Cuisine of Quebec

Quebec's traditional cuisine is as rich and diverse as the province of Quebec itself. Food critic Jacob Richler wrote that Quebec's cuisine is better defined than that of Canada, due to a language barrier with the dominant culture of the United States and having had more time to develop.

A Classic poutine, such as this one from La Banquise, is made with french fries, cheese curds and gravy.
A bottle of maple syrup from Quebec, Canada.

Traditional cuisine

Quebec is most famous for its poutine, tourtières (meat pies), pâté chinois, pea soup, "fèves au lard" (fr) (baked beans with lard – similar to Boston baked beans), cretons spread, and desserts such as maple syrup-based grand-pères (fr), pouding chômeur and "tire Ste-Catherine" (St. Catherine's taffy). Spruce beer is also considered a traditional beverage. The strongest influences on traditional Quebec cuisine come from the cuisines of France and Ireland, as the two largest ethnic groups in the province are French and Irish, although many aspects of Canadian aboriginal cuisine have also had a significant impact on Quebec cuisine. Other European influences on Quebec cuisine include British, German, and Italian cuisines, since there are also significant populations of British, German, and Italian people in Quebec.

The sugar season (temps des sucres) is one of the oldest of Quebec culinary traditions. During springtime, many Québécois go to sugar shacks (cabanes à sucre) for a traditional meal that features eggs, baked beans, ham, oreilles de crisse, and bacon, which they then cover in maple syrup. Associated activities are a horse-drawn sleigh ride in the woods and sugar on snow (tire sur la neige) — boiled maple tree sap dribbled over snow, which then hardens, and is eaten as a treat.

Many traditional dishes are intrinsic to holidays. Réveillon, the Christmas Eve (or New Year's Eve) feast, usually features items like a bûche de Noël (Yule log) and tourtière.

See also

References

  • Armstrong, Julian (2001) A Taste of Quebec. Second Edition, Toronto: Macmillan, 214 pages ISBN 978-1-55335-005-7
  • Couillard, Suzette and Normand, Roseline (2002) Best Quebec Recipes of Bygone Days , L'Islet: Éditions Suzette Couillard, 367 pages ISBN 978-2-920368-06-4
  • Mongrain-Dontigny, Micheline (2003) A Taste of Maple : History and Recipes, Saint-Irénée: Éditions La Bonne recette, 127 pages ISBN 978-2-9804058-9-1
  • Mongrain-Dontigny, Micheline (1995) Traditional Quebec Cooking : A Treasure of Heirloom Recipes, La Tuque : Éditions La Bonne recette, 156 pages ISBN 978-2-9804058-2-2
  • Richler, Jacob (2012). My Canada Includes Fois Gras. Toronto: Viking Canada. ISBN 978-0-670-06582-0.
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