When I was a kid, my most beloved stuffed animal was a beaver.

His name, naturally, was Beaver.

(OK, you can stop laughing now.)

I’ll spare you a photo of Beaver. In his aged, worn-out state, I’m afraid he resembles a naked mole rat. You’ll have to take my word that, at one time, he was loveable.

Perhaps that loveable Beaver somehow imprinted on me, so that when I grew up, I moved to Canada, where the beaver is the national animal.

And of course, after I moved to Canada, I set about getting acquainted with Canadian foods.

Which is how I found myself in Ottawa last winter, eating my first BeaverTail.

No, a BeaverTail isn’t the business end of Canada’s largest rodent. It’s a Canadian fried dough treat that gets its shape from its namesake’s tail.

What makes BeaverTails different than typical carnival fried dough is that they’re made with whole wheat flour, giving them a slightly nuttier flavor. They’re quickly fried and served sizzling hot.

You can slather your BeaverTails with all sorts of over-the-top toppings, from crumbled Oreos to chocolate hazelnut spread, but I like them in their simplest form: sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar and perhaps a squeeze of lemon.

The first BeaverTails were cooked up more than 30 years ago in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital.

The iconic place to sample a BeaverTail is while ice-skating along Ottawa’s Rideau Canal, which freezes in winter to become the world’s longest skating rink.

And one of the best times to visit Ottawa is during the annual Winterlude festival, when both residents and visitors scoff at Ottawa’s chilly weather to enjoy skating, ice-sculptures, food events, and other festivities. This year’s Winterlude fest runs from February 3-20.

I thought about nominating my beloved Beaver to be the official Winterlude mascot. But I think a BeaverTail is a more fitting, and definitely more delicious, symbol!

If you go…
In Ottawa, you can find BeaverTails at the ByWard Market and along the Rideau Canal. For a complete list of BeaverTail locations across Canada and elsewhere, click on the BeaverTail store locator.
For more information about travel to Ottawa, contact the helpful crew at Ottawa Tourism.

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Tasty Travels!

Carolyn

Blue Bottle Coffee
The garage door goes up, and the line-ups begin at this “odd but convivial coffee kiosk” on tiny Linden Street. It’s not news to Bay Area coffee geeks that some of the city’s best coffee comes from this take-out-only java joint. Even the decaf – an afterthought at many cafes – is delicious. There’s no place to sit, but you can sip your brew while browsing the nearby boutiques.
315 Linden St., 7am-6pm Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm Saturday-Sunday.

Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates
What’s even darker and richer than Blue Bottle’s excellent coffee? The “Liquid Chocolate” at this carefully crafted chocolate shop. Yes, the truffles are gorgeous, but their upscale take on hot chocolate, which you can choose with milk or water, and with several different flavors, is a serious hit of drinkable bittersweetness. I loved the mildly chili-scented “Venezuelan” version.
401 Hayes St., noon-7:30pm Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6pm Sunday-Monday.

Chantal Guillon Macarons
Now that we’re fully caffeinated, let’s stop for some sugar, shall we? I’ve been slow to hop on the macaron bandwagon, but these delicate creamy treats have changed my mind. The salted caramel is an intensely buttery, sugary, and slightly salty confection, while the chocolate is rich and delicate. Mmmm.
437A Hayes St., 11am-7pm Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6pm Sunday-Monday.

Have your own treats to share? Link to your blog post or leave a comment below.

Happy New Year, and Tasty Travels!

Carolyn

On a long-ago trip to Thailand, my favorite street food was one of the simplest—pineapple. We’d buy it from the street vendors, who sold plastic bags full of the sweetest, juiciest fruit I’d ever eaten.

But it was the addictive, and deceptively simple, dipping “powder” that kept me coming back for more. A mix of sugar, salt, and chili pepper that somehow brought out the sweetness of the pineapple. Even today, I rarely eat pineapple without mixing up some of this sweet, salty, fiery powder that sticks so smoothly to the fruit.

My family and I are moving this week, so perhaps that’s why I’ve been thinking about food that’s easy to pick up and go. And I’ve realized that some of my favorite foods are portable!

In France, it’s always a toss up between the sweet and the savory. Do I start my day with pain au chocolat?

...or pick up a crusty baguette and a wedge of oozing, ripe Camembert?

I love how so many cultures have some form of sandwich or wrap. Whether it’s tacos in Mexico...

...bahn mi in Vietnam,

... or falafel in Israel. Particularly at stands like this one, where you can add as many different kinds of vegetables as you can stuff into your pita.

I’m an adventurous eater, but I wasn’t brave enough to sample these starfish, scorpions, and other beasties from a street stall in China. Have you ever tried them?

I opted for dumplings instead. Tamer, perhaps, but still delish!

Now here’s the question: If you could eat only food-to-go for the rest of your life, what country would you choose to live in? Please leave a comment and let us know where you’d pick. Thanks!

OK, gotta go pack…

Tasty Travels!

Carolyn