Show Off Your Canadian Pride by Identifying These Snacks Only Popular in Canada

"When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last?" If you grew up watching cartoons in the '90s, these words would immediately put the Smarties jingle in your head. Unlike American Smarties (which are made from hard candy), Canadian Smarties are made from candy-covered milk chocolate.

Hickory Sticks are known for their deeply smoky flavour and stick-like shape, which makes them an ideal snack for sharing. Although Hickory Sticks are cut into matchsticks, they still offer plenty of chip for their size — the chips are double-cut, resulting in an extra-thick hickory-flavoured experience.

What do you call two pieces of chocolate cake filled with a creamy white filling and then dipped in milk chocolate? A Jos Louis, of course! Invented in 1932, Jos Louis snack cakes were named after Joseph and Louis, the sons of the original inventors, Arcade and Rose-Anna Giroux Vachon.

It might be hard to believe, but ketchup chips were invented in the 1970s after an effort to marry the unlikely combination of fruit flavouring and potato chips (in addition to ketchup, orange and grape flavours were also tested.) The ketchup chips were a hit, but the other flavours? Not so much.

Ruffles all-dressed chips are partly sweet, partly salty, with just the right amount of vinegar flavour. The secret to this uniquely Canadian flavour experience? A perfect blend of ketchup, salt and vinegar, barbecue and sour cream and onion chip seasoning.

While the concept of dill pickle chips might seem unusual, this popular flavour is adored by Canadians across the country. Chips aren't the only kind of snack food to come in a dill pickle flavour — Doritos and popcorn can also be found covered in the tangy seasoning.

Although they're a relatively new invention, Kettle Brand maple bacon potato chips are quickly becoming a permanent addition to the Canadian snack scene. The super-crunchy chips combine the smokiness of thick-cut bacon with the distinct sweetness of maple syrup.

Kinder Surprise is a fun treat for young children and the young at heart (the word "kinder" means "children" in German.) The milk chocolate egg comes with a small plastic capsule inside; open the capsule, and you'll discover a small toy to play with while you finish eating the chocolate.

The marketing team behind Thrills gum makes no pretence about hiding the gum's infamous flavour — its tagline is, "It still tastes like soap!" First invented in London, Ontario, Thrills gum is heavily flavoured with rosewater, giving the gum its signature dish soap and potpourri flavour.

Dare's Maple Leaf Crème cookies are made in the shape of a maple leaf, covered in a thick layer of creamy maple frosting and then sandwiched together to create the ultimate patriotic cookie (who knew Canada would taste so good in cookie form?)

Coffee Crisp bars have a surprisingly long history as a break-time snack; they were first made in the UK in the 1930's under the name Rowntree's Wafer Crisp. The chocolate bar eventually received a boost from the addition of coffee and in 1988 it officially became known as a Coffee Crisp bar.

"The only thing better than your Crispy Crunch is someone else's" — this slogan was written in the late '80s by Martin Shewchuck while working at the ad agency Leo Burnett Canada. The slogan was responsible for carrying the brand from 10th place to 1st in terms of sales and growth by volume.

If given a survey, most Canadians would agree a Caramilk bar is a type of chocolate bar. Still, according to food labelling laws, Caramilks must be labelled as "candy bars" because they aren't legally considered solid chocolate bars.

Big Turk bars fall under the category of "love it or hate it" thanks to their distinctive dark pink centre made from Turkish delight. Made by Nestlé, Big Turk bars are a favourite for people who are trying to eat less fat in their diet — the bar contains 60% less fat than other chocolate bars.

Crunchie bars are manufactured by Cadbury in several different countries. A fine stream of very hot oil is used to slice the sponge toffee in every country except for in Canada, where the cutting is done by rotary saws.

Official BeaverTails are made by BeaverTails food stands, although there are plenty of regional recipes for making this fried treat at home. Favourite toppings include — but aren't limited to — sugar, cinnamon, whipped cream and Nutella.

Nanaimo bars have been considered a national treasure in Canada for over 60 years — the first known recipe was published in 1953 in one of two places (food historians disagree on this detail): Edith Adams' prize cookbook or the Vancouver Sun, where it was called a "London Fog Bar."

Aero bars are manufactured and distributed all over the world, with one notable exception: the United States. Aero bars were briefly sold in the States during the 1980s, but the product failed to attract a following, and sales were discontinued.

President's Choice Deluxe White Cheddar Mac and Cheese can be found in any store operating under the Loblaw Companies Limited banner. Canadians love the PC version of macaroni and cheese for its extra creamy sauce and sharp cheddar taste.

Approximately 7 million boxes of Kraft Dinner are sold around the world every week, and Canadians are responsible for purchasing roughly 1.7 million of those boxes. The bright orange macaroni and cheese mix is so popular it now has a permanent home on the shelves of Canadian pantries everywhere.

Gooey, syrup-like filling, the satisfying crunch of crisp sugar — these are the traits that make butter tarts such a satisfying snack. When it comes to butter tart specifics, all Canadians know they must pick a side in the never-ending debate about whether raisins should be included in the recipe.

Alpha-Getti is best enjoyed after spending several hours outdoors on a blustery winter day. Manufactured by Heinz, Alphaghetti features alphabet-shaped pasta in a savoury yet pleasantly sweet tomato sauce.

While the rest of the world has come to think of zoodles as spiralized zucchini noodles, Canadians know that actual Zoodles are an easy snack or lunch consisting of animal-shaped pasta and tomato sauce — all that stands between you and a hot bowl of Zoodles is a can opener and a microwave.

Made from wholegrain wheat, Shreddies are a classic breakfast cereal for both children and adults in Canada. Plain Shreddies are only lightly sweetened, although the manufacturer, Post, has gone on to offer limited edition flavours such as frosted or honey-glazed.

Except for the cream soda sold in Quebec and Newfoundland, Canadian cream soda is bright pink. Popular brands include Crush, Dad's, Fanta, Jones Soda, The Pop Shoppe and President's Choice.

Swiss Chalet is a popular fast-casual restaurant specializing in rotisserie chicken. While the chicken is undeniably delicious, the best part of the meal is the dipping sauce — it can even be purchased in powder or canned form from the grocery store.

When Maltesers were first manufactured in the United Kingdom in 1937, they were marketed towards women who were looking to maintain a svelte figure. Decades later, the chocolate-covered malted balls are still advertised as being lower in fat but still full of flavour.

Montreal-style bagels are sold all over Canada, but to experience the best bagel possible, you'll need to travel to the city of Montreal. This type of bagel is instantly recognizable by its small, dense shape and large hole — flavour-wise, Montreal-style bagels are known for their sweet taste.

Montreal-style smoked meat is made from cured beef brisket that has been salted and flavoured with herbs. The brisket is cured for one week, at which point it's smoked and steamed until ready to be eaten. Sandwiches and poutine are both popular vehicles for eating Montreal-style smoked meat.

The signature dish of Halifax, Nova Scotia, might surprise you — it's not a lobster roll, but a donair! With its origins in traditional Greek food, a donair sandwich or wrap features mounds of thinly shaved beef, diced tomatoes, onions and garlicky donair sauce.

This iconic chocolate bar has been around for well over a century! First manufactured in 1905 in the United Kingdom, Cadbury's Dairy Milk bar has gone from chocolate at its most basic (which it still is) to several newer bars containing fruit, nuts and caramel.

Using the same terminology employed by wine tasters, Canada Dry ginger ale's inventor John McLaughlin named the beverage for its less-sweet flavour (fair warning, Canada Dry ginger ale has increased in sweetness over the years.)

Unlike other breakfast cereals, Vector cereal is heavily advertised as a meal replacement (especially for athletes.) The cereal contains a higher-than-average amount of protein per serving as well as significant quantities of dietary fibre and iron.

If you've ever had the pleasure of eating a President's Choice The Decadent Chocolate Chip Cookie, you can understand why the product is so popular! 39% of cookies' weight consists entirely of chocolate chips — about double the weight of the chocolate in cookies made by PC's main competitors.

Liberté Méditerranée is a treat for anyone who loves yogurt. Made from a combination of milk and cream, this line of ultra-rich dessert yogurt is an indulgent dairy product that comes in many flavours, including black cherry, coconut, caramel and lemon.

Timbits are a play on the word "tidbits," and if you're a fan of Tim Hortons, you know that it's impossible to leave the restaurant without snacking on at least one (or several) of these fried donut holes.

Is there anything better than a tube of Rolo chocolates? In Canada, Nestlé manufactures the caramel-filled treat. Rolo superfans can also find the candy mixed into ice cream, frozen yogurt and milkshakes.

Weetabix is a biscuit-shaped breakfast cereal that comes in packets of two. The cereal is especially popular in the United Kingdom but remains a hit in Canada where it's enjoyed with milk — hot or cold — and a light dusting of brown sugar.

It doesn't feel like a trip to the movies unless a purple box of glossy Glosette chocolate-covered raisins is involved! If you hate raisins, don't despair, the Glosette brand also includes chocolate-covered almonds and peanuts.

Is there anything better than hand-cut fries, cheese curds (preferably from Quebec), and a heavy drizzle of brown gravy? Not in Canada, anyway. The best gravy is made from a combination of beef and chicken stock and a generous amount of salt and pepper.