Best Food in British Columbia (BC)
In this post we are dishing up the best food in British Columbia (BC). Our founder, Karen Anderson, has been writing about Canada’s food scene (especially Alberta) since 2006. But she loves BC and she spends part of each summer there.
Canada’s greatest wine region lies in the interior of this province. Known as the Okanagan Valley, this region has over 250 wineries producing world class vintages in the arid northern tip of the Sonoran desert. Fruit orchards abound here as well.
The lush rainy forests along B.C.’s west coast were home to Indigenous Peoples that had the salmon as their abundant staff of life. It allowed them to develop arts and culture that is still prevalent today. And, fisheries are still a predominant industry with albacore tuna, ling cod, halibut and several kinds of salmon all sustainable choices.
Vancouver Island is famous for its Nanaimo Bars. A large South Asian immigrant population on the lower mainland makes things like butter chicken pizza a norm. The inside-out sushi roll was invented by a Japanese-Canadian chef in Vancouver. Richmond, B.C. was, during the 2008 Olympics, voted the best place to eat Chinese food in the world. Sourdough bread bakeries dot the stops from Dawson Creek along the Alaska Highway.
It’s a big province with an even bigger plate of offerings. Read through to the end for an easy supper or lunch recipe that celebrates BC’s most famous ingredient, salmon.
Media:
Lure – Ned Bell and Valerie Howes
Vancouver Eats – Joanne Sasvari
Island Eats – Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari
Food Artisans of the Okanagan – Jennifer Cockrall-King
Food Artisans of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands – Don Genova
The Butcher, The Baker, The Wine and Cheese Maker – Jennifer Schell
Okanagan Wine Tour Guide – John Schreiner and Luke Whittal
The Deerholme Mushroom Book – Bill Jones
A Taste of Haida Gwaii – Susan Musgrave
Places and Experiences:
House of Boateng – chef Castro Boateng – Ghana meets Victoria’s local produce
38 Essential Vancouver Restaurants – Eater
Naramata Inn – chef Ned Bell’s hyper local cuisine fits perfectly in this Slow Food Citta
Sourced – Edible Okanagan Events by The Paisley Notebook’s founder, chef Aman Dosanj
Wickaninnish Inn – chef Carmen Ingham’s food and the wild Pacific Ocean as backdrop
Sooke Harbour House – Alex Watson
Hastings House – chef Marcel Kauer, Salt Spring Island
Dining in Whistler – Tourism Whistler
Beverages:
Featured Recipe: Easy BC Salmon Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch pastry-lined pie plate
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
- 2 Tablespoons grated onion
- 1 (231 gram) can BC sockeye salmon (crush the bones, save the liquid)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Spread the cheese over the bottom of the pastry, sprinkle that with the onion and arrange the flaked salmon over the onion to evenly distribute right to the edges.
- Scramble the eggs with the milk and the salmon liquid in a bowl and pour evenly over the salmon, onion and cheese mixture.
- Sprinkle the top with the basil and oregano.
- Bake at 375F for about 55 minutes or until set.
- Enjoy hot in wedges with a green salad or vegetables or both.