Crabapples don’t get much credit in Canadian culinary history. They grow on schoolyard edges and old farm shelterbelts, often dismissed as ornamental or too sour to bother with. Yet for more than a century, these hardy little fruits were a staple of prairie kitchens—and long before settlers planted their first orchards, Indigenous communities were already incorporating crabapples into their seasonal diets. What we see as a decorative afterthought once anchored food traditions across the Prairies

When people speak of Canadian food, it’s often in generalities—maple syrup, poutine, butter tarts. But the real story of Canadian cuisine is one of interwoven legacies. Ukrainian food, especially on the Prairies, is not just a cultural layer; it is a foundational thread in how rural communities fed themselves, celebrated, and built resilience on new soil.

When Ukrainian immigrants began arriving in Canada in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many brought more than just tools and textiles. Tucked into coat linings or sewn into satchels were precious seeds from the Old Country—reminders of the land they left behind and essential for the lives they hoped to build. Among the most prized were herbs: dill, caraway, lovage, parsley, and sorrel.

Saskatchewan’s landscape—sweeping plains, black soil, and harsh winters—offered both challenge and familiarity to Ukrainian immigrants who began arriving in the 1890s. Many came from agricultural backgrounds in Western Ukraine, regions that shared the open skies and grain-rich horizons of the Prairie provinces. The land promised opportunity but required adaptation.

Summer in Canada is a celebration of the seasons, and at the heart of this season lies the barbecue—a tradition loved by nearly every community across the country. As Canadians fire up their grills, they don’t just cook food; they also celebrate the diversity of the country’s culinary heritage.

Across Canada, grains have played a central role in shaping the country’s food culture, providing sustenance, nutrition, and economic strength for communities throughout the land. From Indigenous grains like wild rice to European grains like wheat and rye, grains have been the backbone of both daily life and celebratory feasts.

Fish is not just a food source in Canada—it is integral to the cultural, spiritual, and economic identity of many communities. Indigenous Peoples across the country have relied on fish for millennia, developing complex techniques to fish, preserve, and honour the creatures of the water. From the coastlines of the Pacific to the inland lakes of the Prairies, fish has sustained communities, shaped economies, and maintained deep spiritual connections to the land.

Poutine? Nanaimo bars? Barbecue ribs glazed with maple syrup?

Ask five Canadians what defines our national cuisine and you’ll get five different answers—and all of them will be at least partly right. That’s because food in Canada doesn’t come from a single origin or follow one thread. It’s a patchwork of memory, migration, adaptation, and survival.

Maple syrup is often taken for granted as a sweet topping for pancakes, but its roots stretch far deeper than weekend brunch. It is one of the most enduring food traditions on this land, with a history that predates the formation of Canada by millennia.

Every Canada Day, backyards across the country fill with the familiar scents of grilled meat, corn on the cob, and something sweet with strawberries or maple. The scene is familiar, but often misunderstood. What we now think of as “classic Canadian summer food” is not a product of modern convenience—it’s the result of generations of knowledge, trade, migration, and resilience.