Ode to the Iced Capp
When people talk about “Canadian cuisine”, there are usually only a few things mentioned. The difficulty in classifying “Canadian” food is the difficulty in classifying Canadian culture: we are a “young” nation, whose culture is the appropriation of various colonial forces, primarily French, British, and Irish. What could be properly classified as traditional Canadian culture would be First Nations, but for obvious reasons the opportunity to indulge in indigenous food and culture has been systematically limited.
The pillars of Canadian cuisine are, typically, identified as poutine and maple syrup. And that’s entirely fair. Poutine slaps: It’s french fries, cheese curds, and gravy—pretty hard to go wrong. But there is one quintessential item that stands above all.
Timmies
One of the cornerstones of Canada is Tim Hortons, a franchise coffee chain akin to Dunkin’ Donuts for our American neighbors. Started in 1964 by hockey veteran and Canadian Tim Horton, Tim Hortons has spread from humble beginnings to over five thousand restaurants in fifteen countries.
As a whole, there’s really nothing spectacular about Tim Hortons. Most of the time foreign celebrities or artists come to Canada, they try Tim Hortons to see what the hype is all about, and leave either disappointed, or indifferent, usually because they went for a basic combination of a coffee and a doughnut. And why shouldn’t they? Why else would people go to a coffee chain if not for a cup of Joe? But among the mediocre selections rests a truly singular offering.
The Iced Capp
The Iced Capp, short for iced cappucino, officially graced the Tim’s menu in 1999, and delighted Canadians with its refreshing, creamy deliciousness. Its precise contents remain a trade secret, but one can ascertain the gist just from the name: probably some combination of coffee, ice, cream, and some sort of sugary syrup. Over the years, various flavours have been introduced to the lineup, including but not limited to, salted caramel, Oreo, and pumpkin spice. But nothing—in my humble opinion—holds a candle to that original delicacy.
For those who haven’t had the privilege of having an Iced Capp, I will do my best to describe what exactly makes it so special. From the name, one might assume it to be akin to an iced coffee, wherein the coffee and creamer is poured over chunks of ice, but that’s simply not the case. In fact, an Iced Capp is in essence a coffee slushy, the concoction melding with the fine particles of ice to make each sip an ecstatic experience. In the sweltering heat of the summer, nothing is quite as refreshing as an Iced Capp, its sustenance like the manna of the desert. It has a twinge of vanilla, but not enough to overpower the silky cream and coffee taste.
Am I being hyperbolic? Yes. Am I affiliated in any way with Tim Hortons? I wish. But Iced Capps really do rule. If any of my international readers ever find themselves in Canada, do yourselves a favour and get an Iced Capp.