British Columbia
Nanaimo bars: three layers, no bake.
Nanaimo Bar
The Nanaimo bar — a three-layer no-bake square of cocoa-graham base, custard cream and chocolate top — is British Columbia's namesake sweet.
View page →British Columbia is Canada's Pacific coast, home to Vancouver, and its food differs sharply from the eastern provinces — more Asian, more new. Vancouver is one of North America's most Chinese cities, and Cantonese and Japanese influences run deep in its streets: the California roll is a local Japanese-Canadian chef's invention, and the Japadog wraps teriyaki-style sausage in a bun as a Vancouver street icon. Wild Pacific salmon — smoked, grilled or in chowder — remains an Indigenous and regional staple. The most famous sweet is the Nanaimo bar, a three-layer no-bake square of cocoa-graham base, custard cream and chocolate top, named for the Vancouver Island city and spread across Canada since the 1950s. Mountains, ocean and Asian immigration together shape this western kitchen.
The Palate
Start Here
Three-layer no-bake square: cocoa base, custard cream, chocolate top.
Why start here · British Columbia's namesake sweet.
A sushi roll of BBQ salmon skin, a Vancouver Japanese-Canadian invention.
Why start here · Pacific-Asian fusion at its origin.
Teriyaki-style sausage in a bun, a Vancouver street-food icon.
Why start here · The city's late-night signature.
The Pantry
See all 21 ingredients›
Proteins
Vegetables
Grains & Staples
Dairy & Fats
Sauces & Condiments
How They Cook
Techniques that define this cuisine
Other regions
Siblings within Canadian — each its own tradition.