Butter Tarts, Canada’s Humble Favorite, Have Much to Love (Published 2018) (2024)

Food|Butter Tarts, Canada’s Humble Favorite, Have Much to Love

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/dining/butter-tarts-canada.html

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Butter Tarts, Canada’s Humble Favorite, Have Much to Love (Published 2018) (1)

By Sara Bonisteel

You could be forgiven if you’ve never eaten a butter tart. There is no flashy frosting or elaborate lattice to entice you. It’s easy to pass by.

But Canadians will tell you that these diminutive treats hold an expanse of flavor and textures: flaky pastry, caramelized crust and a bracingly sweet filling.

The butter tart is celebrated in its homeland, where the preference for runny or firm fillings, plain or with raisins, is a matter of passionate national debate. Ontario, where most scholars believe the butter tart was born, celebrates it with two dueling tourism trails (Kawarthas Northumberland Butter Tart Tour and Butter Tarts and Buggies) and festivals galore, including Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland and a new one that will have its debut in March in Bowmanville, east of Toronto.

“Good butter tarts, they seem like a modest dessert,” said Michael DeForge, a creator of TartQuest, an Instagram feed of butter tart reviews. “They’re supposed to pack a lot of punch. But on the outside, they’re supposed to just seem plain and unassuming.”

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Modern Canadian culinary culture celebrates seasonality, native ingredients and provincial pride. Like poutine and Nanaimo bars, two other national favorites, butter tarts buck the norm. They are a humble treat, made with ordinary ingredients, and spectacularly delicious.

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Butter Tarts, Canada’s Humble Favorite, Have Much to Love (Published 2018) (2024)

FAQs

Why are butter tarts important to Canada? ›

History. Butter tarts became common in pioneer Canadian cooking, and they remain a characteristic pastry of Canada. It is primarily eaten in and associated with the English-speaking provinces of Canada.

When was the butter tart first published and in what book? ›

The first published recipe describing the butter tart as we know it was published in 1900 in The Women's Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook in Ontario.

What is a butter tart Canadian Encyclopedia? ›

A butter tart is a small pastry tart, which generally consists of butter, sugar, syrup, and egg, filled into a flaky pastry and baked until the filling is semi-solid with a crunchy top.

Can you get butter tarts in the United States? ›

Does America have butter tarts? Yes, any decent bakery will typically carry butter tarts, that quintessential Canadian pastry.

Why is Canadian butter so expensive? ›

“Butterfat is more expensive and over the last couple of years, we've seen the Canadian Dairy Commission increase prices by about 12% and that 12% gets compounded throughout the supply chain,” Charlebois explained, adding that for dairy processors, it ends up costing more which means grocers then adjust their prices ...

What has changed with Canadian butter? ›

Since the summer, hundreds of farmers around the country have stepped up their use of palm oil substances in an attempt to boost supply. Canada's Dairy Processors Association told Real Agriculture there have been no changes to butter production itself nor national ingredient regulations.

What are Canadian butter tarts made of? ›

Butter tarts are a quintessential Canadian dessert—and, oh, how I love them! These buttery mini pies, typically baked in a muffin tin, have a flaky crust filled with a gooey mixture of butter, sugar, syrup, egg, and sometimes raisins or nuts.

What is a butter tart slang? ›

Butter tarts are indeed a popular Canadian pastery. The phrase butter tart, as used in the song, is also slang for a woman's parts.

How long are butter tarts good for? ›

Butter Tarts should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated, they will keep for up to five days in the fridge. If you keep them at room temperature remember they will only keep for about a day or 2 depending on how warm your home is. To freeze, place them in an airtight freezer container.

What do Americans call tarts? ›

And American pies, which in England always have a pastry lid, often appeared in the U.S. version to be like English tarts, with their jewel-colored filling open to the sky.

What do butter tarts taste like? ›

With a gooey, just-set filling made with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and eggs, butter tarts are hard not to love. They have comforting notes of caramel and butterscotch and are perfect when you want something small and sweet.

Can I take butter tarts on a plane? ›

Checked Bags: Yes

Solid food items (not liquids or gels) can be transported in either your carry-on or checked baggage. TSA officers may instruct travelers to separate items from carry-on bags such as foods, powders, and any materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine.

Where does Canada import butter from? ›

Canada imports Butter primarily from: United States ($120M), New Zealand ($54.4M), France ($1.57M), Mexico ($726k), and Belgium ($550k). The fastest growing import markets in Butter for Canada between 2021 and 2022 were United States ($50.2M), New Zealand ($23.7M), and Belgium ($450k).

What is the function of butter in tart? ›

In pastry making, butter plays a fundamental role because it makes the pastry ""waterproof"". At the same time, it adds crustiness and crumble to shortcrust and all dry pastries (small cakes for eating on the move, for example) and brings softness and creaminess to risen doughs.

Why doesn t Canadian butter melt? ›

To explain it simply, palm oil given to dairy cows increases the proportion of saturated fat in milk compared to unsaturated fat, thus increasing the melting point of butter. This explains why butter made from cows fed with palm oil remains difficult to spread at room temperature..

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