Ontario’s Culinary History Is Adorable
- Ginger North
- Jun 18
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 5
#30CanadianFoods: Travel back to 18th-century Ontario for this delightfully odd dessert.
🎯 Cannons, Cake & Curious Creatures: Ontario’s Flavour-Filled Past
Ontario has never been basic. From military forts full of drama to 18th-century desserts shaped like woodland animals, the province has always brought its A-game to history—and the table. Today, we're travelling back to the late 1700s and straight into the officer’s mess at Fort George National Historic Site in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Grab your forks and your imagination: we’re digging into dinner parties fit for the British elite, archaeological finds that say a lot about class and cuisine, and a truly delightful dessert called the Fort George Hedgehog (yes, it’s as cute and weird as it sounds).
🍁 Catch up on the #30CanadianFoods series here.
⚔️ A Forkful of Ontario’s Early Days
Ontario’s roots go back long before the province had that name. Indigenous peoples—primarily the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Huron-Wendat—lived on and stewarded these lands for millennia, with rich food cultures built around seasonal harvests, wild game, and freshwater fish.
Colonial settlement, war, and trade brought British and Loyalist influence—especially around the Great Lakes. By the War of 1812, Ontario was the stage for high-stakes drama and dinner parties alike. Forts like Fort George weren’t just military strongholds—they were cultural hubs where diplomacy, daily life, and decadent desserts collided.
🕰️ Cool find: Excavations at Fort George revealed bones from a passenger pigeon—a now-extinct bird that once darkened Ontario skies in the millions. It’s a haunting reminder of how colonial expansion reshaped the land.
🕵️♀️ Recent find alert: In 2024, archaeologists in the Niagara region uncovered 19th-century ceramics and food remnants believed to belong to a long-lost settlement near Queenston Heights. Proof that there’s still more history underfoot than we realize.
🏰 Fort George National Historic Site: Dinner Parties & Defence Strategy
If walls could talk, Fort George would have a lot to say—most of it shouted over cannon fire and silverware clinking in the officers’ dining room. Built at the turn of the 19th century to defend Upper Canada from American invasion, Fort George saw intense action during the War of 1812.
But not everything was musket smoke and marching drills. Officers stationed here lived fairly well, with elaborate meals served on fine china—even during wartime. In fact, a 1974 dig uncovered remains from a feast that included goose, duck, quail, perch, walleye, and yes, dessert.
🍷 Picture this: You’re in 1797, a British officer seated at a long, candlelit table, your red coat crisp, your wig powdered. And for dessert? A hedgehog. Made of almonds. Because apparently, that was a thing. 🌐 Visit Fort George
🍽️ Historical Extras: A Taste of the Garrison
Fort George had no shortage of food variety—if you were an officer. Soldiers’ rations were basic (think bread, salt pork, and dried peas), but the officer class enjoyed wine, imported sweets, and multi-course meals prepared by skilled cooks and stewards. These menus weren’t just indulgent—they were status symbols.
The "hedgehog" dessert (see recipe below) was part showpiece, part pastry, and 100% extra. Think of it as the Regency-era equivalent of a fondant-covered cake shaped like Baby Yoda. Only this one was bristled with almonds and surrounded by cream sauce. Because why not?
🦔 Fort George Hedgehog Recipe
Forget everything you think you know about dessert. This 18th-century showstopper was the kind of thing that got gasps at garrison gatherings.
Ingredients
1 lb | 450 g graham cracker crumbs
1 lb | 450 g ground almonds
Juice of 1 orange
12 eggs, separated (remove 5 whites)
2 cups | 500 ml 35% cream
Slivered almonds (for hedgehog bristles)
Icing sugar and cocoa powder (for dusting)
Optional ganache topping:
14 oz | 400 g semisweet chocolate
⅔ cup | 160 ml 35% cream
Directions
Mix graham cracker crumbs, almonds, and orange juice. Set aside.
In a pot, combine the cream with the egg yolks and 7 egg whites. Heat gently to 185°C (360°F), being careful not to curdle.
Fold the almond-crumb mixture into the cream base and let cool.
Mould into the shape of a hedgehog. Use icing sugar and cocoa to create the face. Add currants or raisins for eyes. (Half a blueberry makes an excellent nose!)
Stick slivered almonds into the back to make bristles.
Optional: Make ganache by melting chocolate and stirring in cream. Pour over the cooled hedgehog. Chill until set.
🍽️ Note: It’s strange. It’s adorable. It’s a conversation starter—and it’s based on a real dish officers likely enjoyed at Fort George.
🧭 More Heritage Bites in Ontario
Period-costumed interpreters bring 19th-century rural life to life and their apple festival will make your pie-loving heart sing. 🌐 Lang Pioneer Village
A small but mighty gem of charming rural Ontario history with regular tea events and a hands-on kitchen heritage exhibit. 🌐 Visit site
History comes alive here in a big way, with immersive experiences, tasty historical cooking demos, and themed events like “A Simpler Time.” 🌐 Fanshawe Village
✨ Until Next Time…
Ontario's food history isn’t just butter tarts and maple syrup. It’s a hedgehog made of almonds, elaborate officer banquets, and the stories buried beneath cannonball-pocked walls.
So make the hedgehog. Visit Fort George. And remember: Canada's culinary past is anything but bland.
Disclaimer: Fair & Furious is not sponsored by the businesses or brands mentioned in this post. We just really love sharing anything Canadian with you! Support our mission by sharing our posts and interacting with our content! Thanks for your support 💛
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