French-Canadian Cuisine

The cuisine of Québec (also called "French Canadian cuisine" or "cuisine québécoise") is a national cuisine in the Canadian province of Québec. It is also cooked by Franco-Ontarians.

Québec's cuisine is descended from 16th-century French cuisine and began to develop in New France from the labour-intensive nature of colonial life, the seasonality of ingredients and the need to conserve resources. It has been influenced by the province's history of fur trading and hunting, as well as 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 poutine, ''tourtières'', '' pâté chinois'', pea soup, '' fèves au lard'', ''cretons'' and desserts such as ''grands-pères'', ''pouding chômeur'' and St. Catherine's taffy. Québec's unique dishes are the traditional fare of the holidays, as well as the ''temps des sucres'', a time in March where families go to 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. The province is also recognized for having created over 700 different kinds of cheese, some of which have won international contests.

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 16th-century Northern France. It also retains some heritage from Poitevin cuisine: many Québecois make ''pâté marmite''; ''soupe aux gourganes'', which is based on ''gourgane'' beans, a strain of fava bean; and soups based on other legumes. Charentaise chowders (''chaudrées charentaises'') have evolved into the ''quiaudes'' of Gaspesia and the '' tourtes salées'' of Poitiers into '' tourtières''.

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.

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).

Food preservation was always important in pioneer times, due to long winters and to the frequent voyages of ''coureurs des bois''. Butter, herbs, and lard were used for seasoning and salting. Pork and fish were ''boucanés'', while other meats and vegetables were preserved in vinegar. These techniques are still practiced today, though not for survival. Pioneers and their descendants also 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. Since the climate made it difficult to grow grapes, wines were always imported from France.

The Conquest of New France in 1760 brought some culinary changes to Québec. One of the immediate effects was the elimination of wine, as it could no longer be imported from France. Another major change was the importation of the potato, which, in only a few decades, became a staple ingredient in Québec, dethroning bread in popularity. Sugar consumption also increased. Finally, the British imported many recipes like mashed potatoes, crumble, and meat pies.

The period following the Aroostook War in 1839 resulted in increased interaction between Québec and New England. Some recipes inspired by the cultural exchange included '' fèves au lard'', ''ketchup maison'', and date squares. 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 pastries known as '' tourtières'', the ''tourtière'' recipe had to change. Mostly, farm-raised meats like beef and pork were used as the substitutes.

The Great Depression of the 1930s saw the creation of new recipes like '' pâté chinois'' ("Chinese pie") and ''pouding chômeur'' ("unemployed man's pudding") that were delicious and cost-conscious. Immigration after this period diversified; immigrants no longer came only from the British Isles but also from other parts of Europe. Jewish specialties like bagels and Eastern Europe-style smoked meat became popular, resulting in the creation of Montréal-style smoked meat and Montréal-style bagels.

The 1950s saw many changes in the eating habits of the Québécois, for a variety of reasons. Many American fast-food companies and restaurants expanded in Québec, raw milk was banned, many fruits and vegetables became available throughout the year, and Québécois no longer needed to hunt and fish for sustenance. As a result, the ''pain de ménage'' ("household bread"), the traditional Québécois bread, was replaced with ''pain à sandwich''; many old cheese recipes were abandoned and new ones created; and spaghetti, pizza, turkey, bacon, sausages, industrial cheeses, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, coleslaw, 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 Quiet Revolution of the 1960s to 1970s greatly improved the socio-economic standing of French Canadians. This allowed them to have a more diverse diet. It also set the stage for high-quality products to be created in Québec and for the emergence of Québécois restaurants, like Lafleur, Valentine, La Belle Province, Chez Ashton, Chez Cora and St-Hubert.

From the 1980s to today, the various regions of Québec have been developing unique regional dishes and products like native varieties of wine and cheese. Immigration from Europe, particularly Italy and Greece in the mid- to late twentieth century, and more recently France and Portugal, has given rise to the creation and production of high-quality cheeses and alcoholic beverages across Québec and a return to recipes of the ''terroir''.

Ingredients

Game, seafood, and fish

Historical poverty led many families in Québec to hunt in order to feed themselves until the 1950s. ''Tourtières'', as noted above, were historically stuffed with the meat of the ''tourte'', or passenger pigeon, which was common and easy prey for early Québécois. It is said that they flew in such large flocks, a hunter needed only to point his gun upward to bring one down. But, by the early 20th century, the passenger pigeon became extinct due to overhunting, deforestation, and the Allee effect.

Subsequently, families instead used whatever meat they had on hand, usually from livestock. 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 moose, deer, hares, ruffed grouse, or waterfowl rather than that of livestock. Game is also sometimes given as a gift.

As for seafood, lobster and crab are caught in Gaspesia, la Côte-Nord, and the Magdalen Islands to be sold to the rest of Québec. Shrimp is often marketed as ''crevette de Matane'' after the shrimp-processing factory in the town of Matane. However, the shrimp themselves are caught in several villages on the Saint Lawrence River estuary. Mussels, oysters, scallops, and whelks (''bourgots'') are also caught.

Salmon and trout are the most popular fish in Québec. The brook trout is nearly ubiquitous, salmon is farmed and can be caught in 118 different rivers, and Arctic char is present across nearly 100 lakes. Other fished species include lake trout, yellow perch, walleye, muskellunge, Northern pike, micropterus, rainbow smelt, Greenland halibut, mackerel, lake sturgeon, lake whitefish, Atlantic cod (Eastern Québec), Atlantic herring (Eastern Québec), American eel (between Trois-Rivières and Cap-Chat), '' ouananiche'' (a kind of freshwater salmon; Lac Saint-Jean), frostfish ( Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade), deepwater redfish ( Saguenay fjords), capelin (coastal villages), and brown bullhead ( Îles de Sorel).

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. While horse meat is consumed marginally, Québec is still the place in North America where it is most commonly eaten.

Québécois pigs are mostly hybrids of the duroc, Yorkshire, and American Landrace breeds. The cattle are also hybrids of many breeds; the Aberdeen Angus, Charolais, and Limousin are the most common. Despite the large cattle population, Québec imports most of its beef from the Canadian West, using its own cattle mostly for dairy. Milk production is dominated by the Holstein, but Jersey or Brown Swiss cows are also milked. The Canadienne is an ancestral breed of Québécois cattle that was once widely raised in the province. There are still a few hundred of these cows left in the Charlevoix and Magdalen Islands regions. Their milk is used in artisanal cheeses.

Poultry is very commonly consumed in Québec. The most popular types are chicken and turkey. The ancestral Chantecler chicken, developed in Oka the early 20th century, is now on the market once again. Turkey is traditionally served at Christmas and Thanksgiving with croutons and sage. Chicken eggs are very popular and mostly used at breakfast and to make pastries. 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.

Other meats include lamb, veal, and frog legs (from American bullfrogs and leopard frogs).

Spices, vegetables, and fruits

Québécois cook with butter. Salt can replace or be combined with herbs for seasoning. Spices common in traditional recipes are linked to local production and historical commerce: savory, cloves, cinnamon, parsley, thyme, sage, nutmeg, '' quatres épices'', and bay leaf. In recent years, spices with provenance in the boreal forest have appeared on Québécois tables, among them green alder pepper (''poivre des dunes'' or ''poivre d'aulne''), sweetfern (''comptonie voyageuse''), caraway seed (''carvi sauvage''), sweetgale, and juniper berry. Chefs create interest in and excitement for these new flavours in cooking.

Maple syrup is used to sweeten breakfasts, meats, and pastries. Traditional grains are wheat and buckwheat; their flours are not just used to make bread and dough, but sauces and '' ragoûts''. Buckwheat became popular because it could grow well on the Canadian Shield.

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 root cellar or brined in jars. These vegetables are the potato, onion, carrot, beet, squash, legumes, cabbage, turnip, and corn. Today, Québécois also cook with the tomato, bell pepper, cucumber, lettuce, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, and other newer vegetables. Rhubarb, fiddleheads, and chives are consumed seasonally. Rhubarb and chives are often grown in backyard gardens, while fiddleheads are gathered in the wild.

The most popular berries are the blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, cherry, cranberry, ''gadelle'', and cloudberry. They are used in jams and jellies, spreads, ''gelées'', desserts, juices, and alcoholic beverages. Blackcurrants and blue honeysuckle have recently entered Québécois markets. Other important fruits are the apple, pear, and plum. Apples are especially important because they are used to make cider and are the star of ''le temps des pommes''.

Imported citrus fruits and tropical fruits are also often enjoyed today. In the past, however, they were so expensive they would be bought only for special events or as a gift. It was customary to give children an orange for Christmas.

Mushrooms have long been absent from Québec's traditional cuisine and culinary history. Today, when mushrooms are used, they are usually of the cremini variety. In recent years, devoted cooks have introduced indigenous species into their culinary creations. Morchella and chanterelle mushrooms are gaining more and more popularity as a result.

Finally, some ingredients like rice, molasses, raisins, and brown sugar appear in traditional Québécois recipes because of historical commerce between New France and regions like the Antilles and Brazil.

Examples of unique dishes

Entrées or sides

* ''Betteraves marinées''—pickled beets
* ''Cretons—''forcemeat-style pork spread containing onions and spices
* '' Fèves au lard''—beans slow-cooked with bacon and maple syrup
*''Ketchup maison''—green or red sauce made with sugar, vinegar, tomatoes, onions, apples and spices
* ''Soupe aux gourganes''—soup showcasing the traditional gourgane bean
* ''Soupe à l'orge perlé''—soup showcasing pearl barley
* ''Soupe aux pois''—soup showcasing peas
* ''Oreilles de crisse''—a dish consisting of deep-fried salted fatback
* Quiaude—a chowder that uses white fish

File:Soupe aux gourganes.jpg, Soupe aux gourganes.
File:Quiaude - 01.jpg, Quiaude made with Greenland halibut.
File:Oreille-de-crisse.jpg, Oreilles de crisse in a bowl.
File:Deux oeufs tournes bacon et journal - 71.jpg, Breakfast with fèves au lard in a small bowl as a side.

Main course

*''Bouilli de légumes'' —a bouillon of traditional ingredients and spices
* ''Chiard''—pork stew with potatoes and onions
* '' Cigares au chou''—ground beef cabbage rolls with a homemade ketchup or tomato sauce coating
* ''Coquille Saint-Jacques'' —seafood chowder surrounded by mashed potatoes and covered with cheese
* ''Feuilleté jambon-fromage''—rolled-up pastries with ham and cheese in the middle, looks like cinnamon buns
* '' Galette aux patates''—potato pancake
* '' Gibelotte de Sorel''—soup made with a tomato base, several vegetables and white fish, dish originally from Sorel-Tracy
* '' Guédille''—lobster roll on a hotdog bun, can use other seafood instead of lobster
* ''Hot chicken''—a chicken sandwich with gravy and peas served on top
* '' Pâté chinois''—pâté consisting of a layer of ground beef at the bottom, either whole kernel or creamed corn in the centre and mashed potatoes on top
* ''Pizza-ghetti''— a combination meal commonly found in fast food or family restaurants, another variety is the ''Pizza-caesar''
* ''Pot-au-feu de la récolte''—pork or beef '' pot-au-feu'' with traditional vegetables (ex. carrots, cabbage, etc.)
* ''Poulet chasseur''—floured chicken cooked with certain vegetables and tomato sauce
* Poutine—french fries topped with cold or room temperature cheese curds and hot gravy, the most famous Québécois dish
* Poutine variants—variations on the classic poutine
* '' Ragoût de boulettes''—a type of complex meatball '' ragoût''
* '' Ragoût de pattes de cochon''—a type of complex ''ragoût'' made using pig feet
* '' Tête fromagée''—a solid structure made from a mix of pork, spices, onions, carrots and celery
* '' Souvlaki pita''—the Québec version of the Gyros or Nova Scotian donair, largely inspired by 20th century Greek immigrants and today popular in many pizzerias and '' patateries''
* '' Tourtière''—pie usually made with minced pork or beef, a signature dish of the ''temps des fêtes''
* ''Tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean''—a type of tourtière made with a thicker crust and with cubes of potatoes, meats and broth

File:Bouilli quebecois.jpg, ''Bouilli de légumes'', also called ''Bouilli Québécois''.
File:Pâté chinois.jpg, '' Pâté chinois'' is often eaten with ketchup.
File:Paté au saumon.jpg, Traditional '' pâté au saumon'' with pickles.
File:Quebec style souvlaki pita.jpg, Quebec-style souvlaki pita (comparable to the Nova Scotian donair).
File:HotChickenwFries.jpg, A Quebec-style "hot chicken", topped with green peas.
File:Pizza and spaghetti.jpg, "Pizza-ghetti", a staple in many family restaurants and diners.
File:Ragout.jpg, Mix of ''ragoût de boulettes'' and ''ragoût de pattes de cochon'' with mashed potatoes.
File:Gibelotte-Sorel.jpg, ''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
* ''Bûche de Noël''—Yule log
* ''Galette à la mélasse''—molasses pancake
* ''Gâteau Reine Élisabeth''—type of cake made with dates, walnuts and coconut icing
* ''Gâteau au pain d'épices''—cake made with certain spices
* ''Grands-pères''—wrinkly ball-shaped cake often covered with maple syrup or stuffed with a fruit-based filling
* ''Pets de sœurs''—rolled-up pastry with a brown sugar filling, looks like cinnamon buns
* '' Pouding chomeur''—white cake laying in a maple-syrup based pudding
* '' Queue de castor''—oval-shapped fried dough covered in a sweet garnish
* ''Sucre à la crème''—cubes of sugar, condensed milk and butter, 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
* ''Tarte au suif''—pie made from a sweet beef-fat based filling
* '' 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

Drinks

* '' Bière d'épinette''—spruce beer
* '' Cidre de glace—''ice cider
* ''Vin de glace—''ice wine
* Caribou—drink made from red wine, a spirit and maple syrup

Poutine variants

Poutine is arguably the most famous Québécois dish. The classic poutine is composed of fresh French fries and fresh cheese curds topped with hot 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. 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.

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''.

File:Le Saint-Pub.jpg, A classic poutine served in a cast iron skillet.
File:2016-10 Montreal - poutine 33.jpg, A pulled pork poutine.
File:Poutine with sausage @ Chez Ashton @ Québec (30511414925).jpg, A hot dog poutine.
File:Poutine avec des pois (50546631).jpg, A galvaude poutine.
File:Poutine @ La Banquise @ Le Plateau @ Montréal (30379690522).jpg, An all-dressed poutine.
File:Poutine déjeuner.jpg, A breakfast poutine with hollandaise sauce and bacon.
File:Poutine at Le Champlain in Quebec City.jpg, This poutine is named after Samuel de Champlain.
File:Hangover Cure poutine @ Poutineville @ Montréal (30503114746).jpg, This poutine is sold as a cure to hangovers.

Cheeses

When Canada was part of the French Empire, colonials used their Canadienne cattle to create a variety of soft, semi-soft and soft-ripened cheeses to eat. Following the Conquest of New France, the British began importing hard cheeses like Cheddar.

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' île d’Orléans, has the honour of being the oldest North American cheese. It is a soft-ripened cheese sold under the forms of la Faisselle, le Paillasson or le Raffiné. The Cailles cheese, a cheese made from fermented milk and typically used in salads, also used to be quite widespread. It now only exists in the Charlevoix and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean regions.

Nowadays, there are attempts to diversify the ways in which Cailles is consumed. There are some cheeses that were also 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.

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

File:Paillasson de l'Isle d'Orléans.jpg, The Paillasson. It is eaten grilled and is often paired with maple syrup.
File:Oka cheese 2.jpg, Oka cheese is now made in large factories.
File:Fromage Pied-De-Vent.jpg, Pied-De-Vent cheese is made from the milk of Canadienne cattle.
File:Pikauba (fromage) 03.jpg, The Pikauba was created in 2005 in Hébertville.
File:Riopelle de l’Isle (fromage) 02.jpg, Le Riopelle de l'Isle is a triple-cream cheese named after Jean-Paul Riopelle.
File:Le Cendrillon Alexis de Portneuf.jpg, The Cendrillon won ''Best cheese in the world'' in the 2009 World Cheese Awards.

Maple syrup

Québec produces 72% of the maple syrup sold on Earth and 90% of the maple syrup sold in Canada. Maple syrup is made from heated maple sap. The syrup is often used at breakfast to cover '' crêpes'' and ''pain doré'', and as a component of '' fèves au lard''. It can also be used to caramelize meats like ham, to stabilize the acidity of certain sauces, and to complement desserts like ''pouding-chômeur'' or ''grands-pères au sirop d'érable''. It is the main ingredient showcased during '' le temps des sucres'' and in sugar shacks.

Many maple syrup-derived products exist. ''Tire'', French for sugar on snow, is heated maple syrup that is cast onto a flat bed of snow and then rolled up onto a Popsicle stick to be eaten like candy. ''Tire'' is very popular at sugar shacks and during springtime.

Maple butter is a spread commonly used at breakfast on toast. Maple sugar can serve as a replacement to brown and white sugar. Maple water is not often consumed, but when it is, it is most often because it is believed to have health benefits.

Smoked meat

In Québec, a meat-smoking technique called '' boucanage'' is most often used to smoke meat.

Early French Canadian colonials learned this technique from Native Americans. Since the colonials discovered that it was useful for preserving food, they decided to start smoking their meat in the ''boucanage'' fashion, following their usual brining and/or spicing. This practice continued for centuries. Native Americans, on the other hand, continued to only ''boucaner'' their meat following their exchanges with the colonials and never started brining or spicing.

Today, Québecers still eat food that has been ''boucané'', but for its taste rather than as a by-product of a food preservation technique. Establishments called ''boucanières'' or ''boucaneries'' are specialized in the ''boucanage'' process. On top of the traditional brining, spicing and smoking, modern ''boucanières'' can also use tree essences to infuse a certain taste in the meat, with maple wood being the most popular choice. A technique called ''boucaner à froid'' has also been developed; it involves drying fish and then suspending them over a fire. ''Boucaner à froid'' has always been popular in the Gaspesia, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Côte-Nord regions since fish were and are still commonly caught there. Atlantic herring, for example, was historically fished and exported in large quantities from these areas.

In the 1930s, Jewish immigrants came to Montréal and introduced their own Eastern European meat-smoking technique to Québec. This technique is often used today to make Montréal smoked meat, which is then often cut up in narrow slices to be added to dishes as an ingredient. Montréal smoked meat is also often spiced with Montréal steak spice and used to make Montréal smoked meat sandwiches.

Smoked salmon has become more popular in recent decades due to influence from the United States and Europe. Smoked pork's popularity has decreased and it is now almost exclusively consumed during Easter.

Cochonailles

Pork-based '' charcuterie'' is traditionally referred to in Québec as ''cochonailles''. Here are the most popular:
* ''Creton'' is composed of ground pork, lard (animal fat), milk and cereal that is cooked and flavoured together in order to obtain a creamy paste. ''Cretons'' are often eaten as a snack or breakfast on roasted bread pieces called ''rôties'', along with mustard. If another kind of meat is used to create ''cretons'', like poultry or veal, it is called ''cretonnade'' instead.
* ''Tête fromagée'' is less popular but used in the same way as ''cretons''.
* The '' boudin'' of Québec is made of lard, milk, onions and pork blood. It is often served in a pan along with a sweet side or a sauce. Since 2018, the Goûte-Boudin de Boucherville association hands out a yearly prize for the best ''boudin''.
* ''Plorines'' are composed of lard and flavoured meat enveloped in pork caul fat. Sometimes ''plorine'' recipes can also include eggs, beef and/or bread.
* ''Oreilles de Christ'' are lard pieces that are fried until they become crispy. They are eaten as an ''amuse-gueule'' and often with maple syrup as well.

Pastries

Pastries produced in Québec include:
* '' Crêpes'' are flat and round, made from wheat or buckwheat flour. The ''crêpes'' of Québec are thicker than those from France, but not thick like pancakes of Anglo-Saxon cultures. They are popular breakfast items. They are often served with maple syrup, brown sugar and/or fruits. They can also be served during lunch or supper.
* '' Beignes'', which resemble old-fashioned doughnuts, are dough rings that were fried in oil. The doughnut holes are removed in order to create the ring, but they are baked and eaten as well. Powdered sugar or icing are often added on top after baking.
* ''Croquignoles'' are braided, twisted or rectangular fried dough pastries. They are a little less popular than ''beignes'' and can most often be found in rural regions.
* Pies are composed of a shortcrust exterior and an interior spread. Their most popular kinds of spread in Québec are fruit-based, like blueberry, apple, strawberry, or raspberry. Other popular kinds of pies include ''tarte au sucre'', with a mixed butter and brown sugar spread, ''tarte à la farlouche'', with a mixed brown sugar, molasses and dried raisins spread, and ''tarte au suif'', which has beef fat as its spread.
* ''Sucre à la crème'' is a sugary snack composed of cream, brown sugar and butter. It can sometimes be found sold in convenience stores.
* '' Pets-de-sœur'' consist of a dough paste that is flattened and covered in a butter and brown sugar mix. The dough is then rolled over itself, cut to make a cylinder shape and then cut into thin slices.
* '' Chocolatines'' consist of small ''croissants'' with chocolate inside. They are sometimes sold in corner stores.
* ''Bûche de Noël'' is a wrapped cake pastry that is traditionally eaten during the holidays.
* '' Pouding chomeur'' is a white cake soaked in maple syrup or brown sugar.
* ''Grands-pères'' is a type of cake in the shape of a sphere which is eaten plain, or covered with maple syrup. They can also sometimes be filled with fruits. They are sometimes served as part of meals as well.

Regional foods

Some regions of Québec are known for specific foods or products. Montréal is known for having created Montréal-style smoked meat, Montréal-style bagels, Montréal hot dogs (also called "steamies"), and Montréal melons. The Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region is the birthplace of the tourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean, soupe aux gourganes and Saguenay Dry.

Maritime Quebec is known for its fish and seafood, and is a region where cipaille is often consumed during the holidays. Galvaude poutine (a poutine with peas and turkey) and Matane shrimp originate from Maritime Québec. ''Pot-en-pot des îles de la Madeleine'' is a well-known dish of the Magdellan Islands.

Some municipalities are associated with high-quality meat, such as duck from lake Brome or Charlevoix lamb.

Strains and breeds

Strains

Over the centuries, varieties of fruits and vegetables were created in Québec. The need to cultivate Québec's strains has evaporated in recent times, causing most varieties to become lost. Here are some strains that have been saved or rediscovered:
* White Canadian corn
* The ''crotte-d’ours'' potato of Louis-Marie
* The Thibodeau bean of Saint-Jules
* The ''pomme Fameuse''
* The Montréal melon
* The Mémé tomato of Beauce
* The potato onion
* Neuville corn

Breeds

Though less numerous now, these breeds created in Québec are still used today:
* Canadienne cattle
* Charlevoix lamb
* Chantecler chicken

References

Sources

Bibliography

* Anita Steward, ''Great Canadian Cuisine'', Vancouver, Douglas & McIntyre, 1999, 192p.
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*
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* Vincent Demester, ''La Cuisine des premiers migrants du Québec. Enquête sur la disparition du patrimoine culinaire du Poitou-Charentes'', Paris (France), L'Harmattan, coll. « Questions alimentaires et gastronomiques », 2014, 250 p. ().

{{Québécois cheeses

Culture of Quebec