This Australian And Canadian Are Comparing What They Eat For Different Meals And It's Super Insightful

For starters, there's the whole chips vs. fries debate.

Hi! I'm Isha from BuzzFeed Australia — and this is my friend Isabella, who works in BuzzFeed Canada.

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We've been chatting away about cultural differences between Australia and Canada — and the one topic that we really got stuck into was food.

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*Cue Isha asking Isabella if Canadians actually buy their milk in bags.*

With neither of us having visited each other's respective home countries, we decided to put our brains together and show the rest of the world what Australian and Canadian food looks like.

1. This is one of the most popular chocolate bars you'll find in Australia:

Flickr: Andy Melton / Via Flickr: trekkyandy, Flickr: Garrett Coakley / Via Flickr: garrettc

As the name suggests, Cherry Ripe consists of cherries and coconut covered with dark chocolate. It's as heavenly as it sounds — and I don't think there's anything else quite like it anywhere else in the world. Bonus fact: Cherry Ripe was first manufactured in 1924, making it one of Australia's oldest chocolate bars. Kinda warms my heart that Aussies still love it after all this time.

2. And this is the Canadian equivalent:

Instagram: @insta_routine.canada

Beloved by young and old alike, the iconic Coffee Crisp is just that — a crispy alternating wafer chocolate bar with coffee-flavoured insides. It's like having a cup of coffee, but without actually having a cup. Or coffee. It's 10/10 and is even available as ice cream. 

3. This is one of Australia's most iconic fried foods:

Instagram: @nannymoopoo

This, my friend, is a Chiko Roll. What's in it? Cabbage, barley and a couple of other ingredients that are then encased in pastry and deep-fried to crispy perfection. Chiko Rolls were designed to be eaten on the go (hence the shape and paper holder)  and were even inspired by the humble, but delicious spring roll (Australians love riffing off Asian foods and adding our own twist — look up dim sim!). 

4. And if you're craving fried food in Canada, here's what you can expect to find:

Instagram: @rosepr

These are BeaverTails, and as the name suggests — they're made from actual beaver tails. JK JK! These delicious slabs of fried dough come in about a million flavours, and can be topped with just about a million different types of condiments. Crumbled Oreos, Nutella, banana slices, cinnamon sugar...even hot dogs. 

5. The best way to eat hot chips in Australia is by covering them with this magic ingredient:

Instagram: @hautechippies

Okay, so first off — yes, we call them chips in Australia. Chips is an umbrella term, really — we call potato chips, chips, and we call these bad boys (*gestures at the picture above*) chips as well. It's not confusing to us. Moving on, we like to douse hot chips with chicken salt, which is this flavour bomb ingredient that transforms it from good, to absolutely freakin' delicious. Like honestly, the best thing about being Australian is going to your local fish and chip shop to get some of these.

6. And in Canada, we cover our fries (yes, FRIES), in a delicious concoction that makes poutine:

Instagram: @audrey_qc

I don't believe Canada has a national dish, but if it did — it'd certainly be poutine. French fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy, poutine is about as deliciously Canadian as you can get. Originating from Quebec, poutine was actually mocked for many years, and even used to stigmatise Quebec society. But now, it's a celebration of Québécois culture and you can find it all over the world. Oui oui! 

7. This is Australia's take on the classic pizza:

Instagram: @cheese_pizza_enthusiast

The rumours are true — Australians bloody love Vegemite and we like to combine it with other foods for, well, fun I guess. We've had Vegemite chocolate in the past, but now it's time for Vegemite pizza to take the spotlight. While it may look, uh, unsavoury, I can vouch for it because Vegemite and cheese together is mouth-wateringly delicious. 

8. And this is "pizza", but done the Canadian way:

Instagram: @bostonfoodbae

Did you know sushi pizza is a uniquely Canadian creation? Japanese inspired, the "crust" of sushi pizza is made with fried rice and the toppings are typically spicy mayo, robiko, salmon sashimi, green onion and avocado. We can thank Kaoru Ohsada for inventing this absolutely stunning, delicious pizza. 

9. This is Australia's favourite comfort food:

Flickr: Patrick Quinn-Graham / Via Flickr: pftqg

As you may or may not have gathered, Australians love to put their own spin on other culture's cuisines. It's because Australia itself is really diverse and multicultural — we're often described as a ~melting pot~ of cultures. Now, this is a chicken parmigiana — I know, I know, it exists in other places around the world, but it's also a huge staple of Australian pub food. We call it parmi (or parmy, depending on which state you're from) and serve up breaded chicken breast with tomato sauce, melted cheese, chips and salad. You can even get versions with ham, bacon or pineapple added.

10. And if you want some TLC done the Canadian way, this is how you do it:

Instagram: @kraftdinnerca

Did you know Canadians eat more KD than any other nation? Out of seven million boxes sold weekly throughout the world, Canadians buy 1.7 million of them. Sure, a lot of those boxes are bought by me, but who's counting? 

11. This is what Australians think of when you say pie:

Isha Bassi / BuzzFeed

There's nothing that screams Australian culture more than chowing down on a meat pie — especially if it's one you've purchased from the servo. Yes, they're simple, but there's just something about that flaky pastry and saucy filling that gets the job done. Most Aussies prefer tomato sauce on their pies, but I am a BBQ sauce fiend.

12. And here's what comes to mind in Canada:

Instagram: @duchessbakeshop

Another French-Canadian treat, the Tourtière is a spiced meat pie that's eaten during the holidays. I've never tried one but who knows — inspired by this post, this might be my first year! 

13. This is peak Australian drunk food:

Instagram: @hikebabbh

This looks like a hot mess — and that's because it is one, but it's also the best damn thing to have after a couple too many bevvies at the pub. It's called a halal snack pack (or HSP for short) and it's basically doner kebab meat topped with hot chips and a variety of sauces (chilli, garlic and BBQ are the go-tos — otherwise known as the "holy trinity" of sauces). I can't even describe how fucking good these are. Isabella, you're just going to have to come to Australia and join me for a night out.

14. And here's what you would be eating after a night of drinking in Canada:

Instagram: @kingofdonair

If you're an East Coaster, you've definitely spent maaaany a wavy late night mowing down on a donair. Legend goes, the donair was invented in the 1970s by Peter Gamoulakos, who first started out by selling Greek gyros. Over time, he swapped lamb for beef, and created a sweet sauce to go with it. This Nova Scotian treasure can now be found all over Canada — and thank goodness for that. 

15. This is a beloved sweet treat in Australia:

Instagram: @2cooksinthekitchencatering

Rocky road may be an ice cream flavour in other parts of the world, but here in Australia it's this incredibly delicious chocolate slab filled with marshmallows, nuts, glace cherries and coconut. It's crunchy, it's sweet, it's Willy Wonka-esque — and you definitely need to try the Darrell Lea version, which is a fave amongst Australians.

16. And here's Canada's favourite sweet treat:

Instagram: @buttertarttour

I'm sure some comments will say this entry should be a Nanaimo Bar, but butter tarts are really where it's at. There's even an annual Butter Tart Festival to celebrate!

17. This is how Australians like to drink their coffee:

Flickr: Duncan C / Via Flickr: duncan

Australia is home to the best coffee in the world, so it makes sense that we're huge coffee snobs. We were lucky enough to have a huge influx of Italian and other European immigration that happened post-World War II, who brought along their love for the bean juice, as well as their know-how and espresso machines. Fast forward to the invention of the flat white in Australia, which is made with espresso and hot steamed milk, but doesn't have as much foam as a cappuccino. 

18. And here's how Canadians like to have their cup of bean juice:

Instagram: @justinbieber

Bieber knows that the only way to drink coffee in Canada is a Double Double from Tim Hortons. It's essentially just drip coffee with two sugars and two cream, and while it's not fancy — it's perfect for long drives to the cottage, running errands and keeping yourself awake while studying. 

19. This is a beverage you can only find in Australia:

Flickr: Like_the_grand_canyon / Via Flickr: like_the_grand_canyon

You know, I went my entire life believing that this drink was available everywhere — but no, it's Australian and the rest of ya'll are MISSING OUT. Like the name suggests, this drink is made up of lemonade, lime juice and Angostura bitters. It's non-alcoholic, but you can use it as a mixer (my go-to drink at the club is vodka lemon, lime and bitters!). Taste-wise? It's sweet, kinda tangy, but mostly just really refreshing. 

20. And here's one that is unique to Canada:

Instagram: @freddy.foodie

Does this look like a Bloody Mary? Sure. Is it one? NO! But also...um kinda! This is a Caesar, our Canadian response to Mary. It's pretty much the same thing (vodka, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce), except we use tomato juice and clam broth as the base. These personally don't really tickle me, but many a Canadian can be seen sipping these on a Sunday morning as a hungover cure. 

21. This is every Australian's go-to chip flavour:

Instagram: @foodie.julie

You'll either think Australians are geniuses or hella weird for turning honey soy chicken into a chip flavour. Either way, let me be the first to tell you that these freakin' rock. They've got a sweet-savoury taste that, more often that not, ends up with you finishing the entire bag when you told yourself you were only going to have a couple of chips. 

22. And this what Canadians like to reach for when eating chips:

Instagram: @thatchipfluencer

Oh, ketchup chips! While they're certainly polarising, they are such a nostalgic Canadian staple. To me, they taste like an after-school snack you'd munch on while watching cartoons (getting ketchup dust all over the TV remote, couch, carpet, school uniform etc, of course). 

23. This is an iconic alcoholic drink in Australia:

boozemate.com.au

Goon — aka boxed wine — is an Australian classic. It tastes like pure and utter shit (hence mixing it with OJ to mask the flavour notes of cheap wine), but it was budget-friendly — which is the only thing that matters when you're a teenager who has just turned 18 and can legally drink. 

24. And lastly, Canadians be sippin' on:

Instagram: @westside_studio

Molson Canadian, Coors Light, Labatt Blue, Moosehead — I would be remiss to not add these Canadian beers to the alcohol portion of this cultural rundown! These are the beers we all grew up tossing to our dads as they watched Hockey Night in Canada. And while the scene is now all about snazzy craft beers, there is something comforting about these super dive-y brews. 

What are your thoughts on Australian and Canadian food?