Ceramic teapot ornated with a beaver, a city and leaves.

More British than you think

In New France, the British strongly influenced local eating and cooking habits, even more so than the French and the Aboriginal nations.

People adopted English tea, with sugar, biscuits and pastries, and made desserts such as poor man’s pudding, a type of British pudding to which maple syrup was added. The potato became an important staple with the arrival of the Irish in the 19th century, and cheese makers started producing cheddar.

The British also changed the structure of the daily meals. Breakfast became a more elaborate affair with eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, hash browns, bread and oatmeal. In New France, lunch, which was the most important meal of the day, became lighter and often included soups and sandwiches. In the British colony, dinner was a richer family meal eaten around 5 p.m.…All habits that seem very familiar today!

Illustration titled Desserts pour les fêtes (Desserts for Holidays). Desserts
Milkman's sign. Milkman's sign
Ceramic marinade jar. Marinades
Molson beer bottles (circa 1925). Molson beer
Photograph of Leclerc biscuit factory. Biscuits
Dinnerware decorated with Québec landscapes. Ceramic