We’ve got ‘foodie fever’

Quebec among top food-loving provinces: survey

Do you fancy yourself a foodie? If so, you’re in good company. A new Gusto TV — Nanos Research Foodie Nation Survey checked in with Canadians about their love of food, and 70 per cent of those surveyed confess to being foodies.

Of this legion of avid foodenthusiasts, one in four identify as having “serious culinary cred.” As for the top ‘foodie’ provinces, three regions are neck and neck: Quebec (26.5 per cent), British Columbia (26 per cent) and Ontario (25.6 per cent).

When it comes to experimenting with different dishes, recipes and restaurants, Canadians overwhelmingly have a taste for adventure.

“A pretty significant proportion of Canadians are into trying new foods. It’s pretty clear that we’re kind of experimenters on the food front,” Nikita James Nanos, chairman of Nanos Research says. In fact, 96 per cent of those surveyed appreciate new food experiences, with residents of Quebec (43.6 per cent) and Ontario (43 per cent) emerging as the most adventurous.

Another key finding: Canadians love their perogies, particularly in the Prairies (63.4 per cent) and Atlantic Canada (42.3 per cent).

“When we tested on what kind of cultural food was most representative and the closest thing to Canadian cuisine, perogies actually came out first, largely driven by Canadians living in the Prairies,” Nanos says.

The dumplings were the clear choice when it came to the “food chosen as being as much a part of Canadian cuisine as traditional dishes like poutine and tourtière,” with 39 per cent of Canadians picking them. Sushi came in second (20 per cent), followed by souvlaki and butter chicken (both at 17 per cent).

It may seem like everyone and their dog is Instagramming avocado toast and artfully plated oatmeal these days but according to the results of the survey, it just isn’t so.

Only two per cent of Canadians surveyed admitted to regularly sharing food photos on social media, while one in four say that they share shots online ‘occasionally.’

You’ll find most of those “occasional” food sharers in Atlantic Canada (28.8 per cent), followed by Quebec and B.C. (27.6 and 27.5 per cent respectively), and Ontario (22.9 per cent).

Food lovers need not fear for the future: 46.1 per cent of survey respondents aged 18-29 and 47 per cent age 30-39 regularly experiment with new edibles.

So this Canada Day, participate in a new national pastime; get out there and play with your food.

Canadians have foodie fever, according to a Canada Day survey. Our favourite cultural food is Perogies, according to survey results.

UCKYO/ FOTOLIA.COM Butter chicken, a particular favourite, is considered, along with perogies and sushi, to be an honourary Canadian dish by survey participants.