Canadian prime ministers have made decisions over everything from budgets to foreign policy, but their tastes at the dinner table can be surprisingly down to earth. From Justin Trudeau's fondness for pâté chinois to Stephen Harper's spicy take on lasagna, these food choices offer a more personal glimpse of the people who have occupied 24 Sussex Drive and the Prime Minister's Office.
Justin Trudeau - Pâté chinois
Justin Trudeau has actually named his childhood favourite: pâté chinois, the French-Canadian dish made with ground beef, corn and mashed potatoes. During a 2016 Twitter Q&A marking his first 100 days as prime minister, he described a good pâté chinois as his favourite childhood meal and specifically said he preferred it with potatoes and corn, without little carrots. That makes this one of the clearest documented food favourites connected to a Canadian prime minister.
Stephen Harper - Spicy Mexican-Style Lasagna
Stephen Harper's food preferences were less about a single classic Canadian dish and more about heat. His wife, Laureen Harper, shared that he had created his own version of her hearty lasagna, adding Mexican-style ingredients such as salsa and pickled jalapeños. She also described him as a serious fan of spicy food, saying he could have as many as 30 hot sauces in the kitchen. His lasagna became a particularly memorable family favourite.
Pierre Trudeau - Minced Steak and Chocolate Cream
Pierre Trudeau's dining habits could be surprisingly straightforward. A description of his regular order at the grill rooms frequented by Ottawa's political crowd lists minced steak cooked medium rare, sliced tomatoes and black coffee, followed by a rich chocolate cream dessert. It is a useful glimpse into the former prime minister's personal tastes: unfussy savoury food, strong coffee and an indulgent finish rather than an elaborate political banquet
John Diefenbaker - Prairie Home Cooking
John Diefenbaker's connection to food was rooted in the Prairie cooking of his childhood. His family ate foods such as rabbit, fish, wildfowl, prairie chicken, domestic chicken, potatoes, garden vegetables, cured ham and Mennonite sausage after moving to Saskatchewan. His mother Mary was known as an excellent cook, and Diefenbaker kept her well-used cookbook. His childhood table reflected the practical, hearty food of Prairie life.
Lester B. Pearson - Coffee and Doughnuts
Lester B. Pearson's political life included an unusually familiar combination: coffee and doughnuts. In his memoirs, Pearson recalled how campaign stops in northern Ontario routinely involved being offered coffee and doughnuts, sometimes every hour or two. His wife, Maryon, even joked during one campaign that she wanted "twelve cups of coffee and eight doughnuts" brought in for the group. It became one of the more memorable food anecdotes associated with the former prime minister.
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