Will it be sizzling barbecued beef ribs? A pulled pork sandwich? A clam bake on the beach? Buttermilk corn bread? Chickpea and cranberry couscous salad?
However people celebrate Food Day Canada, there’s no shortage of Canadian ingredients to give them a taste of this country.
On July 30, approximately 300 restaurants across Canada will honour their northern bounty with special all-Canadian menus that highlight our rich culinary heritage. Those who prefer to celebrate at home or the cottage can cook a scrumptious Canadian meal using time-tested family recipes or by trying something new from the www.FoodDayCanada.ca website. All celebrations will pay tribute to the Canadian farmers and food systems that deliver top-quality, safe foods to our tables.
“Canada has some of the greatest food on the planet,” said Anita Stewart, of Elora, the culinary writer and University of Guelph consultant who founded Food Day Canada and has enthusiastically developed the celebration across Canada. “If we don’t keep our farmers in business, who’s going to feed us? Who’s going to feed the world?”
Food Day Canada began in 2003 with a nation-wide barbecue to support the then-beleaguered beef industry. The next year, it expanded to include all Canadian ingredients and it has grown every year since.
In 2010, restaurants joined the celebration. This year, the number of restaurants has reached new heights, new awards have been added, and the Parks Canada National Historic Sites are participating.
“We’re proud to promote our safe, nutritious, high-quality ingredients and ready-to-eat foods to Canadians and the world,” said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. “Nationally, as well as around the globe, people are recognizing Canadian farmers for producing world-class food, and we’re hard at work bringing those products to the table.”
Studies have shown that Canadians prefer to purchase Canadian food and do so when labels clearly identify Canadian products. Also, when people around the world see a red maple leaf on a food product, they associate it strongly with Canada and describe it as safe, fresh, and natural.
Events will also take place across the country.
Stewart said the day-long celebration will start with breakfast on Signal Hill in St. John’s, led by the Sheraton’s executive chef Roary MacPherson, and end with a Dungeness crab cookout on Chesterman Beach, in Tofino, B.C., at the Wickaninnish Inn. She also has teamed up with a number of sponsors across Canada, including the University of Guelph, Canola Council of Canada, Beef Information Centre, Pulse Canada, Egg Farmers of Canada, Taste of Nova Scotia and Parks Canada.
For recipes, the latest event details, and a list of participating restaurants, visit www.FoodDayCanada.ca.
For further information about Canadian foods, plus more enticing recipes to prepare a personal celebration, visit www.eatCanadian.ca.
