25 Foods From Canada That The US Will Never Approve Of

While they are the U.S’s closest northern neighbors, some things about Canada could not be more different than what the US are accustomed to. Take food for example. When it comes to the Canadian’s culinary tastes, they can be a far cry from apple pie. From funky fish blubber to salty clam juice in cocktails, some of these foods sound far from appealing. But if the Canadians can stomach the strange combinations and concoctions, perhaps the finicky folks to their south can stomach a mouthful.

While some of these items seem strange, Canadians are digging in and do not think there is anything wrong with chewing gum that tastes like soap or stuffing pie shells with seal meat. There is more to life than burgers and fries, after all, so perhaps variety is spicing up the lives of Canada’s most curious eaters.

Check out these interesting foods Canadians enjoy that those from The States are not quite as likely to love. And while Canadians claim that weird is wonderful, Americans would rather have another PB&J than dine on Prairie Oysters. Read on to find out what those are…

25 Flipper Pie – Filled with Flipper Dark Meat of Young Harp Seals

The chicken pot pie is an American favorite, but substitute the cluck for “yuck” and you have yourself a Flipper Pie…filled to the brim with dark meat from the flippers of young harp seals. While the other ingredients seem standard – gravy, veggies, pie crust, etc. – the idea of chowing down on flippers is enough to flip someone’s stomach. Even the biggest lovers of dark meat may not be able to wrap their heads around the idea of seal meat stewing on the stove, simmering with peas and carrots, and being served for supper. This one is unlikely to get the U.S. seal of approval.

24 Ketchup Potato Chips

Americans certainly eat their fair share of potato chips, and ketchup flows freely as a dip for fries and adds a fine flavor to any burger. But when it comes to the idea of ketchup cooked into chips, the combo turns Americans off. Plain chips or even seasonings like sour cream and onion or BBQ please their palates, but ketchup? No thanks. Even people who’d be tempted to dip their chips in the tomato-based condiment wouldn’t choose the flavor as their first choice. As for the Canadians? That just means more ketchup potato chips left for them.

23 Thrills Gum – Blow Bubbles Cuz it Tastes Like Soap

Fresh breath is important, but Americans would prefer minty-fresh than soapy-scented any day of the week. Why soap-flavored gum is a Canadian favorite is questionable, but Thrills Gum has been thrilling Canadians who love to keep their mouths busy with a flavor that sounds far from appealing. Perhaps it’s an acquired taste or something to dabble in on a dare, but spearmint and bubble gum seem like better choices than something so strange. Perhaps the purple color throws people off, but once they realize Thrills Gum isn’t grape, the soap has already set in.

22 Cretons – A Spread Made of Fatty Pork

Buttered toast or cream cheese on a bagel seem like obvious options when it comes to toppings that are tried and true. Even a layer of jam atop a crumpet or peanut butter over crackers sound appealing. But pork fat to give your bread a boost? The Canadians think it’s tasty, but Americans haven’t quite caught on. Perhaps it’s the overload of richness that makes them wretch, or the idea of smearing fatty pig meat rather than something simpler like margarine to moisten their whole wheat. That said when there’s extra fatty pork to spare, why not spread the wealth?

21 Oreilles de Crisse – Deep-Fried Pig Fat…Usually Dunked in Syrup

What goes better with deep-fried pig fat than a side order of maple syrup for dunking? That’s what makes Oreilles de Crisse a Canadian favorite, serving up crunch and calories by the bowlful. Fat’s got plenty of flavors, but when it comes to pairing savory and sweet, this dish does it to the extreme. Americans won’t find this creation on too many menus in their hometowns, but head to Canada if you want to give this unusual treat a try. Save it for a “cheat day” because this item won’t be found anywhere near a health food store.

20 Mac and Cheese w/Ketchup

Mac and cheese? Delicious. Ketchup? Also good. Put ‘em together? Well, according to Canadians, this mash-up is a home run. As for Americans? Why ruin a good thing? Creamy and smooth, mac and cheese are a comfort food that’s as good as it gets. Why douse it with cold, runny ketchup to ruin the mood? Sure, ketchup is tasty when used for dunking or drizzling over franks and fries, but pour some on an American’s bowl of mac and cheese and they’ll be scarred for life. Maybe kids would like it, but making a mess is their specialty.

19 Prairie Oysters (AKA Bull Testes)

Disclaimer: Prairie Oysters are NOT oysters. Not even close. They are not from the sea and they are not from a shell. Are you sitting down? Folks, Prairie Oysters are bull testicles. Pan fried and served up sizzling hot, this Canadian dish is for the daring. Delicious? Maybe, but for those who are willing to dig into these nuggets are more likely going for a notch off their bucket list than something to serve at their next dinner party. Then again, they do give new meaning to “having a ball.”

18 Cinnamon Bun Flavored Potato Chips

Cinnamon buns are undeniably delicious as are potato chips, but the idea of the two of them in one bite is not exactly the American dream. Canadians find the cuckoo combo to their liking, but when it comes to pairing the sticky sweet with the super salty, those in the U.S. say no way. Perhaps those who can’t get enough of the ooey gooey goodness of cinnamon buns will take ‘em any way they can get ‘em, but the true potato chip lover would rather have a plain chip than one that tastes like week-old icing.

17 Moose Heart

Eating moose is maddening enough, but rip out its heart and put it on a platter and lots of Canadians will dig right in. Often its served stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey, but even so, knowing that dinner once pumped blood through a massive moose is something even the tastiest stuffing can’t cover up. Those who enjoy finding organ meat on the menu may find moose heart delicious, although try to get a kid to try it for the first time and it will likely be the last. Suddenly liver is sounding luscious.

16 Tourtière – Ground Beef Pie

Why have apple or pumpkin pie when ground beef can go inside a pie shell all the same? Savory and substantial, ground beef pie is a Canadian specialty, chock-full of meat ‘n potatoes made to stick to your ribs. The crust is buttery, the beef crumbly, and the flavors full of homemade goodness. But Americans would rather have a pie that’s sweet than one made of meat. Cutting a slice of Tourtière seems like it would only fall apart, making a mess and ruining dinner. Perhaps a beef pie for one would be more like it, just avoid the scale ‘till you’ve compensated with salads.

15 Pickerel Cheeks (Fried Fish Cheeks)

Even a processed fish stick sounds more appetizing than Pickerel Cheeks AKA fried fish cheeks. Perhaps if the gourmet types had given this dish a different (less literal) name, Americans would be more inclined to give it a taste, but chomping on cheeks isn’t for the picky eater. For folks who think Red Lobster is the end all, be all of the seafood establishments, learning that Canadians crave fish cheeks has got to be jarring. A tin can of tuna would be a far more palatable choice for those who never knew cheeks could be pan-fried.

14 Pink Cream Soda

Americans are used to brown cream soda, lighter in color than cola and far sweeter. It’s a delicious drink that people young and old can’t get enough of, sometimes served at delis and even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to create a float. But pink cream soda? Aside from Canadians, who’s heard of it? Pink lemonade and pink grapefruit juice are well-known, even a strawberry shake is pink perfection. Otherwise, it’s Pepto-Bismol when it comes to chugging down a pink drink. Yet Canadians have one-upped the Americans in the pink beverage department, pouring pink cream soda with their suppers. Maybe when Americans tire of Coca-Cola they’ll move on to something prettier.

13 Bagged Milk

12 Poutine – Fries Smothered in Gravy and Topped w/ Cheese Curds

Apparently, Canadians do not want their fries to be exposed. Naked French fries would be unsightly, so they cover them with so much stuff that it’s unclear if the fries are even beneath all the toppings. Poutine is a wildly popular Canadian dish – French fries smothered to the max in rich brown gravy and topped with crumbly cheese curds. Served piping hot and meant for sharing, this decadent dish is considered one of Canada’s most delicious. Americans have their cheesy fries, but Poutine takes a plate of fries to the next level. Their diets can start next week.

11 Cow Chips – Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

Chocolate lovers will take their sweet confection any way they can get it…well, maybe almost any way. Because Cow Chips, chocolate covered potato chips, may turn even the biggest chocoholic off from the sweet stuff. These chips look tasty, but the pairing of rich chocolate with potatoes seems strange. Do the chips stay crisp underneath that blanket of chocolate, or do they get soggy and chewy? People want a crisp chip, not something gummy and gross. Why not enjoy chocolate when the mood strikes and a bag of chips when a craving for salt kicks in? The combo isn’t really necessary.

10 Peameal Bacon – Pork Loin Coated w/ Cornmeal

Bringing home the bacon looks a lot different for Canadians, especially if they enjoy Peameal Bacon, a cornmeal coated pork loin. Maybe the cornmeal creates a special crust Canadians can’t get enough of, but many Americans have never tasted the stuff. Sliced up and served sizzling hot, this dish is popular throughout many parts of Canada, proving pork remains “the other white meat.” Sure, Americans dish out plenty of bacon, but cornmeal isn’t usually sharing the plate. Maybe if IHOP introduces this dish on their menus, Americans will develop a taste for it. Until then, the bacon will be cornmeal-free, full of fat, and accompanying eggs at brunchtime.

9 Montreal-Style Bagels – Dense, Sweet, and Small

Bagels are a breakfast staple, big and round and often served with a “schmear” of cream cheese. Depending on where they are made, bagels look and taste radically different. New Yorkers say their bagels are the best, but Montreal is swooping in with their small bagels, beloved by Canadians far and wide. These dense bagels are petite, sweet, and trying to prove that bigger isn’t necessarily better. But will Americans buy into the Montreal-Style bagel fad? In a world of “super-sizing,” a small bagel is small potatoes. Then again, you can always eat two or three.

8 Timbits – Like Munchkins, Canadian Donut Holes

Fans of Dunkin’ Donuts not only enjoy their full-sized sweets, but they can’t get enough of their mini munchkins either. Those round balls of doughy deliciousness allow donut lovers to pop a bite in their mouths and then have another, and another. Flavors like chocolate, jelly, powdered, and cream-filled are piled high in a takeaway box and crowds go wild. Then there are Timbits, Canada’s version of the pastry. Surely they must taste great, but Americans would rather run on Dunkin’. Maybe they’re just used to what they know, but if Canadians love Timbits so much, they’ve got to be as tasty as munchkins. A blind taste test anyone?

7 Wunderbar – The Wannabe Butterfinger

As far as candy bars go, the Butterfinger is one of the most well-known and well-liked. The classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter is always a fan favorite, crisp, creamy, rich, and delicious. But Canada has something nearly identical to the Butterfinger…the Wunderbar. The same chocolate-peanut combo makes the Wunderbar a close cousin to the Butterfinger. Perhaps Americans think it’s a copycat, so they won’t give Wunderbar a shot. Then again, it’s not like the Wunderbar is sold at their local CVS or by the checkout line at the supermarket. What would Bart Simpson think?

6 Montreal Smoked Meat – Salted and Cured for a Week

For those who enjoy their meat smoky and salty, Montreal Smoked Meat is the way to go. While many Americans may have never tried the stuff, it’s likely that they’d rather stick to their turkey sandwiches than give something that has been salted and cured for a week a try. Surely this meat must be bursting with flavor, but not everyone is down for trying something new…or sort of old, in this case. While those who understand what goes into making meat special would appreciate this level of attention, lots of people prefer a basic baloney sandwich on white bread. To each his own.