Canada is a large, relatively sparsely populated country with many different regions.

No dish is unique to Canada.

Most of the foods mentioned above, such as mince pudding and flipper pie, are regional rather than national.

Pumpkin pies are eaten across the country because pumpkins are easy to grow in most climates and America grows them in abundance.

In parts of Manitoba, Icelandic dishes are on restaurant menus and community cookbooks.

The humble Saskatoon berry is revered in many parts of the prairie provinces.

People use it to make pies, jams and jellies.

Natives on the British Columbia coast (and Washington state) use saltwater berries in a variety of ways.

Some residents still do this.

They are said to contain more antioxidants than blueberries.

I suppose we could be as aggressive as America and claim that "apple pie" is unique to our country, but that would be, well, stupid, because it's really a dish as international as a burger or a frankfurter.

Apple pie dates back to the 14th century in merry old England; while ground beef in Germany (or what was once Germany) originated in the 18th century.

Of course, frankfurters originated in Frankfurt.

(No, not Frankfurt.) If you come to Canada, prepare to eat many different food cultures and be thankful we have a mosaic, not a melting pot.

This way you can still have lunch at McDonald's if you can't live without junk food, have dinner at one of the best Thai, or Portuguese, Russian or Mediterranean restaurants in North America which is a piece or two away and you can enjoy whatever national dish suits you

taste.

But please don’t ask for something “only in Canada.”

In urban areas, the food really reflects the multiculturalism that is deeply ingrained in Canadian society.

The best chicken (in Portuguese) I've ever had at Romados in Montreal.

A few blocks away, Schwartz's smoked brisket is the stuff of Eastern European deli legend.

Closer to home in Toronto, you can have the best Japanese pie at Uncle Tetsu's.

This delicious butter tart is truly Canadian at its most authentic.

The famous maple syrup and mince pudding is another truly home-grown Canadian delicacy that comes to mind.