Bacon – Canada’s secret love

TORONTO – BRUSSELS AIRLINES LATEST DESTINATION

(Posted 21st April 2016)

With operations back in full swing and traffic numbers in and out of East Africa returning to pre Brussels Airport closure levels, has a recent visit to the Brussels Airlines office in Kampala shown one thing … East African travellers from Uganda and Rwanda, but also from Burundi to where Brussels Airlines continues to fly once a week, are keen on learning more about that city.
Toronto has been a popular destination all along but with spring looming and the subsequent friendlier weather, there is more to explore in the great outdoors of the city.
First will visitors from Kampala no doubt like to hear that the Sheraton Toronto has completed a 120 million US Dollar refurbishment and modernization of all public areas and all 1.372 rooms and suites of this prime city centre five star hotel. Bookings can be done via the Kampala Sheraton Hotel and Ugandan Starwood . Sheraton loyalty card holders can expect extra treats should they choose to stay at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto.
Second, has Maria Is My Name published another article related to Canada’s secret love with bacon which she suggests can be eaten not just with eggs but also drizzled over with chocolate, maple syrup and, now hold on tight to your palate, mixed with icecream.
Read on to discover these delights as part of a series of articles dedicated to Brussels Airlines newest destination which two weeks after the launch shows strong demand from across the airline’s European and African network. When reading on, discover another one of the city’s attractions for both locals and visitors, the St. Lawrence Market, where it is all about food, but also so much more like the weekly antique market, a farmers market and, well scroll down to find out what there is to know!

Maria Is My Name

Yes, it’s true. Canadians love bacon.

And why not—it’s a fatty, crispy, salty comfort food. All-in-all, it’s a food which doesn’t rate high on the list of, ‘Foods That Are Good For You.’ Still we love it, and have come up with some creative concoctions to further enjoy its tempting flavour.

We dish it out covered in chocolate, drizzled with maple syrup, sprinkled over soups and salads. Most recently I discovered it in an ice cream sundae at a local restaurant. I haven’t tried it yet, but I will. I just wasn’t in the mood for ice cream. That’s all.

Most people are familiar with the strips of bacon made from pork belly–the kind usually found on breakfast menus. But there’s another Canadian creation called, peameal bacon.

Peameal bacon is made from lean boneless pork loin, trimmed, cured and rolled in cornmeal. It is credited to having been developed in Toronto by a ham and bacon curer. Naturally, where there’s meat, there are sandwiches to be made.

One of the best places to indulge in a peameal bacon sandwich is in St. Lawrence Market in the heart of Toronto. Vendors grill slices of bacon until the centre is slightly rare and the cornmeal coating and fat turns crisp. Then the many slices of pork are layer into a soft bun. You can add toppings to your sandwich, such as lettuce, tomato, pickles and even a fried egg, if you like. I prefer mine, ‘straight’. When dealing with a perfect food, why muck it up with other things?

Arriving at the market just before lunch, my quest was for the perfect peameal bacon sandwich, a treat I hadn’t had in quite a number of years. Yes, years! So, I was determined.

There are several vendors throughout the market offering peameal bacon sandwiches, which are extremely popular with the lunchtime crowd. It’s street-food of the best taste, so lineups can be long. But, patience is a virtue, or so I’ve been told. I secured my position in the slow-moving line until, finally, I was able to place my order. It was worth waiting for.

My sandwich was exactly as I remembered – warm, soft, crispy around the edges and most of all, tasty, tasty, tasty. St. Lawrence Market and peameal bacon sandwiches go hand-in-hand. But there’s much more to the market.

Consisting of three building, the market hosts a weekly antique market and farmer’s market. A public market has been held in the north building since 1803. The south building houses vendors, daily, selling meats, fish, cheese, vegetable and flowers. There are also bakeries and full-service restaurants to be found here.

For lovers of food, St. Lawrence Market is the place to visit, shop and eat. It’s a cornucopia of all things food. For that reason alone, it remains my favourite Toronto market—it’s a place to go, eat, purchase, bring home, cook and eat some more.