local restaurants that Saskatchewan has to offer. It features photos of mouth-watering meals from a variety of local spots — including breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

What Distinguishes Canada’s West Coast Cuisine?

By Isabelle Kirkwood

(Tourism Vancouver)

(Tourism Vancouver)

I think Ontarians often feel cocooned by their province’s vast population in comparison to the rest of Canada. However, as a Vancouverite and avid West Coast Best Coast flag-bearer, I’d like to take a bit of time to bring light to a distinguished yet often overlooked subculture of Canadian cuisine. This neck of the woods has crafted a distinctive chow in a corner of the world where you don’t need to worry about the temperature, where the great Pacific meets the coastal temperate rainforests of beautiful British Columbia.

Our food scene isn’t too dissimilar to that of Ontario, as Chef Makoto Ono of Pidgin restaurant in Vancouver says, “There’s no east vs. west, there are no egos. It’s the only way to make Canadian cuisine happen.”

Now, mind you, that’s a very pacifist, Canadian response to the frank question: “Who does it best, east or west?” And although every corner of the country has its own culinary magnum opus, I’d like to take some of your time to sample my own turf’s gastronomy. That’s right, the best eats from the saltwater hub, the city of glass, the Hollywood north, Vancouver, B.C.  

It saddens me that Vancouver is now widely known as the “No Fun City.” Besides the endless supply of ocean and wilderness at your fingertips, let it be known that we come with some pretty good grub. Also, eh hem, it doesn’t always rain. We have actually have mostly sunny days.

I’ve learned that Vancouver cuisine, although ever-evolving, comes down to three principle F’s: Fish, Freshness and Fare to Share.

1. Fish

salmon.jpg

Many of Canada’s major cities lie quite far inland, which makes fresh fish hard to come by. Vancouver lies at the mouth of some seriously lucrative wild salmon migration routes; from Chinook to Coho, to Sockeye and a medley of other subspecies. Let’s also not forget the mussels, oysters, Dungeness crab and spot prawns that are local to the area. Now, my ex-vegan conscience weighs heavy on me here, but I’d be fibbing if I didn’t say fish is a staple of West Coast Canadian cuisine.

Actually, one of the first restaurants I worked at was The Salmon House; a fine dining establishment overlooking the whole Fraser Valley all the way to Mt. Baker, serving salmon in any form you could imagine; in an omelet, a spring roll, even in a cobb salad. Give us a fillet and we’ll find a way.

Many of Vancouver’s top Michelin-star restaurants make fresh-caught fish the cornerstone of their menus. Our cuisine is also heavily-influenced by east-Asian dishes; believe me, even Tokyo doesn’t consume as much sushi as we do in Vancity. Whether you like it sashimi-style, grilled, poached or pan-fried, you’re at no shortage of fresh and delicious fish when you’re out west.

sushi-685912_960_720.jpg

2. Freshness

I think most Canadians hold the view that Vancouverites are snooty, so hopefully, I’m not indulging that stereotype too much here. West coast cuisine is without a doubt committed to organic, local and responsibly sourced ingredients. Menus will often list the farm, fishery, artisan or butcher responsible for the elements on your plate at any given eatery.

Maybe it’s because we’re surrounded by impressive mountains, lush rainforests and briny ocean, but whatever it is, we’re pretty environmentally-conscious here on the west coast. This means that we like to make sure our nosh isn’t hurting the planet. Vegetables are often grown in the Fraser Valley, seafood is accompanied by an Ocean Wise mark of sustainability and our meat is nose-to-tail. So, whether I’m humouring the health-nut sugar mommies of West Van or the hippie-vegans of the Island, I think it’s pretty fair to say that the Canadian West Coast prides itself on fresh and sustainable food.

Top Chef Canada finalist Trevor Bird is the head chef and owner of Fable  - a restaurant donned by a catchy take on the term “farm to table.” Fable makes sourcing local products and delivering great flavours in a fun and non-pretentious setting its main mission.

“I like to think ‘farm to table’ is not a trend anymore,” Bird says. “Nobody wants to go into these big chain restaurants anymore, everyone wants independent restaurants, and each of those independent restaurants has their own unique style. Nobody wants the norm.”

pexels-photo-415373.jpeg

3. Fare to Share

This has been a new and exciting discovery for me as a West Coaster, as Vancouver is often known for not really having a distinctive “culture” like Toronto and Montreal do. But to my surprise, share plates, charcuteries and tapas are slowly becoming hallmarks of Vancouver fare.

What this city does best is polished food with chill vibes. Our most upscale restaurants, such as Nightingale, owned by celebrated chef David Hawksworth, zeroes in on the combination of fresh ingredients on shared plates. Vancouver is a hub for business magnates and laissez-faire millennials alike, and you’ll find that these two worlds often collide in the laid-back yet chic dining rooms of our restaurants.

Hong Kong native Curtis Luk is chef at Vancouver’s Mission Kitsilano.

“I like the diversity of sharing,” he says. “You can have a lot of tastes without feeling the need to commit to a single plate of food, and, obviously, if you want more, you can always order more. You can try a bit of everything.”

bc.jpg

I’m proud to say that Vancouver is a pretty international city, so we borrow much of our own cuisine from those abroad by integrating the best of the nations around us into the heart of our own diverse yet budding dining culture.

There are many reasons why you need to venture out to the west coast if you haven’t already: world-class skiing, hiking, biking and surfing, the unforgettably gorgeous landscape, the coastal mountains, the wildlife. But don’t forget the delicious food while you’re here… be sure to make it a part of the journey!

This post was edited by Sukaina Jamil.