Courtesy of Revel Cider
Even though I was born and raised in England, “Food Me” was very much made in Canada. After I stumbled into the kitchen in 2014, I somehow became a chef, a restaurateur, and the curator of an award-winning pop-up dinner series in my adopted home in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. My culinary curiosity sparked a national edible adventure, hunting for the best pantry finds from province to province. What started as a fun way for me to build a connection to the land (and ace my citizenship test) quickly transformed into a hobby.
But what to buy if you’re only visiting and want to take a specific taste of Canada home? Here are the über-delicious souvenirs that are definitely worth the valuable space in your suitcase.
British Columbia
Kelp seasoning
Naas Foods (Tofino, Vancouver Island)
Naas Foods crafts umami-rich dried kelp seasonings using regenerative aquatic resources. The Indigenous-led team hand-harvests bull kelp in the Clayoquot Sound. Try a fat pinch of Classic Kelp Flakes to finish chocolate brownies (trust me).
How to take it home: Pop into the retail shop (630A Campbell Street), open daily.
No room in your suitcase? Get it shipped to your door via naasfoods.com.
Fish sauce
Old Habits Fermentation Company (Port Alberni, Vancouver Island)
Each bottle of Old Habits fish sauce contains wild-caught West Coast seafood, Pacific sea salt, and a boatload of fermenty magic. When the company launched in 2024, owner Nathan Gawalko went the extra mile by releasing a range of nerdy and nuanced barrel-aged products.
How to take it home: Pick up a bottle from Finest at Sea in Victoria.
No room in your suitcase? Make room. The company (which will ship to your address in Canada if you give them time) does not currently ship to the U.S.
Apéritif Cascadia
Esquimalt Vermouth & Apéritifs (Nanaimo, Vancouver Island)
Even though Esquimalt’s rosso and dry vermouths have shone on the world stage, its Apéritif Cascadia remains an ode to the company’s home province. Crafted with only foraged botanicals from the forests and meadows of coastal British Columbia, each botanical — from bitter Sitka alder to thimbleberry leaves to sea asparagus for ocean funk — is cold-steeped individually in a fortified mead base to extract flavor.
How to take it home: Pop into the Warehouse Bottle Shop (3091 Jingle Pot Road) in Nanaimo, or find it at one of these liquor stores in British Columbia.
No room in your suitcase? Only Bitters ships some Esquimalt products worldwide.
Alberta
Cheesy Wheezy Hot Sauce
Lessig Ferments (Edmonton)
Edmonton chef Roger Letourneau’s playful riff on spicy cheese combines organic milk from the prairies with lactic fermentation techniques.
How to take it home: Find Lessig products across Edmonton, including at Meuwly’s, Good Goods, and The Butchery by RGE RD.
No room in your suitcase? Hey, it’s only a 5-ounce bottle of hot sauce. You’ve got room.
Wild mushrooms
Untamed Feast Mushrooms (St. Albert)
Pro foragers Eric and Michelle Whitehead of Untamed Feast feature the best that Mother Nature has to offer. Their Alder Smoked Chanterelles are expertly fire-dried and wine cask–aged.
How to take it home: Look for Untamed Feast at Sunterra Market and Sunnyside Natural Market in Calgary. (See more Canadian stockists here.)
No room in your suitcase? Order online at untamedfeast.com.
Saskatchewan
Bison jerky
One Arrow First Nation (Bellevue)
Wanuskewin Heritage Park in Saskatoon is a natural sanctuary where the land echoes with the stories of its First Peoples for more than 6,000 years. Check out One Arrow First Nation’s tasty BBQ or Teriyaki Bison Jerky made with local bison.
How to take it home: Purchase it from the Wanuskewin Collective, a nonprofit gift shop that reinvests earnings into the park, as well as other organizations involved in survivors of residential schools and the families of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Pro tip: Plan your trip to coincide with Wanuskewin’s Han Wi Dinner series in July.
No room in your suitcase? Order online at wanuskewingiftshop.com.
Manitoba
Raw soft-set honey
Wendell Estate (Roblin)
Wendell Estate is the gold standard for beekeeping. The result? A striking white, naturally soft-set honey with floral aromas and a slightly tart flavor profile, which works for both sweet and savory applications. It’s raw, unheated, and oh so buttery.
How to take it home: Find it at Farmer’s Son Co. in Winnipeg as well as The Mercantile in Toronto and Co-op stores across Western Canada.
No room in your suitcase? Order online at wendellestate.ca.
Ontario
Cider
Revel Cider (Guelph)
Revel owner Tariq Ahmed crafts a delicious taste of place using local and foraged fruits, funky botanicals, natural fermentations, and zero residual sugar. Soif is a must-try; it’s aged with lush cherries, strawberries, and Maréchal Foch grape skins.
How to take it home: The tasting room at 62 Dawson Road is open five days a week.
No room in your suitcase? Don’t worry: Revel’s online bottle shop ships U.S.-wide. The cidery has teamed up with Urban Wines & Spirits to fulfill orders south of the border.
Farm-crafted nonalcoholic cider
Heartwood Farm & Cidery (Erin)
Heartwood Farm’s small-batch apple cider captures the nature of its 42-acre regenerative farm by tapping into the naturally sweet and tart characteristics of the fruit without sweeteners or preservatives.
How to take it home: Pop into the farm for a patio tasting (open from the last weekend in May). Grab cans at The Big Carrot Community Market and select Whole Foods and Sobeys across Ontario.
No room in your suitcase? They don’t ship to the U.S., but what’s a can or two in a checked bag?
Mustard
Kozlik’s Canadian Mustard (Toronto)
Kozlik’s small-batch mustard has been a beloved Toronto pantry staple since 1948. Each handmade product starts with top-notch mustard seeds sourced from their own backyard. The Triple Crunch texture bomb features Canadian whiskey and Ontario honey.
How to take it home: Kozlik’s has a storefront stall in the renowned St. Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto, where you can see and taste the whole selection.
No room in your suitcase? Order online at kozliks.com.
Quebec
Food-inspired cards and art prints
Paper & Rice Co. (Montreal)
Vivian Yu is the Cantonese-Toishanese Canadian illustrator behind Paper & Rice Co. Her playful visuals spark nostalgia and encourage people to get curious about East and Southeast Asian food cultures.
How to take it home: Find Paper & Rice Co. at Asiasie and the Montreal Makers Market throughout the year. (It’s also stocked at Chinatown Wonders, the Chinese Canadian Museum, and Eight Treasures in Vancouver.)
No room in your suitcase? Paper & Rice Co. ships internationally. Shop the full collection at paperandriceco.com.
Sparkling wines
Les Pervenches (Farnham)
Winemakers Véronique Hupin and Michael Marler of Les Pervenches are pioneers of biodynamic viticulture in Quebec. Stock up on their crushable tiny-lot, low-intervention wines, especially Bonbonbulles, whenever possible.
How to take it home: This year marks the couple’s 25th anniversary at the winery. Check out their latest releases and pop-up tasting room openings at lespervenches.com. You can also pick up a bottle from Fromagerie Hamel and Pascal le Boucher in Montreal.
No room in your suitcase? Make room for a bottle and check that bag!
Hot Honey Sauce
Miels d’Anicet (Ferme-Neuve)
This artisanal hot sauce features a fiery and aromatic base of habanero chile and carrot, balanced beautifully with summer honey from Miels d’Anicet’s beehives. The finished product is so fricking tasty that you’ll find an excuse to use it on everything.
How to take it home: Their dreamy boutique (111 Rang 2 Gravel, Ferme-Neuve) is open daily except Sunday. Alternatively, find a Quebec-based retailer using the store locator.
No room in your suitcase? Signé Local’s online store will ship to the U.S.
Spices Gift Box
A Spice Affair (Montreal)
Ayman Saifi is a fourth-generation Palestinian spice merchant transforming pantries globally with A Spice Affair. With his family’s za’atar blend up for grabs, plus Canadian staples like Montreal Steak Seasoning and Everything Ketchup, it might be time for that refresh.
How to take it home: A Spice Affair is stocked at select IGA and Loblaws stores across Canada.
No room in your suitcase? Free U.S. shipping is available via aspiceaffair.com with a $50 minimum spend.
New Brunswick
Barrel-aged maple syrup
Wabanaki Maple (Tobique First Nation)
This female- and Indigenous-led business produces barrel-aged maple syrups using generational cultural practices passed down by the Wabanaki Confederacy (Mi’kmaq, Penobscot, Wolastoqiyik, Abenaki, and Passamaquoddy Peoples). While the whiskey barrel–aged version offers hints of caramel, vanilla, and a gentle smokiness to its flavor profile, the toasted-oak product lends honeyed vibes.
How to take it home: Wabanaki Maple is available at stockists across Canada. See wabanakimaple.com for where to buy.
No room in your suitcase? Shop online here for delivery to 48 states for $30 shipping.
Nova Scotia
Sparkling wine
Benjamin Bridge (Wolfville)
Benjamin Bridge’s deep commitment to its coastal terroir is evident in its Nova 7 (a blend of Muscat, l’Acadie, Vidal, Frontenac Blanc, and Ortega). With floral undertones and lime and lychee on the forefront, it’s easy to understand why this low-alcohol sparkler is such a cult favorite.
How to take it home: Head to the winery nestled in the Gaspereau Valley for a tour and tasting.
No room in your suitcase? Grab a carry-on bottle or two at the Halifax Stanfield Airport Duty Free and Liquid Assets.
Blueberry jam
Tangled Garden (Grand Pré)
Nova Scotia is teeming with wild blueberries galore. Homegrown lemon verbena from Tangled Garden’s beautiful property is hand-plucked and mixed with antioxidant-loaded super berries, sugar, and a lemon liqueur glow-up.
How to take it home: Visit the on-site farm shop. Better yet, stroll the garden or book an idyllic garden picnic experience before heading to the shop.
No room in your suitcase? U.S. shipping is available from tangledgarden.ca.
Prince Edward Island
Cheddar cheese
Cows Creamery (Charlottetown)
Cows Creamery has been a Prince Edward Island institution since 1983. Pick up some award-winning Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar made from raw cow’s milk from surrounding farms. The full-bodied cheese is fruity, nutty, and a wee bit tangy.
How to take it home: Visit one of Cows Creamery’s six PEI locations.
No room in your suitcase? Cows has a U.S. distributor, so that’s the best bet.
Hot sauce
Maritime Madness (Charlottetown)
Founded in 2002, family-run Maritime Madness has since grown to a portfolio of 40-plus hot sauces and counting. Their smoky Bacon Blaze and nostalgia-tickling Mustard Pickle Hot Sauce with habaneros are both must-haves.
How to take it home: Visit the flagship store at the Founders’ Food Hall & Market, open daily.
No room in your suitcase? Head to maritimemadness.com, order $49 worth of stuff, and shipping stateside is free.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Finishing sea salt
Newfoundland Salt Company (Bonavista)
Experience Canada’s pristine waters from coast to coast. While West Coast finishing salts tend to be milder and more delicate, the crystals hand-harvested in Bonavista by Newfoundland Salt Company have a crisp, clean, and briny profile. (Matty Matheson is also a huge fan of this crunchy salt!)
How to take it home: Swing by the Salt Shop at 45 Church Street (reopening this spring).
No room in your suitcase? Newfoundland Salt Company offers $25 flat-rate shipping to the U.S.
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