A golden-brown turkey cooked to perfection — and stuffing of course — is likely to be found at most Thanksgiving tables in Canada this long weekend.
However, what it's served with will differ by province and territory.
According to an analysis done by Chef's Pencil using Google Trends data, the most popular Thanksgiving side dish in Manitoba is mashed potatoes. Other fans of the fluffy, creamy goodness are Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nunavut.
Chef's Pencil looked at Google search data from Thanksgiving 2020, from Oct. 8 to 12, "the five days when the typical Thanksgiving food frenzy is highest."
For comparison, brussels sprouts (roasted or with ham) are the top dish in B.C., Alberta and Yukon, while scalloped potatoes are a fave in Newfoundland and Labrador. Butternut squash (soup or roasted), meanwhile, can be found at dinner tables in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Northwest Territories.
What's Manitoba's favourite Thanksgiving sauce?
Technically, sauces are a side dish; however, Chef's Pencil decided to report on them separately.
Between gravy and cranberry sauce, gravy is the clear winner. The only province not on the gravy train is Newfoundland and Labrador. They really love their cranberry sauce.
What's Manitoba's favourite Thanksgiving dessert?
No surprise here. Pumpkin pie is the dessert of choice for Manitobans. Actually, for most Canadians.
The eastern part of the country prefers their apples. New Brunswick and P.E.I. residents serve apple crisp to guests while Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec put out an apple pie (hopefully, with a side of French vanilla ice cream).
Gobble, gobble. Happy Thanksgiving!
