Montreal Bagel
Some say you are not allowed to leave the city without having at least one Montreal bagel…
Bagels have an interesting history. They have been brought over to North America by Jewish immigrants from Poland, and other Eastern European countries. The difference in textures, and styles reflects the different regions they originated from (Wiki).But you probably don’t need to know all that.
What you do need to know is that Montreal bagels are smaller than their New York cousins, and hold mouth watering flavour. They are handmade, boiled in honey water, and are always baked in wooden-fired ovens. There are two original flavours: poppy seeds, and sesame seeds – sesame seeds for me!
How loved are Montreal bagels you ask? Let’s put it this way; some bakeries are open 24/7.
Montreal bagels pairs up great with everything!
Poutine
No this is not a Canadian Prime Minister (for those who saw Rick Mercer’s Talking to American 🙂 – sorry neighbours).
Poutine is originated from Quebec, and quickly been adopted as a Canadian national dish. There is nothing not to like about it: French fries covered with cheese curds topped with gravy. There are many spins on the dish with some even put foie gras on it but I think we can all agree that duck fat friend poutine is the best.
Some say poutine is also the miracle cure many been looking for after a long night of drinking!
Schwartz’s Montreal Smoked Meat
If you could knight a sandwich this would be it. Schwartz’s Deli established in 1928 has been in the same place for 80 years – don’t you love how much history and heritage Montreal has??
Look at this beauty!
The process to make the meat is special; marinated in a secret blend of fine herbs and spices for 10 days, smoked daily and no preservatives. Same receipt since the beginning. Using the same brick smoke house with 80 years worth of buildup creates irreplicable flavour. It is so smooth and pretty much just melts in your mouth, I couldn’t believe it.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is long woven into Canadian history which was first collected and used by indigenous people, and now 70% of the world’s supply comes from the province of Quebec. Maple syrup has actually a good amount of B2 vitamin, manganese, zinc, and trace amounts of amino acids. So yes it should be your go to waffle syrup instead of the synthetic sugar based substitutes. Make sure the syrup you getting is not “Maple-Flavoured” but actual 100% pure maple syrup – of course you can even find them at a duty free in the airport.
In Montreal you will find the an extensive selection of different graded high quality maple syrup, and depends on the season you can actually do day trips to the heart of maple syrup productions. There are places with accommodations that serve delicious traditional Quebecois dishes, and how can you not have maple whisky??
Cola 1642
Did you know that Canada has an amazing cola company, that is vegan, gluten free, kosher and produced in Montreal? Those who tried prefer it to the main stream brands – I sure do!
Maybe because it is made out of natural sugars, maybe because it’s made with local ingredients or because it’s made with maple syrup from the Laurentian Mountains; one thing is for sure – Cola 1642 line up has the taste of what soda pop should be. Focus on flavour, and not over powered with sugar.
After you have done the above to “eat list”, and need more ideas for what to do in Montreal. Here is how I would spend the day.