It鈥檚 been quite a few weeks for the Nanaimo bar.
First, the famed three-layer dessert , so to speak, in The New York Times.
Now, it鈥檚 getting its own stamp of approval.
Canada Post plans to release stamps of the Nanaimo bar and four other Canadian desserts from across the country next week.
The Sweet Canada stamp issue features butter tarts from Ontario, sugar pie from Quebec, blueberry grunt from the East Coast, Saskatoon berry pie from the Prairies as well as Nanaimo bars.
鈥淩ich and chocolatey Nanaimo bars have been associated with their namesake Vancouver Island city since the no-bake recipe first appeared there in the 1950s,鈥� Canada Post announced on its website.
The issue date for the stamps is set for April 17.
Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog savoured the news when told Thursday of the new stamp.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be prouder than to have the dessert recognized as one of Nanaimo鈥檚 many contributions to the world,鈥� he said.
The former MLA for Nanaimo credited the bar鈥檚 surge in popularity of late to its unparalleled taste.
鈥淚t鈥檚 popular because it鈥檚 really good,鈥� he said, noting that Nanaimo bars were on the menu when then-U.S. president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, hosted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gr茅goire-Trudeau, for a state dinner in 2016.
鈥淚t is a signature dessert for this country, up there with the famous butter tart and the other desserts,鈥� Krog said. 鈥淚 always say to everybody, whenever I鈥檓 at an event if there鈥檚 Nanaimo bar: 鈥楤e patriotic. Eat some Nanaimo bar.鈥� 鈥�
The City of Nanaimo鈥檚 website describes the bar鈥檚 history as 鈥渆lusive鈥� and 鈥渟hrouded in mystery.鈥�
鈥淥f course, we know that Nanaimo bars originated in Nanaimo, or they would be called New York bars or New Brunswick bars,鈥� the site says.
As for the best way to make one, Krog holds to the results of a 1986 competition to find the ultimate Nanaimo bar recipe. The contest, spearheaded by then-mayor Graeme Roberts, was won by Joyce Hardcastle.
鈥淭hat is THE recipe,鈥� Krog said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 the recipe you want to make.鈥�
