Poutine (; Quebec French: [put?s?n] ( listen)) is a Canadian dish originating from the province of Quebec, originally made with French fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. The dish emerged in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec area. For most of its existence, poutine was negatively perceived and mocked, which is in drastic contrast with its later popularity. In the past, poutine was even used as a means of stigmatization against the Quebec society. Today, poutine is celebrated both within Quebec and throughout the rest of Canada. It has also gained popularity in the United States. Poutine festivals are held in Drummondville, Montreal, and Quebec City, as well as in Toronto, Ottawa, Chicago and New Hampshire. Poutine is now served using different toppings and ingredients beyond the original French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. Nicolas Fabien-Ouellet, the author of "Poutine Dynamics" (a peer-reviewed article published in the journal CuiZine), suggests that with its increasing variations, poutine has emerged as a new dish classification in its own right, just like sandwiches, dumplings, soups and flatbreads.
Video Poutine
Origins
The dish originated in the Centre-du-Québec area in the late 1950s. Several restaurants from the area claim to be the inventor of the dish (Le Roy Jucep in Drummondville, Le Lutin qui rit in Warwick and La Petite Vache in Princeville) but no consensus exists. Poutine was originally consumed in small "greasy spoon" type diners (commonly known as cantines or casse-croûtes in Quebec) and pubs, as well as by roadside chip wagons (commonly known as cabanes à patates, literally "potato shacks") and in hockey arenas. Today, poutine is found in all types of restaurants.
Maps Poutine
Le Roy Jucep, Drummondville
The most likely source of the poutine would be Drummondville. A restaurant in this town called Le Roy Jucep appears as the inventor of the poutine. Indeed, the restaurant has registered a trademark which states that "The Roy Jucep" invented poutine. Jean-Paul Roy, owner of this restaurant in 1964, is the first to have served the poutine as we know it today "fried potatoes, cheese and sauce". Hence the fact that it claims to be the first to have sold but not being the inventor,. The name would come from a mixture of a distortion of the English word pudding and the nickname of the Ti-Poutcook. Mr. Roy, according to his testimony, started serving cheese with fries and sauce after the regular request of three people. Jean-Paul Roy died in August 2007 in Drummondville. The official patent, granted by the Canadian federal government, is posted in the restaurant.
Le Lutin qui rit, Warwick
One often-cited tale is that of Warwick restaurateur Fernand Lachance of Le Café Ideal, who is said in 1957 to have exclaimed, "ça va faire une maudite poutine!" ("It will make a damn mess!") when asked by restaurant regular Eddy Lainesse to put a handful of cheese curds on some french fries, hence the name. The sauce was allegedly added later, in 1962, to keep the fries warm longer.
La Petite Vache, Princeville
Another legend is that the birth of poutine took place in Princeville at the restaurant La Petite Vache, founded in 1966 by Henri Provencher. At that time, the Princesse cheese factory (now located in Plessisville) produced grain cheese but did not have a retail kiosk. La Petite Vache being located in a building adjacent to the cheese factory, they began selling fresh cheese at the restaurant's cash desk. An assiduous customer came to the restaurant and ordered french fries and bought a sack of cheese curds, then went to his table, opened the bag and mixed the cheese in with his fries. Max Sévigny, who owned the restaurant, confirmed in November 2010 that the original designation was 50-50 referring to a mixture of 50% fries and 50% cheese. The sauce was then included, and the name "mixed" was adopted. The 50-50 made its appearance in the first year of operation of La Petite Vache. For several years, in the cities of Plessisville, Princeville and Victoriaville, the poutine was known as a "mixed". It was only when large chains began to sell this product that the name "poutine" appeared; probably in connection with other dishes also called poutines and made from potatoes. The name "mixed" continued to be used for several years in the above-named cities even after the word poutine was widely spread.
Etymology
The Dictionnaire historique du français québécois lists 15 different meanings of poutine in Quebec and Acadian French, most of which are for kinds of food; the word poutine in the meaning "fries with cheese and gravy" is dated to 1982. Other senses of the word have been in use since at least 1810.
While the exact provenance of the word "poutine" is uncertain, some attribute it to the English word pudding. Among its various culinary senses, that of "a dessert made from flour or bread crumbs" most clearly shows this influence; the word pouding, borrowed from the English pudding, is in fact a synonym in this sense. The pejorative meaning "fat person" of poutine (used especially in speaking of a woman) is believed to derive from the English pudding "a person or thing resembling a pudding" or "stout, thick-set person".
In other meanings of poutine, the existence of a relation to the English word pudding is uncertain. One of these additional meanings--the one from which the name of the dish with fries is thought to derive--is "unappetizing mixture of various foods, usually leftovers". This sense may also have given rise to the meaning "complicated business, complex organization; set of operations whose management is difficult or problematic".
The Dictionnaire historique mentions the possibility that the form poutine is simply a gallicization of the word pudding. However, it considers it more likely that it was inherited from regional languages spoken in France, and that some of its meanings resulted from the later influence of the similar-sounding English word pudding. It cites the Provençal forms poutingo "bad stew" and poutité "hodgepodge" or "crushed fruit or foods"; poutringo "mixture of various things" in Languedocien; and poutringue, potringa "bad stew" in Franche-Comté as possibly related to poutine. The meaning "fries with cheese and gravy" of poutine is among those held as probably unrelated to pudding provided the latter view is correct.
According to Merriam-Webster, a popular etymology is that poutine is from a Québécois slang word meaning "mess".
Recipe
In the basic recipe for poutine, French fries are covered with fresh cheese curds, and topped with brown gravy. In a traditional Quebec poutine:
- French fries: Usually of medium thickness, and fried (sometimes twice) such that the inside stays soft, while the outside is crispy.
- Cheese curds: Fresh cheese curds are used to give the desired texture. The curd size may vary but is usually slightly smaller than bite-sized. Poutine cheese curds are different from regular ones in that they are not produced by cheddaring (weighting and pressing to squeeze out whey and to firm them). Instead, poutine's "squeaky" cheese curds are cooked, then allowed to cure to develop tanginess.
- Brown gravy: Traditionally a light and thin chicken, veal, or turkey gravy, somewhat salty and mildly spiced with a hint of pepper, or a sauce brune which is a combination of beef and chicken stock, a variant originating in Quebec. The gravy should be substantial, but still thin enough to easily filter down into the mass of fries and cheese curds. These sauces typically also contain vinegar or a sour flavouring to balance the richness of the cheese and fries. Traditional poutine sauces (mélange à sauce poutine) are sold in Quebec, Ontario, and Maritime grocery stores in jars or cans and in powdered mix packets; some grocery chains like Sobeys even offer their own house brand versions. Many places also offer vegetarian gravy as an option to cater to vegetarians.
Heavy beef- or pork-based brown gravies are rarely used. To maintain the texture of the fries, the cheese curd and gravy are added immediately prior to serving the dish. The hot gravy is usually poured over the room-temperature cheese curds, so that the cheese is warmed without completely melting. It is important to control the temperature, timing and the order in which the ingredients are added, so as to obtain the right food textures which is an essential part of the experience of eating poutine.
Variations
There are many variations of poutine. Some restaurants offer poutine with such toppings as sausage, chicken, bacon, brisket or Montreal-style smoked meat. Some poutineries even boast dozens of variations of poutine. More upscale poutine with three-pepper sauce, merguez sausage, foie gras or even caviar and truffle can be found, a pre-Millennium trend that is credited to David MacMillan of 'Joe Beef' and 'Globe' restaurants fame. Some variations eliminate the cheese, but most Québécois would call such a dish a frite sauce ("french fries with sauce") rather than poutine. Shawinigan and some other regions have patate-sauce-choux where shredded raw cabbage replaces cheese. Fast food combination meals in Canada often have the options of getting french fries "poutinized" by adding cheese curds (or shredded cheese in the Prairies and Western Canada) and gravy, or subbing the fries for a poutine.
Sweet potato has been used to be a healthy alternative to french fries. The idea of adding dietary fiber and vitamins to this classic dish is widely endorsed by the public. Crinkle-cut fries may be used as well.
Chains such as Smoke's Poutinerie, New York Fries, McDonald's, Wendy's, A&W, KFC, Burger King, Harvey's, Mary Brown's, and Wahlburgers restaurants also sell poutine in Quebec and the rest of Canada (although not always country-wide).
Poutine is found in northern border regions of the United States such as New England, the Northeastern United States, the Pacific Northwest and the Upper Midwest. These regions offer further variations of the basic dish, referred to as disco fries. Cheeses other than fresh curds are commonly used (most often mozzarella cheese), along with beef, brown or turkey gravy. Disco fries were popularized in New Jersey in the 1940s but gained their name in the 1970s for being a favorite of late-night diners, who often came from dancing at a discotheque. In the country culture, a mixed fry can also come with cooked ground beef on top and is referred to as a hamburger mix, though this is less popular than a regular mix.
Similar dishes
Chips and gravy is a staple of the cheaper bistro-style menus, in such places as Royal Canadian Legion and Workers Clubs.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, most non-national chain restaurants serve a traditional dish called chips, dressing and gravy. "Dressing" is a mixture of mainly white bread crumbs and savoury and is often referred to as "stuffing" outside of Atlantic Canada. Chips, dressing and gravy is served much like poutine, except for the dressing substituting for the cheese. While loved by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, the dish is not very widely known of outside the Canadian province, and within pockets of NL exiles.
In Prince Edward Island, a common dish is "Fries with the Works" which is fries topped with gravy, ground beef, and green peas.
The "Garbage Plate"
Started in 1918 by Nick Tahou Hots in Rochester, New York, the "plate" as called is made up of a choice of two base sides (mac salad, home fries, baked beans, and French fries), two meats (cheese burger, hamburger, red hot dog, white hot dog, fried egg, chicken fingers or fish) covered with meat sauce and served with a piece of bread. The sauce is a meat gravy similar to chili but with a kick. Rumor has it that Nick was commonly asked by college students to make a plate "with all the garbage on it".
Over the last 100 years it has become a staple of eateries throughout Rochester and all throughout upstate NY. It is rumored that there is a small scale operation as far away as McLoud, Oklahoma serving this dish on rare and limited occasions.
Others
Disco Fries, also known as "Elvis Fries", served in New Jersey and some New York City diners, are made with brown gravy, mozzarella, and heavier steak fries. In Westchester County, diners serve disco fries as waffle fries with gravy under melted processed mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Elsewhere in the greater New York City area and Long Island, diners serve "cheese fries", using either American (processed) cheese or mozzarella. Diners in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut serve "gravy-cheese-fries" or even "french fries with cheese and gravy"; these are most commonly steak fries, brown gravy, and either shredded American cheese, or an American cheese sauce or spread, such as Cheez Whiz or Velveeta.
"Chili Cheese Fries" are served in Coney Island restaurants around Detroit, Michigan. Shoestring French Fries are covered with the hot dog sauce ("chili" sauce) unique to the Detroit area, then covered with shredded cheddar cheese.
In Southern California, the fast food chain Tommy's has a thick, brown-gravy-based meat chili, and the ingredients of their chili cheese fries are comparable to those of poutine. The chili is thicker, however, and the cheese is American cheese.
Cheese fries are also served in many diners in the American Southwest; in Texas, for example, they usually include at least one variety of grated Cheddar cheese, and are commonly served with ranch dressing and, sometimes, bacon, jalapeños and chives, whereas in New Mexico, the fries are typically served with green chile and cheese, creating a dish that combines two Southwest favorites, french fries and chile con queso. The secret menu at In-N-Out Burger includes "animal style fries", a dish consisting of cheese, grilled onions, and the chain's "secret sauce" over fries. Around Chicago in Northern Illinois, up though Wisconsin and into Minnesota, cheese fries are often made using a natural cheddar spread such as Merkt's brand, which has an intense flavor and distinctive texture. Chili cheese fries are a common variation.
Boo fries (cheese, french fries and gravy) are found in New Orleans. Also known as Debris fries by some in New Orleans (fries, roast beef debris "gravy" and cheese).
Carne asada fries have become popular in Southern California, consisting of a combination of fries, carne asada (grilled, marinated steak-strips), beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa and cheese.
In Adelaide, Australia, chips, topped with yiros meat, tomato, barbecue and garlic sauce are served as "AB". Elsewhere in Australia, a similar dish known as a halal snack pack is often served in Turkish kebab shops, which differs from the AB in that it uses döner meat, and is typically topped with cheese, as well as barbecue, chilli and garlic sauces.
Chips, cheese and gravy
In the United Kingdom and Isle of Man (particularly the north of England and Scotland), a notably similar dish is called chips, cheese and gravy or Cheesy chips with Gravy. That dish is common in chip shops, and other small, local fast food stores, and consists of thick-cut chips and shredded cheddar cheese (and sometimes a 50/50 mix of cheddar and mozzarella cheese), topped with thick gravy. A variant is sometimes made with curry sauce instead of gravy.
Cultural aspect
A cultural marker, poutine has long been Quebec's adored junk food before spreading out across the rest of Canada and the USA. It is said to be "the perfect thing after a night of drinking".
Poutine served as a comfort food for the local community after the Lac-Megantic derailment. Three varieties are offered at the Le Cellier Steakhouse at Epcot Center's Canada pavilion.
In May 2014, the word "poutine" was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary of the English language.
In 2007, the CBC declared the outcome of an online survey on the greatest Canadian inventions of all time. Poutine arrived at No. 10, beating, among other items, the electron microscope, the BlackBerry, and the paint roller.
Poutine has been a highlight of the London, UK, "Canada Day" celebrations in Trafalgar Square for several years.
However, poutine has since made inroads into proper culinary circles, challenging its junk food status. Thus in 2011, well-known chef Chuck Hughes won on Iron Chef America (episode 2 of season 9) by beating out his heavyweight competitor Bobby Flay with a plate of lobster poutine.
In 2013, Jones Soda Co., originally a Canadian company but now based in the USA, created a poutine-flavored limited-edition soft drink, which got international pop culture attention.
In 2014, bacon-poutine was one of four flavours selected as a finalist in the Lay's Canada 'Do Us A Flavour' potato chip contest, although it did not win that competition. However, Lay's has since added a bacon-poutine variety in its 'Canada' entry for the 'World Flavourites', and Loblaws' President's Choice and Ruffles brands offer poutine-flavored potato chips in Canada.
Smoke's Poutinerie sponsors a world poutine eating championship, and also a cross-Canada poutine eating tour.
Montreal hosts a competitive "La Poutine Week" every year in February. Members of the public can download an app in order to rate the poutines they have tried. Ottawa-Gatineau, Toronto, Calgary, Quebec City, Sherbrooke and others similarly hold their own weeks. Some United States cities such as Chicago, IL, and Knoxville, TN, have festivals also.
Social mobility and Canadization
The social status of poutine has dramatically evolved since its origin in rural Quebec in the 1950s. The dish was long mocked as a culinary invention and even used as a means of stigmatization used against the Quebec society to reduce its legitimacy. While the first generations that suffered from the poutine stigma opted to disidentify with the dish, Quebec youth has recently been operating a reappropriation of poutine to positively revalue the dish as a symbol of Quebecois cultural pride. Today, the dish is celebrated in many annual poutine festivals in Quebec, the rest of Canada, and in the United States. In March 2016 poutine was served at the White House during the first State Dinner between Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau.
The evolution of the different symbols associated with poutine were first studied by Charles-Alexandre Théorêt in Maudite Poutine!. Théorêt revisited many of these stigmas in an interview given at Tout le monde en parle on November 11, 2007.
As poutine gained popularity outside Quebec provincial borders in the mid-2000s, the dish gradually stopped being mocked and was eventually introduced into the popular discourse and symbol of Canadian nationalism. Today, the dish is often presented as being of Canadian cuisine, even as Canada's national dish. Nicolas Fabien-Ouellet, the author of "Poutine Dynamics" (a peer-reviewed article published in the journal CuiZine) has established that such "Canadization" of poutine constitutes cultural appropriation, despite the fact that Quebec is part of Canada. This "appropriation" is not linked to its preparation or consumption outside Quebec provincial borders per se, but strictly to its presentation as a Canadian dish instead of Quebecois dish, even though Quebec is a province of Canada, which would technically make the dish not only Quebecois, but also Canadian, since all Quebecois are Canadians.
In politics
In a Talking to Americans segment on the Canadian mock television news show This Hour Has 22 Minutes during the 2000 American election, comedian Rick Mercer posed as a reporter and asked several people (including then-Texas governor George W. Bush) what they thought of "Prime Minister Jean Poutine" and his endorsement of Bush for president. (The Prime Minister of Canada at the time was Jean Chrétien.) None of the interviewees noticed the insertion of "Poutine". A few years later when Bush made his first official visit to Canada as President, he joked during a speech, "I told [Prime Minister] Paul [Martin] that I really have only one regret about this visit to Canada. There's a prominent citizen who endorsed me in the 2000 election, and I wanted a chance to finally thank him for that endorsement. I was hoping to meet Jean Poutine." The remark was met with laughter and applause.
During the 2011 Canadian federal election voter suppression scandal, misleading phone calls registered to a "Pierre Poutine" of "Separatist Street" in Joliette, Quebec, were made in at least 14 ridings, including Guelph, Ontario. The fraudulent calls directed voters to the wrong polling stations. Through court orders of document releases from Rogers Communications the source of the calls was eventually traced and appeared to correspond to the campaign office of Conservative Party of Canada candidate Marty Burke.
Belgian Prime Minister, Charles Michel, had a Canadian lunch with Justin Trudeau on June 16, 2017, where they ate hotdogs and poutine. However, Charles Michel tweeted later that this was "A great way to meet a dear friend though our fries are better" (and it is a well known claim that potato fries were invented in Belgium and are famous around the world as Belgian frites).
See also
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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