I live for these 13 Canadian snacks that I can't find in the USA

Hickory Sticks

Hickory Sticks might be one of Canada's most underrated snacks. They're basically tiny potato sticks covered in smoky hickory seasoning, and once you start eating them, grabbing them individually becomes completely pointless. Just accept that you'll pour half the bag straight into your mouth, and they will be decimated in under 60 seconds, leaving you with that empty "I just finished all my snacks" feeling.

Purdys Dipped Ice Cream Bar

I don't know if this technically qualifies as a snack, but it definitely falls under the sweet-treat category, and I have to include it because, no lie, I had a sudden, visceral craving for a Purdys Dipped Ice Cream Bar last night.

I remember discovering the dipped ice cream bar in the summer of 2009. My order was double-dipped in white chocolate with sprinkles — and, news flash, it still is.

Last night, I settled for a McDonald's vanilla cone. I actually considered going to the store, buying white chocolate, and melting it down for a DIY dip.

Smarties

This one gets confusing in the U.S. because American Smarties are basically what Canadians call Rockets. Canadian Smarties are the little candy-coated chocolates that I grew up eating (obviously, saving all the red ones for last). Smarties actually don't taste good at all.

They taste like a kid's rock-climbing birthday party, but sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered.

Island Bites/Bars

Fun fact! I didn't know they didn't have Island Bites in the U.S. — until my American friend went to Canada and sent me a pic and said, "Are these good? I've never seen them!"

They are good. Sweet, chewy, coconutty and dangerously easy to eat an entire bag of without realizing it. Kind of like the dollar store Bounty Bar.

Marshmallow cones

These are pure childhood nostalgia. And are exactly what they sound like. Marshmallows in the shape of tiny ice cream cones, which sounds objectively ridiculous, but that's also why they're so good. I won't lie, I don't think about these all the time — but the other day, when I saw a pack of tiny ice cream cones at Trader Joe's, suddenly I needed one of those little plastic 'shmallows.

Oh Henry!

Oh Henry! is actually my brother's favourite chocolate bar, and when he came to visit me in L.A., he had a meltdown at the candy selection. PayDays? W.T.F is this?

Peanuts, caramel, fudge and chocolate — there's a lot going on, but it's the cholesterol booster we need this time of year.

Hawkins Cheezies

If you've only ever had Cheetos, Hawkins Cheezies are an entirely different experience. They're crunchier, saltier, cheesier and honestly a little aggressive — in the best possible way. They're also proudly Canadian and have been around forever, so eating them feels almost patriotic.

Coffee Crisp

There are fancier chocolate bars, but Coffee Crisp is one of those things that just tastes like Canada to me. The crispy wafers, coffee-flavoured filling and chocolate coating are somehow light enough that I can convince myself I haven't really eaten a chocolate bar. This logic is obviously flawed, but I'm sticking with it.

Ketchup chips

I know ketchup chips are the Canadian-snack cliché, but there's a reason they always make these lists. They're sweet, salty, tangy, vaguely tomato-y and leave your fingers bright red, which is apparently part of the experience. I don't eat them constantly when I'm in Canada, but after enough time in the U.S., seeing a bag feels like coming home.

I also think the U.S. should come out with some mustard chip competitor, but that's just me.

Kinder Surprise

Yes, Americans have Kinder Joy, but I refuse to accept it as the same thing. Part of the Kinder Surprise experience is cracking open a hollow chocolate egg and discovering the tiny plastic toy inside. They're such a staple of Canadian childhood that I still get excited when I see that familiar packaging.

Caramilk

Caramilk is incredibly simple: little squares of Cadbury milk chocolate filled with gooey caramel. But sometimes simple is exactly what you want. This is another chocolate bar I never thought I'd miss until I moved to the U.S. and realized it wasn't just sitting there at every convenience store.

This was an absolute favourite snack of mine growing up. It was the first one I'd always dig for in the mixed candy bowl at parties.

Crispy Crunch

Crispy Crunch is one I didn't get into until my palate refined as an adult. Suddenly, I could appreciate the complex flavours: crunchy honeycomb covered in Cadbury chocolate.

There really isn't anything else quite like it. The texture is half the appeal—though you'll probably spend the next hour getting little pieces of honeycomb out of your teeth. That's the price of sophistication.

Ruffles All Dressed

These are the one and only. We all know it.

When I'm going savoury? I'm going Ruffles All Dressed. I always get a few bags at duty-free before I head back to the U.S.

They're salty, smoky, tangy, a little sweet and basically taste like someone dumped every chip flavour into one bag and somehow got it exactly right. You can occasionally find all-dressed chips in the U.S., but it's not the same. These are the ones I stock up on.