What Is a BeaverTail? An ObamaTail?
Photograph from Henry Ko on Flickr
That would be a Canadian pastry made of whole-wheat dough, shaped like a much-respected national symbol: a beaver's tail. Cooked in canola oil, they are served hot with a variety of toppings like cinnamon and sugar, chocolate hazelnut, maple butter, and apple cinnamon. In honor of President Barack Obama's visit to Ottawa tomorrow, the Beavertails chain will make a special ObamaTail: the same base topped with cinnamon and sugar, a whipped cream "O," chocolate sauce, and some maple. For $3.75, they'll be available at the ByWard Market flagship store and for $4 at kiosks along the Rideau Canal Skateway.
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24 Comments:
I once went to a Beavertail shop in Montreal, and the person in front of me tried to order in English. Chaos soon entailed.
We make it a rule when traveling, if we see beavertails we eat beavertails.
ag3208 at 8:38PM on 02/18/09
Clearly I'm not Canadian enough. I've NEVER had a beavertail. I need to work on that.
wonTONfm at 10:28PM on 02/18/09
Oh no, I wish I was sitting on the Halifax waterfront on a nice sunny hot summer day enjoying a Turtle Beaver Tail. Yummy!
mandylynn902 at 10:43PM on 02/18/09
Yeah! My hometown made SeriousEats! Actually the Obama beavertail was invented for the inauguration. The beavertail people went down to Washington and sold a bunch there. When I was a kid beavertails were a new invention and available only on the Canal. Then they opened the kiosk in the Market, and small booths at local festivals and outdoor concerts etc... Now they are all over the country. My favourite classic version is the Killaloe Sunrise - sugar, cinnamon, and fresh lemon wedges squeezed on top. Eaten on skates with mittens full of sugar!
PeanutButter at 11:21PM on 02/18/09
The BeaverTail is technically an Eastern Ontario thing, eaten primarily in the winter on the Rideau Canal, as PeanutButter said. It later spread to carnivals and whatnot, but that's not the true BeaverTail experience.
I used to work in one of the shacks on the Canal, and we'd fight over who got to work the fryers, because it was the only warm place around. Even though I know how unsanitary those places are -- they hardly ever change the oil, surfaces are cleaned with lemon juice only, etc -- I still can't resist a yearly 'Tail. (Obviously, the Killaloe. It's the only flavour worth eating.)
piccola at 11:46PM on 02/18/09
I think the obamatail is a little too much. I mean come on.
anyone else?
delilah at 12:20AM on 02/19/09
It's delicious, that's what it is!
I like cinnamon sugar =)
joyciel at 1:31AM on 02/19/09
Beavertails made SeriousEats! I am ecstatic! I totally agree - Killaloe Sunrise is the only flavour worth eating - and hey, I grew up near Killaloe - I've been there!
Do they still sell the savoury ones - with garlic butter and the like? I haven't been near the Canal for years but now that this thread has come up, maybe I'll make the hour long trek this weekend!
Maureen at 7:52AM on 02/19/09
It looks like the same thing we call elephant ears in Pittsburgh.
joeqboo at 8:13AM on 02/19/09
@joeqboo - They are basically the same - I think just about every region has some form of "fried dough" served hot with toppings - and they probably all taste great! I dated someone from Philly for a bit and he confirmed that the elephant ears and beaver tails are closely related.
Maureen at 9:21AM on 02/19/09
I totally wrote about this back in January! http://kitchengraffiti.blogspot.com/2009/01/obama-tails.html
It feels weird to eat a Beavertail while not on the canal. Who else can relate to trying desperately to keep your balance on the uneven ice while picking it up at one of the shacks on the Canal?
margaux at 10:00AM on 02/19/09
They say it's an "iconic" Canadian thing, but honestly, the first time I saw one was in Montreal when I was 27. And I'm an average Canadian with an acceptably Canadian sense of moderate national pride, and a moderate enthusiasm for supporting/buying home-grown things. So naturally when I discovered these I felt that I had failed my country somehow. That lasted for about a minute before my anti-consumerist side rose up and said "I am NOT paying 4 bucks for sugared dough!"
I've since learned that it's mainly "iconic" for people who live between the Ottawa Valley and Quebec city, and the rest of us are going to have to make do with Mounties (who we never see in red uniforms, ever) and maple syrup (which most of us can't afford to buy anyway, we all have maple-flavoured table syrup)
kevster at 10:17AM on 02/19/09
You should see the Bush Tail they made back on '02.
Same base, rubbed it in the gunk under the fryer, sprinkled with cayenne pepper and topped with Aunt Jemima "Butter" flavoured "table" "syrup".
It's actually not much different from the "Tarsands", same thing but with Duck in a crude oil reduction sauce.
kevster at 10:23AM on 02/19/09
my city's most famous fast-food snack!!! C'est Montreal, la ville avec la vie!!
blondee47 at 10:54AM on 02/19/09
dude, never get the nutella one.... it's too much.
mgnnn at 11:25AM on 02/19/09
Oh, how I miss living near the border. Growing up, Ottawa was the nearest big venue for concerts, so it was there or Lake Placid if you wanted to hear a big act. CHEZ 106 was the station we listened to in the 70's and 80's--eclectic rock back then. And of course fries with vinegar and beaver tails. Thanks for this article...and for the fond memories it's evoked.
dhorst at 12:32PM on 02/19/09
I agree with Delilah. Is there any marketing ploy linked to the president and his family that is considered over the top, in bad taste, and simply tiresome? First the silly Pepsi logo, now BeaverTails.
Enough!
soyviz at 2:37PM on 02/19/09
I hate to be a downer but I think this is taking Obamarama too far. Granted, Obama is visiting Canada so it's timely...but still...
Although I must admit that Obama has been stimulating the economy by inspiring food lovers across the world to make (and sell) everything from cupcakes to pizza in his honor.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 3:05PM on 02/19/09
This just in, I was watching the news and Obama had a beavertail at Byward market.
ag3208 at 4:40PM on 02/19/09
It's not really a silly marketing gimmick. A majority of Canadians are genuinely excited and happy about Obama. So why not create a version of a Canadian classic to honour Obama.
Many people traveled to Ottawa today just to have a chance to catch a glimpse of the President. Canadians are just as happy about Obama as Americans!
winkyj at 6:40PM on 02/19/09
Out in the prairies they're giant round pieces and are called Elephant Ears....
anonymoose at 6:50PM on 02/19/09
Great to see that President Obama took the advice of those who recommended he grab a Beavertail in these videos shot in anticipation of his arrival and welcoming him to Ottawa.
Welcome to Ottawa, President Obama!
What should President Obama do in Ottawa?
What should President Obama know about Canada?
canadiantourism at 6:14PM on 02/20/09
mmm... Beavertails. The Killaloe Sunrise really is good. If only Beavertails were more widely available. Since moving to Toronto 8 years ago I've been deprived. Not that I ate them all the time in Ottawa but maybe one each winter. There is something special about eating a hot Beavertail while skating or walking along the Rideau canal.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 10:01AM on 02/23/09
I've lived in western Canada for forty years and have never seen a beavertail. Besides, I'm from Racine, Wisconsin where the kringle reigns. It's the most scrumpdelicious of all pastries. I wouldn't mind some real strudel though.
A beavertail sounds boring, like a commercial donut. Yuck! And I saw a TV show recently where the host was served one with cold shredded cheese. A donut with a pile of mozza was an horrific looking mess. Worse than poutine.
leroy at 5:10AM on 02/27/09