Kosher food in Ontario

Posted: Wed, Jul 14 2010, 10:16 am Post subject: Kosher food in Ontario

We will be in the Oakville/Hamilton, On area camping. We dont want to have to bring too much stuff. We were thinking of shopping at the local super walmart.

Can somebody please tell me the availability of these items (kosher) in Ontario, and if I can probably get them at walmart (plz specify for each item)

bread (not PY)- and rolls
cereal
parmalat
graham crackers
peanut butter
fluff
jelly
tuna
mayo
katchup
salad dressing
sloppy joe sauce
potato chips
pasta
sauce

any other hints????

thanks
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~Rebecca
NYM 6/11/2004 Music

LTR 6/25/2009 Lady

"Knowledge works best when shared"

Silver Member Joined: May 27 2008 Posts: 733

Almost all of that could probably be bought in Walmart. As for bread, I'm sure you can find kosher brands in walmart as well (I only eat PY).
If you're willing to drive into Hamilton, there is a kosher deli (Westdale Delicatessen, on King St. W.) that carries lots of kosher items like rolls and snacks and the like. It's cash only though, if that makes a difference. Next door to him is also the kosher Butcher, if you want that.

Just keep in mind that the Hechsherim you'll most often see in Canada are COR (toronto) and MK (montreal)

Your best bet for one stop-everything shopping, incl. "jewish" kosher products is Fortino's @ Main St. and Rifle Range. It's quite the supermarket.

Posted: Wed, Jul 14 2010, 12:24 pm Post subject:

would only that one have the large kosher selection, or would the one in Oakville as well?

Posted: Wed, Jul 14 2010, 12:27 pm Post subject:

do you live in hamilton? We may be staying there for shabbos

Silver Member Joined: May 27 2008 Posts: 733

Oakville doesn't have a frum community, nor a particularly large Jewish one. That's what drives the demand for the large Kosher section. Your average kosher section in oakville will have Manischewitz products on the lines of soup mix and grape juice.

From where you will be to the Fortino's in Hamilton is approx. 20 minutes with traffic. The park is just inside Oakville municipal lines, and it's just down the highway from the Hamilton exit you need.

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 10 2005 Posts: 3401

I live in Toronto, Ontario and pretty much all those products are found in the regular (as in not specifically kosher) aisles in the supermarket. The exception may be the fluff since IIRC, it may be brought in from the US and has an OU on it. I've usually seen it in the specifically kosher aisle. And as the other poster mentioned, COR and MK are the main hechsherim here.

Silver Member Joined: May 27 2008 Posts: 733

Silver Member Joined: Nov 03 2009 Posts: 585

If you want to drive into Toronto, about 1 hour on the highway, you can get e/t you want - raw meats, prepared foods of all kinds, bakeries, pizza, fleish, groceries all sizes and shapes...
You can PM me for specific questions if you like.
You should know there are laws about bringing in meats. The thread on the Rockies trip was discussing this. In our experience, they sometimes ask and sometimes not. So if they do, decide what you will say... I think packaged, cooked, made in USA, stuff is ok. but good idea to check. there is likely a Kosher meat place in Hamilton also.
Enjoy the trip!!!

Moderator Joined: Dec 04 2005 Posts: 6206 Location: israel

We spent a couple years in Ontario....All the above were available in regular supermarkets with a hasgacha. The bread only showed up at the end of our stay there...

There is a small kosher supermarket/butcher in Hamilton..

Posted: Wed, Jul 14 2010, 8:50 pm Post subject:

thanks all

We are going to eb short on space in teh car, so I dont want to shhlep 4 loaves of bread (which cant be squished), 2 boxes of graham crackers, 3 boxes of cereal, etc. if I can help it

We are bringing some stuff, but what we dont tell customs wont hurt them- we need to bring it, since we wont have time to shop the 1st day

Silver Member Joined: May 27 2008 Posts: 733

Canadian customs could care less about most things. All they want to know is if you brought in alcohol or tobacco or bought anything at duty free...

Silver Member Joined: Nov 03 2009 Posts: 585

Don't forget your passports!!!

Gold Member Joined: Jul 14 2008 Posts: 2107

Here are my recommendations on what to bring with you (you may be able to find kosher at walmart, but just to be on the safe side....)

bread (not PY)- and rolls (either you won't find, or selection will be very limited)
parmalat (you mean milk? You'll find)
fluff (I doubt you'll find kosher. Bring!)
salad dressing (bring, or buy oil and lemon juice)
sloppy joe sauce
_________________

Executive Member Joined: Jun 30 2009 Posts: 497

Silver Member Joined: Nov 03 2009 Posts: 585

If you keep C"Y, you will only find it at a Kosher Store. Def in Toronto, not sure in Hamilton. Although the Walmart in Thornhill (just above Toronto) does have. You're prob best with soymilk, if you can manage.

Silver Member Joined: May 27 2008 Posts: 733

Ladies, Canada isn't exactly in the hicks. Sure, we speak funny sometimes and live in igloos but kosher products aren't so hard to find.

The fluff (need a kosher brand) and sauces and even CY milk and and all the other odds and ends, including breads and rolls, can all be found in the nearest major supermarket located in a major Jewishly observant neighborhood. Like I said, 20 minutes down the road from the park is the one supermarket in Hamilton that carries all that and more. If you drive 40 minutes in the other direction you can have many more such stores in Toronto.

Really, if you're ready to make a shopping trip the day after you get here, bring the basics and dont worry.

Silver Member Joined: Nov 03 2009 Posts: 585

you forgot the polar bears in our backyards!!! Laughing

Actually, it's around 100o now with the humidity; it doesn't snow ALL yr round.

Silver Member Joined: May 27 2008 Posts: 733

You have polar bears? we just have moose....
(and raccoons and the other day I saw a groundhog)

Silver Member Joined: Nov 03 2009 Posts: 585

Of course we have polar bears!! We're in Canada, aren't we???
in truth, 5 racoons were literally playing in my backyard last night!!!
(and we're hijacking the thread but it's fun Very Happy

)

Gold Member Joined: Apr 06 2006 Posts: 1492

First - skip the Super Walmart, and go to Real Canadian Superstore or No Frills instead. I'm not thrilled with the food selection at the Walmarts here. President's Choice and No Name products are available at Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills, Loblaws and Fortino's stores.

bread (not PY)- and rolls

- President's Choice wraps are kosher, as are most brands of pita. I buy Italian Home Bakery brand in Toronto, but I'm not sure that Hamilton would have it. For rye bread or challah, you'd need the kosher store in Hamilton.

cereal
- very easy to find, in either the major national brands or No Name/President's Choice. Cheerios, Corn Flakes, Shreddies, Bran Flakes, whatever - 90% of the stuff is kosher.

parmalat
- Neilson's milk is widely available, and it's kosher (not CY). Astro brand yogurt has a number of kosher varieties - check the containers. Neilson's, Western and Liberte also have kosher varieties, and are widely available. No Name has kosher cottage cheese, cream cheese and sour cream. Tre Stella has tablet K feta cheese (depending on how you feel about that hechsher). Hard cheeses will only be available at the kosher store in Hamilton.

graham crackers - not sure

peanut butter - President's Choice makes an AWESOME 100% peanut peanut butter, and it's kosher

fluff - kosher store only

BTW - the best store-bought chocolate chip cookies by far are President's Choice Decadent Chocolate Chip (dairy, not CY). Also, if you want to make s'mores, you can buy Decadent chocolate chunks, which are pareve and taste fantastic.

jelly - President's Choice twice the fruit is awesome

tuna - some varieties are, some aren't

mayo - Miracle Whip is kosher

katchup (spelled Ketchup here) - Heinz, President's Choice or No Name

salad dressing - I think that some varieties of Newman's Own are kosher. Otherwise, just buy olive oil and a lemon.

sloppy joe sauce - is this with meat? If so, you won't find it.

potato chips - Miss Vickie's, Pringles, most varieties of Lays, nacho chips from Shopper's Drug Mart, and some of the President's Choice varieties

pasta - Most major brands are kosher. President's Choice omega 3 line is my favorite (tastes like white, nutrition of whole wheat - similar to Barilla Plus).

sauce - No Name canned garlic pasta sauce is kosher. Otherwise, the majority of jarred sauces aren't.

Kraft and President's Choice both make kosher BBQ sauce.

For Asian/Indian/Thai sauces, try VH brand. Not too spicy, but it's kosher and available everywhere.

Of course, if you do make it to the Toronto area, you'll be in kosher food heaven in Thornhill. We even get folks from Rochester!