As someone who moved from Canada to France, this is something I never thought I'd say, but: If there's one thing I miss about home, it's the Canadian snacks. I know, wild. But comfort food is comfort food, and when it's gone, you notice.
In an attempt to recreate some of my Canadian faves, I've asked some European pals what they recommend as alternatives. Of course, that didn't help much, since pretty much none of them knew what the heck snacks I was talking about in the first place.
That's when I realized that Canadians have an entire snack ecosystem that the rest of the world knows absolutely nothing about. And I mean, I kind of get it. Why would anyone who isn't Canadian have ever eaten a Nanaimo bar? But on the other hand… What do you mean you've never heard of butter tarts? Swedish berries? I didn't realize these classic Canadian snacks weren't universal.
So, without further ado, here are nine Canadian snacks that, after attempting to describe, have been met with a blank stare by my friends abroad.
Timbits
Oh, Tim Hortons. How I took you for granted. When you were available on every street corner, I couldn't have cared less. Now that I've been living in Europe for about a year? Well, I'm not exactly day dreaming about you every day, but I've found myself pining for an Iced Cap and a box of Timbits on recent road trips across Europe.
When I brought them up to my French friends, they didn't even know what Tim Hortons was, let alone Timbits. It's funny what you assume is universal knowledge about the place you grew up, because dang, I didn't realize Tim Hortons was as niche as it is.
Ketchup chips
It wasn't until I left Canada that I realized how strange this chip flavour truly is. Upon illuminating some European friends about our national chip, I received several looks of disapproval, and a handful of "that's so American" comments. While that's fair enough, no one can take away my love for ketchup chips.
Celebration cookies
My go-to cookie brand when I'm not interested in whipping up my own batch of cookies is, hands down, Celebration cookies. They're the perfect cookie, especially in the summer for making s'mores (you know, the ones with a solid buttery base and a slab of chocolate on top).
This particular brand might be a bit more uncommon even across Canada, but they were a household staple back when I lived in Toronto, and wow, do I ever miss 'em. As for my friends abroad? Yeah, they've never heard of them. Sigh.
Nanaimo bars
I love explaining Nanaimo bars to people who have never even heard of Nanaimo, the small city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia where this sweet Canadian treat originated.
First, you have to explain the place. Then, you have to explain that the bar contains absolutely no baking, despite looking like something that should require an oven. Finally, you have to describe its three very distinct layers: a dense, crumbly base made with chocolate, coconut and nuts, a thick, sweet custard-flavoured icing in the middle, and a smooth layer of chocolate on top. Truly divine.
Corn twists
I don't know if these are exclusively Canadian, but they're certainly another snack no one I've spoken to in France has ever heard of. I feel like corn twists (specifically from the brand Chester's) are a kind of "if you know you know" snack, because even some of my Canadian friends haven't tried them.
They're kind of like Cheetos, except they're buttery instead of cheesy, and they're smaller. They're also an in-between texture of the soft OG Cheetos and the skinny, ultra-crispy Cheetos — achieving a melt-in-your-mouth moment with a simultaneous good crunch. They're light, airy, probably horrible for you, and absolutely perfect — and yet no one I've met in Europe has ever heard of them.
Hickory Sticks
Whenever I've tried to explain what Hickory Sticks are, I'm always met with "so they're just broken chips?" and an attitude.
But they're more than that. They're harder than regular chips, which makes them keep their perfect, thin stick shape. And they have a 10/10 smoky, salty flavour that makes it impossible not to crush an entire bag in one sitting. They're kind of like if chips and fries had a freaky little baby. Admittedly, they do also have a tendency to absolutely destroy the roof of your mouth if you go too hard, which, of course, never stops me.
Jos Louis
When I think of Jos Louis, I'm immediately transported back in time, opening my lunch bag in primary school and wolfing one of these bad boys down. They're not exactly gourmet, but every time I eat one now, I'm hit with a wave of nostalgia that makes it worth it.
For those of you who don't know, it's basically two soft chocolate cakes with a creamy filling in the middle, covered in a thin chocolate shell. Explaining these abroad usually ends with, "Oh, like a Kinder Délice?" And while that's not entirely wrong, it simply isn't correct either. Jos Louis just hit different.
Butter tarts
Butter tarts have a name that really doesn't do justice to how outrageously delicious they are. "Butter tart" sounds almost plain, like something modest you'd eat beside a cup of tea, when in reality they're flaky little pastry cups filled with a rich, gooey mixture of butter, brown sugar and syrup that is equal parts sticky and melt-in-your-mouth.
While they may not technically qualify as a snack, it genuinely shocked me to discover that almost no one I met abroad had heard of them. Trying to explain them is surprisingly difficult because there isn't really an international equivalent. Flaky pastry shell, gooey sugary filling, hopefully no raisins. Perfection.
Maynards Swedish Berries
Oh, Maynards. Thank you for your service to my youth. These are one of those candies that every Canadian kid knows. For me, personally, they were my go-to movie theatre snack. Bright red, super chewy, distinctively flavoured, and impossible to stop eating. Of course they don't taste like real berries — that's not the point.
The point is, much like Jos Louis, that they taste like childhood.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.