Cuisine of Quebec

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Poutine was created in Centre-du-Québec.

The cuisine of Québec (also called "French Canadian cuisine" or "cuisine québécoise") is a national cuisine in the Canadian province of

Franco-Ontarians
.

Québec's cuisine descended from 17th-century

Québec's winters, soil fertility, teachings from First Nations, British cuisine, American cuisine
, historical trade relations and some immigrant cuisines.

Québec is home to many unique dishes and is most famous for its

sugar shacks
.

Québec is known for being the biggest producer of maple syrup on the planet, as 72% of the maple syrup sold in the world (and 90% sold in Canada) originates from Québec.[1] The province is also recognized for having created over 700 different kinds of cheese, some of which have won international contests.[2]

Food critic Jacob Richler wrote that Québec's cuisine is better defined than that of the rest of Canada, due to its language barrier with the dominant culture of the United States and having had more time to develop. Conversely, Québec's cuisine and Acadian cuisine have much in common due to proximity and a shared language and history.

History

The cuisine of Québec evolved from that of 17th-century

Gaspesia[5] and the tourtes salées of Poitiers into tourtières.[6][7]

Other foods that originate from France are pot-au-feu; blood sausage (boudin); head cheese (tête fromagée); plorine sausages; ham hock stew (ragoût de pattes de cochon); rabbit stew (civet de lapin); French toast (pain perdu or pain doré); and pastries like crêpes, beignets, croquignole biscuits, and tarts. As in France, pork is the most popular meat.

Québécois workers collecting and processing maple sap to create maple syrup.

From the moment they arrived in the early 17th century, French colonists always preferred their native cuisine. However, they learned some culinary techniques from the

Algonquins, Atikamekw and Iroquois. The most important ones were l’acériculture (the process of harvesting maple sap and creating maple syrup), ice fishing, and boucanage (in which fish or other meat is smoked for preservation and flavour).11

herbs, and lard were used for seasoning and salting. Pork and fish were boucanés(smoked), while other meats and vegetables were preserved in vinegar. These techniques are still practiced today, though not for survival. As game was so plentiful, pioneers and their descendants always hunted and fished
for sustenance.

By the 1670s, a substantial agrarian population had emerged in the region of Québec City, and French habits dominated. Meals almost always featured soup, bread, meat, and wine.[8] Since the climate made it difficult to grow grapes, wines were always imported from France.[9]12

The

meat pies
.

marché Bonsecours
in 1926.

Because tensions with the young

date squares.[10]4 The socio-economic standing of French Canadians also fell to deplorable levels; the intense poverty pushed them to simplify their meals. Recipes for bouillon were now almost nothing more than warm water. Alcoholic beverages were rarely consumed, and butter was either used sparingly or absent. Some famine foods like ploye
emerged during this period.

By the early 1900s, conditions had improved somewhat, though French Canadians were still poor. Most families would often eat a mix of potatoes and pork on their plate, which is still a staple combination today. During this period, the passenger pigeon, called tourte in French, also became extinct. Because this bird's meat had been used to fill the pie-like dishes known as tourtières, the tourtière recipe had to change. Farm-raised meats like beef and pork were usually chosen as the substitutes.3[11]

The

Montréal-style bagels.17

The 1950s saw many changes in the eating habits of the Québécois for a variety of reasons: many

refrigerators and larger supply chains. As a result, the homemade pain de ménage was replaced with store-bought sandwich bread6; many old cheese recipes were abandoned and new ones created; and spaghetti, pizza, turkey, bacon, sausages, industrial cheeses, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, coleslaw and lobster rolls
all become popular.

In the late 1950s, these changes brought about the creation of poutine—arguably the most famous Québécois dish—as well as other dishes, like hot chicken and guédilles.

The

.

From the 1980s to today, a desire for higher quality foods, more spending power, and an influence by immigrants from Europe —particularly

Ingredients

Game, seafood, and fish

Historical poverty led many families in Québec to hunt for substenance until the mid 20th century.19 Tourtières were stuffed with the meat of the tourte, or passenger pigeon, which used to be common and easy prey. But, by the early 20th century, the passenger pigeon became extinct due to overhunting, deforestation, and the Allee effect.11 Families had to replace the meat with whatever they had. As a result, most modern tourtières are filled with beef or pork.

Today, the consumption of game remains a tradition, although game is not sold in grocery stores. When available, Québécois eat meat from

Gaspesia
that are ready to be sold.

As for seafood,

scallops, and whelks (bourgots) are also caught.[17]

).

Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade holds a world-renowned festival every December to February called La pêche des petits poisons des chenaux, where ice fishers catch tomcods. Historically, starving French colonists learned ice fishing techniques from the Atikamekw—a privilege, as the technique was kept a secret from neighbouring First Nations.

Livestock

Pork is the meat used most often in Québécois recipes. Beef is also commonly used but has been losing popularity in recent years. In summer, beef commonly features in barbecues.

Québécois pigs are mostly hybrids of the

Brown Swiss cows are also milked.[21]

Chicken eggs are very popular and mostly used at breakfast and to make pastries. Turkey is traditionally served at Christmas and Thanksgiving with croutons and sage.[23] The Estrie region has produced duck since the early 20th century. Québec is also the only producer of foie gras in Canada, as well as its largest producer in North America.[24]

Horse is eaten very marginally- by less than 1% of Quebecois. Its consumption is taboo.[25]

Other meats include

leopard frogs).[26][27]

Spices, sweeteners and cereals

Spices common in traditional recipes are linked to local production and historical commerce:

savory, cloves, cinnamon, parsley, thyme, sage, nutmeg, quatres épices, chives, garlic, oregano and bay leaf.411 Thanks to globalisation, a wider selection of international spices are available today, like turmeric, curry powder, allspice, cumin, cayenne pepper, etc. In recent years, chefs have attempted to create excitement for the flavours of the boreal forest; among them are green alder pepper, sweetfern, caraway seed, sweetgale, and juniper berry
.

Saint-Damien-de-Bellechasse
.

The types of sugar used are

raisins are common ingredients in traditional recipes because of historical commerce with the Antilles and Brazil.11

Traditional and most common cereals are wheat, rice, oat and buckwheat.[28] Buckwheat became popular because it could grow well on the Canadian Shield.1 Nowadays, a few other cereals have managed to gain a small presence: quinoa, wild rice, chia seeds, and barley.

Fruits and vegetables

The most commonly used vegetables in traditional Québécois cuisine were those that can easily be preserved to last throughout the winter, either kept in a cool storage area like a

Fiddleheads
are gathered from the wild in the spring.

Frequently eaten berries are the

Cloudberries only grow in the wilds of the boreal forest, but are still gathered seasonally in northern communities. Finally, as these plants were banned on the continent in the early 20th century and were, with time, forgotten, all types of gooseberries or currants are virtually unknown to Quebecers.[31][32]

Other important locally-grown fruits are the

and others.

cremini variety. In recent years, morchella, chanterelle shiitake and enokis mushrooms have gained a small presence.[35]

Examples of unique dishes

Entrées or sides

  • Soupe aux gourganes.
    Soupe aux gourganes.
  • Quiaude made with Greenland halibut.
    Quiaude made with Greenland halibut.
  • Oreilles de crisse in a bowl.
    Oreilles de crisse in a bowl.
  • Breakfast with fèves au lard in a small bowl as a side.
    Breakfast with fèves au lard in a small bowl as a side.

Main course

  • Bouilli de légumes, also called Bouilli Québécois.
    Bouilli de légumes, also called Bouilli Québécois.
  • Pâté chinois is often eaten with ketchup.
    Pâté chinois is often eaten with ketchup.
  • Traditional pâté au saumon with pickles.
    Traditional pâté au saumon with pickles.
  • Quebec-style souvlaki pita (comparable to the Nova Scotian donair).
    Quebec-style souvlaki pita (comparable to the Nova Scotian donair).
  • A Quebec-style "hot chicken", topped with green peas.
    A Quebec-style "hot chicken", topped with green peas.
  • "Pizza-ghetti", a staple in many family restaurants and diners.
    "Pizza-ghetti", a staple in many family restaurants and diners.
  • Mix of ragoût de boulettes and ragoût de pattes de cochon with mashed potatoes.
    Mix of ragoût de boulettes and ragoût de pattes de cochon with mashed potatoes.
  • Gibelotte de Sorel is a soup eaten as a meal.
    Gibelotte de Sorel is a soup eaten as a meal.

Desserts

  • Beigne à l'ancienne—old-fashioned doughnuts
  • Beigne aux patates—potato doughnuts
  • Bonbons aux patates—potato candy[53]
  • Bûche de Noël
    —Yule log
  • Galette à la mélasse—molasses pancake[54]
  • Gâteau Reine Élisabeth—type of cake made with dates, walnuts and coconut icing[55]
  • Gâteau au pain d'épices—cake made with certain spices[56]
  • Grands-pères—wrinkly ball-shaped cake often covered with maple syrup or stuffed with a fruit-based filling
  • cinnamon buns
  • Pouding chomeur
    —white cake laying in a maple-syrup based pudding
  • Queue de castor
    —oval-shaped fried dough covered in a sweet garnish
  • Sucre à la crème—cubes of sugar, cream and brown sugar, similar to Scottish tablets
  • Tarte à la ferlouche—pie made with raisins, molasses and brown sugar
  • Tarte au sucre—pie made from a sugar-based filling[57]
  • Tarte au suif—pie made from a sweet beef-fat based filling[58]
  • Tire de la Sainte-Catherine—a kind of sweet taffy, created to celebrate the Saint Catherine of Alexandria
  • Tire sur neige
    —boiling maple sap laid on snow and rolled up on a popsicle stick
  • Trottoir—strawberry or blueberry-based pie whose upper crust has a pattern of rhombus-shaped holes[59]

Drinks

Poutine variants

Poutine is arguably the most famous Québécois dish.[

brown gravy in a shallow bowl. The cheese curds are usually at room temperature to prevent them from melting and losing their elasticity or "squeakiness". Poutine emerged in the Centre-du-Québec
area in the late 1950s. Its precise origins are uncertain as there are several cities and towns claiming to have invented the dish.

For many years, it was perceived negatively by English Canadians and mocked in English Canada.20 It was even used by some to stigmatize Québec society. But, it later became celebrated as a symbol of Québécois culture and the province of Québec. It has long been associated with Québec cuisine, and its rise in prominence has led to its popularity in the rest of Canada, in the northern United States, and internationally. Poutine has been called "Canada's national dish" though many believe this is cultural appropriation of Québécois and Québec's national identity, especially since Canada has mocked Québec for it, in the not-so-distant past. 2016

Because variants on the classic poutine have become widespread, many now consider poutine to be a dish class of its own. Some of the most commonly seen variants include: chicken poutine (chicken is added), hot dog poutine (hot dog is added), pulled pork poutine (pulled pork is added), smoked meat poutine (Montréal smoked meat is added), galvaude poutine (adds peas and turkey, and is associated with maritime Québec), all-dressed poutine (adds ingredients to imitate an all-dressed pizza), "Italian" poutine (which replaces gravy with bolognese sauce), and lobster poutine (lobster is added and gravy is substituted). Menus who list variants on the classic poutine can vary wildly between restaurants. Establishments who specialise in poutines usually offer many variants and are called poutineries.[60][61][62]

  • A classic poutine served in a cast-iron skillet.
    A classic poutine served in a cast-iron skillet.
  • A pulled pork poutine.
    A pulled pork poutine.
  • A hot dog poutine.
    A hot dog poutine.
  • A galvaude poutine.
    A galvaude poutine.
  • An all-dressed poutine.
    An all-dressed poutine.
  • A breakfast poutine with hollandaise sauce and bacon.
    A breakfast poutine with hollandaise sauce and bacon.
  • This poutine is named after Samuel de Champlain.
    This poutine is named after Samuel de Champlain.
  • This poutine is sold as a cure to hangovers.
    This poutine is sold as a cure to hangovers.

Cheeses

When Canada was part of the French Empire, colonials used their

Conquest of New France, the British began importing hard cheeses like Cheddar.15

In the 1960s, the banning of crude milk made most of the old cheese-making techniques and recipes, which up to that point had been successfully passed on for centuries, disappear and become forgotten. Only a few recipes remain. The Saint-Pierre, produced on l'

Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean regions. Nowadays, there are attempts to diversify the ways in which Cailles is consumed.[67]

There are some cheeses that were created by priests. Towards the end of the 19th century, a group of trappist monks were expelled from France and moved to Oka. One of them, who originated from Notre-Dame-du-Port-du-Salut, created a paste which was eventually used to mold the first Oka cheese. Benedictines were responsible for creating l’Ermite, a blue cheese, in 1943 at Saint-Benoît-du-Lac.[68]

Today, Québec creates over 700 different kinds of cheeses and is the biggest cheese producer in Canada.[69] Québecers enjoy many natively produced and imported hard cheeses, including hard cheeses flavored with beer or wine. Most soft cheeses are produced locally and many are artisanal.

  • The Paillasson. It is eaten grilled and is often paired with maple syrup.
    The Paillasson. It is eaten grilled and is often paired with maple syrup.
  • Oka cheese is now made in large factories.
    Oka cheese is now made in large factories.
  • Pied-De-Vent cheese is made from the milk of Canadienne cattle.
    Pied-De-Vent cheese is made from the milk of Canadienne cattle.
  • The Pikauba was created in 2005 in Hébertville.
    The
    Hébertville
    .
  • Le Riopelle de l'Isle is a triple-cream cheese named after Jean-Paul Riopelle.
    triple-cream cheese named after Jean-Paul Riopelle
    .
  • The Cendrillon won Best cheese in the world in the 2009 World Cheese Awards.
    The Cendrillon won Best cheese in the world in the 2009 World Cheese Awards.

Maple syrup