These Top 5 Foods (and Drinks) Are A Must-Try in Northern Ontario

If you’re in the local Northern Ontario market for some fresh and tasty finds, here are some you need to look for (and hopefully even get a free taste when you found one).

1. Spruce Beer

This drink can be taken like a natural soda or an alcoholic beverage. It’s a one-of-a-kind drink not easily spotted on supermarket shelves. Nevertheless, its alcoholic variant can be done with the help of an 18th-century British Army recipe.

2. Spruce Tips

These tips emerging from spruce branches are packed with Vitamin C and are surprisingly delicious even when eaten raw. Spruce tips are also applicable in most Canadian kitchen recipes, which are usually garnished on roast vegetable dishes or spring salads. All you need to remember is that you must pick them from mature trees and not pick them all from one tree.

3. Birch Syrup

This rarely found birch syrup is a unique and tasty add-on to your pancakes or ice creams. It has a richer and stronger taste that makes it pairable with roast vegetables as its marinade or an alternative syrup to pancakes.

4. Pickerel (Walleye)

This freshwater fish is perfect for frying, grilling, or baking and is usually served in Canadian restaurants as walleye, although it isn’t technically correct.

5. Chaga

Chaga mushrooms are usually sold as a powder and can be mixed with your daily smoothie or afternoon tea. It is packed with antioxidants and immuno-supporters plus its earthy flavor makes it an excellent condiment to your morning coffee too.