Foodie fever, taste for perogies strong across Canada
OTTAWA, June 27, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Blame it on Instagram. Or food trucks. Or the proliferation of cooking shows inspiring would-be stars of the stove. A new 'Foodie Nation' survey by Canadian Food & Lifestyle Channel Gusto TV and Nanos Research reveals that Canucks have an appetite for adventure when it comes to food.
A whopping 70% of Canadians surveyed identify themselves* as a 'foodie' - a person who has an avid interest in food and seeks new culinary experiences, rather than simply eating out of convenience or hunger. Among those, one in four (24%) consider themselves to have serious culinary cred, and if you are under 40 years of age you are more likely to be a foodie compared to older Canadians.
"Canada is the greatest food nation on the planet," declares Chris Knight, CEO & Founder of Gusto TV - an industry veteran whose cooking shows have been seen in more than 170 countries worldwide. "Cooking and the enjoyment of eating has never been more popular. We see that in this first poll, and in the overwhelming positive response we've had to launching a new food and cooking specialty television channel across Canada."
While the power of Food TV may be credited with the explosion of epicurean culture, especially among younger generations**, social media doesn't appear to be as popular as some may think. Surprisingly, only 2% of Canadians surveyed admitted to regularly sharing food photos online.
"That 2% must be following me around to restaurants," says Knight. "It seems like you can't have a meal these days without someone whipping out their phone and holding the dish hostage for the perfect angle."
Canada's Top Foodie Provinces
The survey reveals three top regions neck and neck for the most fanatical foodies:
Canadians Play with their Food
When it comes to new food adventures - whether it's trying a new recipe, restaurant or dish - Canadians are overwhelmingly experimental. 96% of Canadians surveyed like to try new food experiences either regularly (40%) or occasionally (56%). Quebec (43.6%) and Ontario (43%) lead the country as the most adventurous.
The World on a Plate
As one of the most multicultural countries in the world, modern Canadian cuisine is as diverse as kimchi and Halifax donairs. The mighty perogi (39%) outstripped sushi (20%), souvlaki (17%) and butter chicken (17%) as the international food chosen most for being part of Canadian cuisine. This finding was largely driven by Canadians in the Prairies, where 63.4% picked the dough dumplings, followed by Atlantic Canadians (42.3%).
Additional Findings:
The Gusto TV-Nanos Research 'Foodie Nation' survey is the first in an ongoing series on social food trends and the relationship Canadians have with what they eat. All reporting should refer to this as a Nanos Survey commissioned by Gusto TV.
About Gusto TV - 'Food all night, fun all day'
Gusto TV (www.gustotv.com) is Canada's new food and lifestyle specialty channel. The multiplatform HD service offers viewers prime-time cooking shows every evening - featuring some of the highest-rated series from around the world, never before seen in Canada. During the day, Gusto TV airs fun and exciting lifestyle, home, fashion, health and wellness shows. Gusto TV is an independent, privately owned Ottawa-based company, founded by industry veteran Chris Knight. Gusto is available nationally on Bell TV (Ch. #619), Bell Fibe (Ch. #1619), Eastlink (Ch. #743) and TELUS Optik TV (Ch. #315), with additional television service providers to be announced.
Source: Nanos Research, RDD dual frame hybrid telephone and online random survey, June 21st to 23rd 2014, n=1000, accurate 3.1 percentage points plus or minus, 19 times out of 20. Charts may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
*On a scale of 1-10, 46% answered 'average foodie' (4-7), 24% answered 'complete foodie' (8-10)
**'Complete foodies' (8-10 score) by age: 18-29 (30.9%), 30-39 (29.1%), 40-49 (25.3%), 50-59 (19.8%), 60 plus (15.5%)
Image with caption: "Canada Day Gusto TV - Nanos 'Foodie Nation' Survey shows Canucks have foodie fever gustotv.com (CNW Group/Gusto TV)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140627_C9062_PHOTO_EN_41789.jpg
Image with caption: "INFOGRAPHIC: Canada Day Gusto TV - Nanos 'Foodie Nation' Survey shows Canucks have foodie fever gustotv.com (CNW Group/Gusto TV)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140627_C9062_PHOTO_EN_41787.jpg
SOURCE: Gusto TV
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