Voyage through Winnipegger and Manitoban specialties
Winnipeg has the most storied history of all the cities in the Canadian Prairies. Indigenous groups converged at The Forks, the confluence of two rivers. Winnipeg still has the largest number of indigenous residents among Canadian cities. Then, came the voyageurs: French-Canadians that used canoes to transport fur goods. Those who stayed spawned the Métis: people of mixed indigenous and French-Canadian heritage. Their food legacy survives as a derivative of Quebec’s.
The British moved in, followed in the early 20th-century by Greek, Polish, Ukrainian, and even Icelandic settlers. Mennonites from Germany and Russia also formed a sizable minority. Unsurprisingly, foods from all these groups can be found in Winnipeg today.
With a rich history and opportunities for multicultural adaptation, it’s odd that Winnipeg has few unique dishes. The most unique dish, fatboy, was only created in the 1950s. And it’s not a particularly interesting dish either.
For the foodie tourist, the city’s culinary makeup is of modest interest. Skim the list below, skip the cuisines you’ve tried before and focus on Modern Canadian fare. I’ve listed the unique foods first.