Random (and Surprising) Facts About Vancouver Cuisine

​Tomorrow kicks off the frozen festivities in Vancouver, Canada for the 2010 Olympic Winter games. We know that poutine, a French fry dish smothered with fresh cheese curds and gravy is a staple that is most popular in Quebec, but served across the entire country and that bannock (fry bread) is also a Canadian favorite, but we were hard-pressed to find any one dish unique to Vancouver.

In our research, which consisted entirely of typing in different variations of “Vancouver cuisine” into Google, we did find something pretty unexpected.

Via Wikipedia:
“The Chinese smorgasbord, although found in the U.S. and other parts of Canada, had its origins in early Gastown, Vancouver, c.1870 and came out of the practice of the many Scandinavians’ working in the woods and mills around the shantytown getting the Chinese cook to put out a steam table on a sideboard, so they could ‘load up’ and leave room on the dining table (presumably for “drink”).”

Who would have pictured Canada as the birthplace of the Chinese buffet? We’re not sure whether to love or hate them for their contribution to the culinary world, but if you truly want to get in the Olympic spirit, apparently you should hit up your local Chinese buffet.