What is the name of the Canadian fried dough pastry shaped like a beaver’s tail? It is a BeaverTail.
A BeaverTail is hand-stretched fried dough made into a broad, flat oval that resembles the tail of Canada’s national animal. It is usually served warm with sweet toppings such as cinnamon sugar, chocolate-hazelnut spread, whipped cream, or fruit, although savory versions also exist.
The pastry became a commercial Canadian specialty through the BeaverTails chain. Grant and Pam Hooker sold the first pastries at the Killaloe Craft and Community Fair in Ontario in 1978, using a family recipe connected to Grant’s German grandmother. In 1980, they opened the first permanent stand at Ottawa’s ByWard Market.
BeaverTails is also the company’s trademarked brand name, which explains the frequent spelling confusion. “BeaverTail” identifies one pastry, while “BeaverTails” commonly refers to multiple pastries or the restaurant chain. It is not the same thing as a Timbits, butter tart, or Nanaimo bar: those are different Canadian foods with different shapes and histories.