Too Much on the Bottom and Not Enough in the Middle: Nanaimo Bar Outrage
kshama2001
Posts: 28,052 Member
I got a big laugh out of this story. I've made Nanaimo bars once and only once - too dangerously yummy!
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/12/world/canada/Nanaimo-Bar-Outrage-Canada.html?smid=em-share
An online post of a Nanaimo bar photo swiftly prompted criticism in Canada and discussion about the treat’s ideal proportions.
This week was the first anniversary of the official declaration that the coronavirus was a global pandemic. But a number of Canada Letter readers have recently emailed about a very different issue: the correct layer proportions of Nanaimo bars.
It all started with a photo in an Instagram post from The Times’s Cooking account of an example of Canada’s favorite no-bake squares. “Canadians, this one’s for you,” it read.
But many Canadians were quick to point out that it had way too thick of a base layer — a mixture of butter, cocoa powder, nuts, shredded coconut, graham cracker crumbs and lots of butter. The yellow middle layer — lots more butter, more sugar, Bird’s custard powder and heavy cream — was mingy, the critics said. And instead of being as smooth as an ice rink, the melted top layer sported a ripple pattern.
“These are an insult to Canadians everywhere,” one person commented. “You’d be laughed out of the bake sale with these counterfeits,” offered another.
[snip]
...Daniel Bender, a historian who teaches food studies at the University of Toronto, found the extent of the reaction this week extraordinary.
“I can see why people felt like, well, there wasn’t enough custard,” he said. “But it’s probably more interesting about why we actually got so upset about it.”
His theory: “It was a bit of a mixture of being pleased that the Americans are noticing us and also being delighted when they got it wrong. There’s nothing better than when the Americans misunderstand Canadians.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/12/world/canada/Nanaimo-Bar-Outrage-Canada.html?smid=em-share
An online post of a Nanaimo bar photo swiftly prompted criticism in Canada and discussion about the treat’s ideal proportions.
This week was the first anniversary of the official declaration that the coronavirus was a global pandemic. But a number of Canada Letter readers have recently emailed about a very different issue: the correct layer proportions of Nanaimo bars.
It all started with a photo in an Instagram post from The Times’s Cooking account of an example of Canada’s favorite no-bake squares. “Canadians, this one’s for you,” it read.
But many Canadians were quick to point out that it had way too thick of a base layer — a mixture of butter, cocoa powder, nuts, shredded coconut, graham cracker crumbs and lots of butter. The yellow middle layer — lots more butter, more sugar, Bird’s custard powder and heavy cream — was mingy, the critics said. And instead of being as smooth as an ice rink, the melted top layer sported a ripple pattern.
“These are an insult to Canadians everywhere,” one person commented. “You’d be laughed out of the bake sale with these counterfeits,” offered another.
[snip]
...Daniel Bender, a historian who teaches food studies at the University of Toronto, found the extent of the reaction this week extraordinary.
“I can see why people felt like, well, there wasn’t enough custard,” he said. “But it’s probably more interesting about why we actually got so upset about it.”
His theory: “It was a bit of a mixture of being pleased that the Americans are noticing us and also being delighted when they got it wrong. There’s nothing better than when the Americans misunderstand Canadians.”
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Replies
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That's hilarious!
Gotta say, through, I'm USA-ian, and that photo doesn't even look like a Nanaimo bar to me. I'd speculate that it's because I'm Canada-adjacent, in Michigan . . . but so is New York.
It looks like some kind of weird brownie, only too dry.1 -
Ok, I’m just south of Nanaimo in Victoria, we laughed at the TV news report, didn’t bother to look up the full thing on line.
They are pathetic looking for a Nanaimo Bar, but interesting as a dessert bar.
I would eat one and enjoy it as long as I hadn’t bought it as a Nanaimo bar. When I get those, Nanaimo Bars, it is because I am wanting that particular consistency and flavour profile, not something similar. (I could really get into proportions and consistency but would bore the world to death)
I know Bird’s Custard Powder well and wouldn’t equate it with Nanaimo Bars.
I made them many moons ago but gave up as most bakeries here sell their version. Some I like better than others.
Fun topic.
Cheers, h.2 -
I’m in the UK and have absolutely no idea what any of this means! And what’s a Graham cracker - is that like a Jacobs Cream Cracker? Or is it like a digestive biccie?4
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Being from the UK but living in Canada I equate a graham cracker to a good old McVitie’s Digestive. (I don’t think the digestive is quite as sweet.)
Which luckily I can get here.
Cheers, h.
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claireychn074 wrote: »I’m in the UK and have absolutely no idea what any of this means! And what’s a Graham cracker - is that like a Jacobs Cream Cracker? Or is it like a digestive biccie?
A Graham (pronounced "Gram") cracker is like a thin, slightly soggy digestive biscuit. I'm in the UK and had a US-based friend bring me some over. They're not all that, tbh.
To the OP - as I say, I'm British, and they look nothing like to me! I thought Nanaimo bars were supposed to be gooey and almost impossible to eat without making a mess!!! (I really need to try one someday - if I can find authentic-enough-without the nuts.)
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claireychn074 wrote: »I’m in the UK and have absolutely no idea what any of this means! And what’s a Graham cracker - is that like a Jacobs Cream Cracker? Or is it like a digestive biccie?
Wait, what?
Graham crackers aren't indispensable as a food, to me (as a USA-ian).
But if you in the UK don't have Graham crackers, how do you make S'Mores? (Or do you?) And what if you're making some kind of cold pie that we USA-ians use Graham cracker crust for, like custard pies, ice cream pies, etc.? Or do you not do that? Do you not have seven-layer bars?
Just in case:
S'Mores = A fresh-toasted marshmallow and a chunk of chocolate bar between two Graham crackers.
Graham cracker crust = crushed Graham crackers, butter, and sugar pressed into a pie plate to make a crust for (usually) some kind of unbaked pie. Chocolate wafer cookies are used in a similar way to make a chocolate crust.
Seven layer bars = a bar cookie made by layering in a pan melted butter, crushed Graham crackers, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, chopped walnuts, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut shreds, then baking. There are variations, but this is the basic.2 -
Ann, we use digestive biscuits and make all kinds of no bake crusts, cakes, etc, with them when needed. They come plain, or with a milk or dark chocolate topping. Very versatile, and go great with cheese- the plain not chocolate, as they are not very sweet.
Although available up in Canada I have never bought Graham crackers.
Oh, @hmaddpear, Nanaimo Bars are firm, not soggy at all (not even the custard) and the chocolate on top is hard/brittle.
If you have ever had a no bake digestive cake the base is similar to that.
Cheers, h.2 -
Whoa! Those proportions are waaay off. That would never pass as a Nanaimo bar here in Canada! 😆1
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Now I want a good Nanaimo bar. 😐1
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I have no idea what this all is about * goes to munch on liquorice*2
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Yeah that doesn't look like any Nanaimo bar I have ever had. Besides the ridiculously thick bottom layer, why is the chocolate rippled? It looks like a brownie from the top.
Also - if you don't have graham crackers how do you make cheesecake crust?1 -
claireychn074 wrote: »I’m in the UK and have absolutely no idea what any of this means! And what’s a Graham cracker - is that like a Jacobs Cream Cracker? Or is it like a digestive biccie?
A Graham (pronounced "Gram") cracker is like a thin, slightly soggy digestive biscuit. I'm in the UK and had a US-based friend bring me some over. They're not all that, tbh.
To the OP - as I say, I'm British, and they look nothing like to me! I thought Nanaimo bars were supposed to be gooey and almost impossible to eat without making a mess!!! (I really need to try one someday - if I can find authentic-enough-without the nuts.)
You are right that graham crackers are not all that - ON THEIR OWN. However, they are an indispensable part of many recipes, as Ann said. In addition to her list, my rum ball recipe calls for crushed 'Nilla Wafers, which have artificial flavor, so I use graham crackers instead.0 -
Alright you Canadians (or Canada-adjacent), where are YOUR recipes? I used this once, and it was delicious, but from their picture it looks like the proportions were wrong:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/213587/easy-nanaimo-bars/
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claireychn074 wrote: »I’m in the UK and have absolutely no idea what any of this means! And what’s a Graham cracker - is that like a Jacobs Cream Cracker? Or is it like a digestive biccie?
Wait, what?
Graham crackers aren't indispensable as a food, to me (as a USA-ian).
But if you in the UK don't have Graham crackers, how do you make S'Mores? (Or do you?) And what if you're making some kind of cold pie that we USA-ians use Graham cracker crust for, like custard pies, ice cream pies, etc.? Or do you not do that? Do you not have seven-layer bars?
.
That whole paragraph was in a completely foreign language to me! 🤣 I’ve never even heard of S’Mores! Or an ice cream pie. Wow! I’ve made Baked Alaska - don’t know if that’s similar?1 -
claireychn074 wrote: »I’m in the UK and have absolutely no idea what any of this means! And what’s a Graham cracker - is that like a Jacobs Cream Cracker? Or is it like a digestive biccie?
A Graham (pronounced "Gram") cracker is like a thin, slightly soggy digestive biscuit. I'm in the UK and had a US-based friend bring me some over. They're not all that, tbh.
To the OP - as I say, I'm British, and they look nothing like to me! I thought Nanaimo bars were supposed to be gooey and almost impossible to eat without making a mess!!! (I really need to try one someday - if I can find authentic-enough-without the nuts.)
Hmm - I pronounce it "gray-(h)am" - two syllables - silent H. (I'm Scottish (background) and Graham is my mothers maiden name
) 2 -
OT but if you like linguistic entertainment, ask a southerner to pronounce “iron” and then watch their face break out in puzzlement. We can say it when we don’t think about it, but when we do, our head explodes.1
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claireychn074 wrote: »claireychn074 wrote: »I’m in the UK and have absolutely no idea what any of this means! And what’s a Graham cracker - is that like a Jacobs Cream Cracker? Or is it like a digestive biccie?
Wait, what?
Graham crackers aren't indispensable as a food, to me (as a USA-ian).
But if you in the UK don't have Graham crackers, how do you make S'Mores? (Or do you?) And what if you're making some kind of cold pie that we USA-ians use Graham cracker crust for, like custard pies, ice cream pies, etc.? Or do you not do that? Do you not have seven-layer bars?
.
That whole paragraph was in a completely foreign language to me! 🤣 I’ve never even heard of S’Mores! Or an ice cream pie. Wow! I’ve made Baked Alaska - don’t know if that’s similar?
Baked Alaska is not at all similar to an ice cream pie. Both can be good, though. I guess they might be similar if one put meringue on the pie, but the meringue and cake sort of insulate the ice cream in the Baked Alaska, and meringue on a pie plus the pie crust might not work as well, dunno.
Apparently each of us is likely to miss out a bit on desserts from other countries, whether Nanaimo bars or S'Mores.0 -
claireychn074 wrote: »I’m in the UK and have absolutely no idea what any of this means! And what’s a Graham cracker - is that like a Jacobs Cream Cracker? Or is it like a digestive biccie?
A Graham (pronounced "Gram") cracker is like a thin, slightly soggy digestive biscuit. I'm in the UK and had a US-based friend bring me some over. They're not all that, tbh.
To the OP - as I say, I'm British, and they look nothing like to me! I thought Nanaimo bars were supposed to be gooey and almost impossible to eat without making a mess!!! (I really need to try one someday - if I can find authentic-enough-without the nuts.)
Hmm - I pronounce it "gray-(h)am" - two syllables - silent H. (I'm Scottish (background) and Graham is my mothers maiden name )
I've always heard the "gram" pronunciation here in Michigan, but we also say "WhineCha . . ." ("Why don't you. . ."), "OwOhNo." ("I don't know."), "JeetYet?" ("Did you eat yet?"), and more.
I really don't know how people cope with this nonsense, if English is not their first language.1 -
springlering62 wrote: »OT but if you like linguistic entertainment, ask a southerner to pronounce “iron” and then watch their face break out in puzzlement. We can say it when we don’t think about it, but when we do, our head explodes.
"Arn"?
Here, mostly "EyeUrn".
(Still OT.)0 -
springlering62 wrote: »OT but if you like linguistic entertainment, ask a southerner to pronounce “iron” and then watch their face break out in puzzlement. We can say it when we don’t think about it, but when we do, our head explodes.
We're both from Massachusetts. When my partner was having problems pronouncing "Kamala" and "Comma-la" wasn't helping, I told him to say "karma" with a Boston accent plus "la."
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kshama2001 wrote: »Alright you Canadians (or Canada-adjacent), where are YOUR recipes? I used this once, and it was delicious, but from their picture it looks like the proportions were wrong:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/213587/easy-nanaimo-bars/
This will probably start a culture war, because I'm not Canadian.
I'm only Canada-adjacent, and have only had Nanaimo bars from bakeries or at restaurants in Canada. I've never made them. They've mostly looked like this, more or less (operating from memory, because Canada hasn't been letting us in for nigh on a year now, no matter how close):
These are a couple of purportedly Canadian sources about Nanaimo bars, the first of which links to multiple recipes (one of which has the perceived-inauthentic rippled top layer):
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nanaimo-bar
https://smartcanucks.ca/great-canadian-foods-nanaimo-bars/1 -
Haha what a great thread, I won't even bring Aussie desserts in to it!!0
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kshama2001 wrote: »Alright you Canadians (or Canada-adjacent), where are YOUR recipes? I used this once, and it was delicious, but from their picture it looks like the proportions were wrong:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/213587/easy-nanaimo-bars/
This will probably start a culture war, because I'm not Canadian.
I'm only Canada-adjacent, and have only had Nanaimo bars from bakeries or at restaurants in Canada. I've never made them. They've mostly looked like this, more or less (operating from memory, because Canada hasn't been letting us in for nigh on a year now, no matter how close):
These are a couple of purportedly Canadian sources about Nanaimo bars, the first of which links to multiple recipes (one of which has the perceived-inauthentic rippled top layer):
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nanaimo-bar
https://smartcanucks.ca/great-canadian-foods-nanaimo-bars/
Help!
For the recipe at the bottom, does "cocoa" mean "hot cocoa powder" which has sugar, or "baking cocoa" which is unsweetened? It also calls for sugar so I'm thinking it's "baking cocoa."
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nanaimo-bar
Here is Joyce Hardcastle’s award-winning Nanaimo bar recipe:
For the bottom layer, melt a ½ cup unsalted butter (European style, cultured), a ¼ cup sugar, and 5 tablespoons cocoa in the top of a double boiler. Add 1 beaten egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in 1¾ cups graham wafer crumbs, 1 cup shredded coconut, and ½ cup finely chopped almonds. Press firmly into an 8" x 8" pan lined with parchment paper.
For the middle layer, cream ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons heavy cream or whipping cream, and 2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder. Gradually add 2 cups icing sugar to the creamed mixture. Beat until light and fluffy. Spread over bottom layer.
For the third layer, melt 4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each) and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour and smooth over second layer and chill in refrigerator. Cut into small squares to serve.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Alright you Canadians (or Canada-adjacent), where are YOUR recipes? I used this once, and it was delicious, but from their picture it looks like the proportions were wrong:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/213587/easy-nanaimo-bars/
This will probably start a culture war, because I'm not Canadian.
I'm only Canada-adjacent, and have only had Nanaimo bars from bakeries or at restaurants in Canada. I've never made them. They've mostly looked like this, more or less (operating from memory, because Canada hasn't been letting us in for nigh on a year now, no matter how close):
These are a couple of purportedly Canadian sources about Nanaimo bars, the first of which links to multiple recipes (one of which has the perceived-inauthentic rippled top layer):
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nanaimo-bar
https://smartcanucks.ca/great-canadian-foods-nanaimo-bars/
Help!
For the recipe at the bottom, does "cocoa" mean "hot cocoa powder" which has sugar, or "baking cocoa" which is unsweetened? It also calls for sugar so I'm thinking it's "baking cocoa."
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nanaimo-bar
Here is Joyce Hardcastle’s award-winning Nanaimo bar recipe:
For the bottom layer, melt a ½ cup unsalted butter (European style, cultured), a ¼ cup sugar, and 5 tablespoons cocoa in the top of a double boiler. Add 1 beaten egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in 1¾ cups graham wafer crumbs, 1 cup shredded coconut, and ½ cup finely chopped almonds. Press firmly into an 8" x 8" pan lined with parchment paper.
For the middle layer, cream ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons heavy cream or whipping cream, and 2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder. Gradually add 2 cups icing sugar to the creamed mixture. Beat until light and fluffy. Spread over bottom layer.
For the third layer, melt 4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each) and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour and smooth over second layer and chill in refrigerator. Cut into small squares to serve.
In the US, it would mean unsweetened cocoa powder. But I'm still not Canadian.
The stuff for making a hot, sweet drink would usually be called "Hot Cocoa Mix" or something similar, here.1 -
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for suggesting digestive cookies as a substitute for Graham crackers!
I've known about S'mores for many years now - thanks to movies and stuff - but we definitely don't have Graham crackers in Europe, so I thought I'd never get to try S'mores (and they look soooo yummy!).
We do use digestive cookies and other similar cookies as part of recipes (like a base layer), though, so I guess they are probably not so different.
2
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