Stuff stockings with these made-in-Manitoba treats

Posted December 08, 2023 | Author Shel Zolkewich

Wondering what to get the foodie on your list? Stuff those stockings with made-in-Manitoba goodies!

Manitoba culinary makers have been busy creating delicious treats that make the perfect home-grown addition to those bursting stockings. And no one will fault you for buying a few treats for yourself!

Utoffeea

Cate Dyck started making small batches of her ooey-gooey good cashew-packed toffee for farmers’ markets. Since then, Utoffeea has expanded its line-up to include pecan spice, almond espresso and peanut butter varieties. Plus, they’ve added flavoured popcorns including seasonal faves like candy cane hot chocolate, gingerbread toffee and reindeer chow.

GET IT: Visit the shop in West St. Paul, open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Or visit a Manitoba retailer like Lagasse's Studio of Fine Art in Souris or The Green Spot Home & Garden in Brandon.

Tomahawk Chips




There’s a certain snap to Tomahawk Chips, the salty snacks made by the Native Canadian Chip Corporation and its founder Alfred Lea from Pine Dock. Regular, ketchup and BBQ are favourites but it’s the Fire Chip that’s a special treat. Each flavour features stunning Indigenous art on its bag. Get a second bag for yourself.

GET IT: Look for Tomahawk Chips at specialty food stores or order online.

Von Slick’s Finishing Butter

Small batches of butter infused with garlic, mushrooms, wild blueberries or olive tapenade make every dish sing with flavour. Since entering the market a few years ago, the creators of Von Slick’s have found their way into more than 80 retail locations. The circular shape and push-tub design will delight foodies on your list. Keep them in the freezer for long life.

GET IT: Miller’s Meats, DeLuca’s Specialty Foods and the Carver’s Knife in Winnipeg. In rural Manitoba, stock up at Brandon Co-op or Earl’s Meat Market in Steinbach.

Rocky Lake Birch Syrup

Rocky Lake Birchworks Ltd.

Rocky Lake Birchworks Ltd.

Johanna and Alan McLauchlan of Rocky Lake Birchworks based in The Pas collect every drop of sap from more than 2,500 birch trees, then transform the liquid into ridiculously delicious syrup. When it comes to birch sap, you’ll need around 120 gallons to make a single gallon of syrup. It’s a precious commodity, indeed. Fantastic as a glaze on meats, it’s even better as a topping on cheesecake with berries on the side.

GET IT: The Manitoba Museum and Chocolatier Constance Popp stocks the syrups in Winnipeg. Product is available in several shops across Northern Manitoba or order online.

Purple Blossom Gin

Patent 5 Distillery is tucked inside a former stable that houses the distillery and snug cocktail bar. The line-up of spirits includes gins, whiskeys, liqueurs and vodkas—many made from local ingredients. The purple blossom gin is a colourful concoction that includes Manitoba violet and rose petals and changes colour in cocktails thanks to Thai butterfly pea flower. The 200 ml size makes the perfect stocking stuffer.

GET IT: The distillery in Winnipeg is open from Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm. Most varieties are stocked at Manitoba Liquor Marts province-wide

Elman’s Pickles

For eight decades, Elman’s Kosher Deli Foods has been packing pickles from its North End Winnipeg shop, much to the delight of those in search of a great pickle. The star of the line-up is Baba’s Cured Pickles, based on a traditional Polish recipe that contains no vinegar. They also make pickled eggs, horseradish, sauerkraut and herring—as well as a rather bold hot mustard.

GET IT: Elman’s products are stocked at select grocery and butcher shops throughout Manitoba.

Bothwell Cheese

Award-winning Bothwell Cheese comes in more than two dozen flavours, including lactose-free options like Cheddar and Jalapeno Monterey Jack. The premium line includes the decadent Black Truffle Monterey Jack and Maple Smoked Extra Old Cheddar. For those who like a little kick, Red Hot Chili Pepper Jack certainly delivers.

GET IT: There’s Fromagerie Bothwell in Winnipeg’s St. Boniface neighbourhood or take the drive to the factory cheese shop in New Bothwell. Bothwell Cheese is also widely available at Safeway, Sobeys and most major grocery stores in Manitoba.

Morden’s Russian Mints

These local favourites have been melting in mouths for decades. Be warned that when you pop into the Sargent Avenue store in Winnipeg’s West End to pick up a box, you’ll likely leave with much more, including dark-chocolate-covered ginger, freshly roasted cashews or those addictive toasted coconut-covered marshmallows. But the Russian Mints are truly a classic, making minty chocolate lovers smile.

GET IT: Stock into Morden’s of Winnipeg on Sargent Avenue in Winnipeg. The mints are also stocked at gift shops and grocery stores throughout the province.

Last, but not least…

Honey Dill Hot Sauce

Known for its tantalizing and deep fruity flavours, 1882 Fruit-Based Hot Sauce teamed up with Travel Manitoba recently to create a truly provincial favourite—honey dill hot sauce. Sweet, dilly and with plenty of heat, your chicken fingers and French fries will thank you.

GET IT: Head over to shoptravelmb.ca to add one, two or three to your cart.

About The Author

A journalist by trade and an adventurer at heart, my career has included stints as a reporter, magazine writer, editor, food stylist, television cook and digital marketer. I am always collecting stories about Manitoba, whether I’m on assignment or not.

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