If you’re after the next big thing in food, look no further than Canada. From the country that gave us Nanaimo bars, poutine and butter tarts, prepare yourself for three of the tastiest and quirkiest food experiences the nation has to offer.

RAW:almond

There’s cool dining and then there’s RAW:almond. In 2013, a chef and a designer launched a pop-up restaurant under an elaborate tent pitched on the fork of the frozen Assiniboine and Red rivers in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Five years on, the event has become incredibly popular, with more elaborate designs, more guest chefs and more locations. The menu is always a surprise, with each guest chef setting the gastronomic theme for the evening. In 2018, Aussie travellers can have the trip of the lifetime by combining this unique foodie experience with the chance to travel out onto the tundra and eat under the spectacular Northern Lights at RAW:churchill.

Sugar shacks

Sugaring off is a tradition for many Canadians. It’s the process of boiling down fresh sap from a maple tree until it thickens into syrup. But unless you’ve got family or friends who can lead you to their maple grove and help you extract the sweet amber syrup from the trees, Sucrerie de la Montagne in Montreal is your best bet for an authentic sugaring off experience. Here you’ll see trees tapped with a spout, collect the sweet sap in a pail and watch as it is magically transformed into pure maple syrup over a wood-fired evaporator. You won’t have tasted maple syrup like this before – sweet and smoky with earthy hints of wood. And the best news is that there’s an all-you-can-eat sugaring off feast with maple-infused delights such as smoked ham, country-style sausages, traditional meatball stew and meat pie from Québec’s Beauce region. And for dessert? Pancakes with maple syrup, of course.

Digging for clams

You’ve heard of farm to fork and paddock to plate, but what about sand to stomach? Digging for your dinner is popular on Prince Edward Island. If you have a spade and bucket you can go digging for giant clams. Just look for small holes in the sand and carefully start digging. Or, if you prefer, you can go with a guide who can take you digging for giant clams in chest-deep water. Once you’ve collected enough of the hand-sized delicacies to fill a pot, you’ll head back to shore for a clambake, where they’ll be steamed until they are tender and buttery, served just metres from where they were caught.