Edible Artefacts

Sydney Fuhrman Watch our Education Coordinator make this Icelandic-Canadian dessert: Welcome back for this special edition Edible Artefacts post.  Since opening our current exhibit, Connected Heritage, we’ve learned that there is a really important edible artefact connected with Icelandic-Canadian heritage. Meet Vinarterta, a holiday cake made up of several thin shortbread-like layers with a prune […]

Sydney Fuhrman Watch our Education Coordinator make her version of this classic Canadian cocktail: In 2009 a poll was conducted that proved what Canadians have known for a long time – the Caesar is Canada’s favourite cocktail. Annually, Canadians drink more than 400 million Caesars, and we have a National Caesar Day; it’s on the

Sydney Fuhrman Watch our Education Coordinator attempt to make these Canadian favourites: In 1993, in the tiny town of Glendon, Alberta, a massive statue was built. This town, with a population of just over 400, was now the proud owner of a 27ft high, 6000lb pierogi made of fiberglass and metal. They later added a

Emma Minato As a child I recall learning about healthy eating through Canada’s Food Guide. We listened to the teacher, looked at diagrams and probably did a little assignment before moving onto our next lesson. Outside of school I didn’t give the food guide much thought until a new version came out in 2019. I

Sydney Fuhrman It’s late at night and it’s freezing. Snow is coming down in huge fluffy flakes, but you’re fine because you’re inside, wearing a thick sweater and fuzzy socks. I don’t know about you, but this makes me think of two things: first, we definitely aren’t on Vancouver Island in this scenario, and second,

Emma Minato You may be familiar with TV shows such as The Great Canadian Baking Show, Chopped and MasterChef, but food series were popular before the era of television. Between 1930 and 1955 was the Golden Age of radio in North America. During this time a large variety of programs were available including soap operas,

Sydney Fuhrman Watch our Education Coordinator attempt to make this 1920s cake: Pineapple desserts exploded in popularity in the 1920s both in the United States and Canada. Suddenly you see them in cookbooks, at picnics and in baking competitions. But why? Pineapples are a tropical fruit so why are we seeing them expand in popularity

Sydney Fuhrman The 1930s were a tough time for people around the world. Rising unemployment and the collapse of global trade hit Canada very hard. Much of Canada’s economy was based on exports. So when international trade collapsed at the beginning of the Great Depression entire Canadian industries fell apart. This hit Western Canada particularly

Sydney Fuhrman Watch our Education Coordinator attempt to make this classic West Coast dessert: As a Vancouver Island museum, we can’t have a digital exhibit on Canadian food history and not talk about the Nanaimo Bar. This triple layer, no-bake bar is a favourite of many coast-to-coast. In fact, in 2006 the National Post conducted

Emma Minato Watch our Education Coordinator try to make these tarts: When the days grow short and the holiday season approaches, the smell of fresh baking often wafts throughout homes. It is so warm and inviting compared to the cold winter weather outside. Amongst the holiday cookies, butter tarts are sure to make an appearance