In April, Field Guide to Eating in Canada debuted on Audible.ca taking listeners on a journey cross country to discover some hidden culinary gem. The new Canadian Audible Original is hosted by seasoned cookbook author Meredith Erickson (Alpine Cooking) and visits restaurants across Canada including Famiglia Baldassarre and Maha’s Egyptian Brunch. This podcast is a great way to introduce Canadians to the tastes and people behind some of Canada’s most well-loved establishments.
Whether foraging local product in Gaspésie, Quebec to creating sea salt in Salt Spring Island, B.C. to a look at Indigenous cuisine, everyone’s bound to learn something new as Erickson explores all that Canada has to offer. You’ll meet rock star chefs and family-run restaurants as well as farmers and makers and important topics faced by locals and the agriculture industry.
Current Episodes Include:
The Art of Eating in Montréal
- Montréal is unlike any other Canadian city. It’s our little slice of Europe, complete with an inspired food scene. From its beloved smoked meat sandwich to its legendary, late-night restaurants, la belle ville has something for anyone who loves to eat.
Gaspésie: The Route of the Navigators
- Gaspésie, the remote and rocky peninsula just north of New Brunswick, produces some of this country’s best seafood. It’s also home to a unique population that celebrates the land for all it has to offer, from fish to foraging.
Ottawa: Home of the Power Lunch
- Canada’s capital city has evolved into a dynamic destination, thanks, in part, to a new and daring group of restaurateurs. Ottawa is also where you’ll find some of this country’s most powerful people making deals… often over a meal.
Toronto: A City Soaked in Grappa
- You can find an Italian restaurant in just about every Canadian town, but there’s little doubt that Toronto is where you’ll find the deepest connection with Italy—and its incredible food—from biscotti to fresh pasta to grappa.
A Taste of Egypt in Toronto
- If you’re looking for authentic Egyptian food—the kind you’d get at food carts in the streets of Alexandria or Cairo—you can find it in Toronto. Maha’s and Masrawy, two restaurants run by Egyptian-Canadians, serve dishes that can transport any diner to the heart of Egypt.
SW Ontario: Where Good Seed Grows
- Southwestern Ontario boasts some of the most fertile farmland in the country: think apples, strawberries, and peaches. It’s also a place where the impact of the pandemic has been acutely felt and started important conversations about where our food comes from.
Where Is All the Indigenous Food?
- There’s one type of cuisine that isn’t widely available in Canada even though it’s this country’s first food tradition: Indigenous food. That’s starting to change, thanks to Indigenous chefs who are bringing their dishes to the mainstream. We’ll meet two of them, Shane Chartrand and Shantel Tallow.
Richmond: Just Don’t Call It China Town
- Seafood. Dim Sum. BBQ. Sichuan. Hot Pot. Cantonese. The options are endless when it comes to finding Chinese food in Richmond, British Columbia. What you’ll also find in this coastal city is an incredibly large and connected community of restaurateurs.
The Makers of Salt Spring Island, BC
- On this westernmost point of our Field Guide, we meet two island makers who take independent production to the next level. Who knew salt from the South of France or citrus fruit normally grown in the tropics could be found on Canada’s best-known Gulf Island?
Wine on the Canadian Horizon
- Canada is known for many things, but wine is not usually on that list. A new generation of Canadian winemakers is starting to change that as they experiment with old techniques in exciting—and very drinkable—new ways, from coast to coast.