Day 26. The day I ate Canadian food.
Yes, I am in Canada right now. Quebec City, exactly.
So, what do I do when I come to the new place?
Eat!
Well, that’s not all I do, but eating is certainly one of the most important factors in my travel for years now. Like we all know, it’s a great way to get to know the place. Especially considering I’m from Korea, where food is a big part of the culture, I value the food. And it’s another excuse to have a great meal, so why not?
So I’m in Canada, what’s to eat?
Poutine
Oh, the famous poutine. What is Poutine anyway?
According to Wikipedia,
Poutine ( /puːˈtiːn/; Quebec French pronunciation [putsɪn] ( listen)) is a dish of French fries, fresh cheese curds, and sometimes additional ingredients, covered with brown gravy or sauce.
Poutine is a diner staple that originated in Quebec and can now be found across Canada. It is sold by national fast food chains, 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 meaning “Potato Shack”). International chains like McDonald’s, A&W, KFC and Burger King also sell mass-produced poutine in Canada. The dish may include additional ingredients such as lobster meat, rabbit confit, caviar, and truffles.
We were driving to Quebec city today, when we were talking about ‘we should have some poutine today’ and voila! There it was, a small Pizzaria just after St.Martin. That’s the Universe talking. We turned our car back and had poutine. The first poutine in Canada. In fact, the first eat out in Canada, cause we camped last night.
It was, hard to explain. Have you ever had poutine? Then you will understand what I said about ‘hard to explain’. It was a mixture of gravy, cheese and french fries but taste much more complex. French fries are one kind of my comfort food. Actually, fish and chips are my comfort food (or some would say hangover food). And with gravy and cheese on top? Oh poutine, I think I fell in love with you! 🙂
Tourtière
Another explanation from Wikipedia,
A tourtière is a meat pie originating from Quebec, usually made with minced pork and/or veal, or beef. It is a traditional part of the Christmas and/or Christmas Eve réveillon and New Year’s Eve meal in Quebec, but is also enjoyed and sold in grocery stores all year long. This kind of pie is known as pâté à la viande (literally, meat pie) in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.
Simply say, it is a meat pie with traditionally port, veal and beef. But it doesn’t have a shape of pie. It looked kind of doubtful but it was really delicious. This is very common dish in Quebec region. We had tourtière at EXPO Quebec with our couch surfing host Phill and his friends. Very interesting EXPO by the way.
Tim Hortons
Canadian Dunkin’ Donuts. Is this the right way to put it? Or Dunkin’ Donuts is American Tim Hortons?
Vise Versa, we just had to go Tim Hortons. Neither of us eat donuts often, but maybe because we are in Canada, we had a sudden urge to eat donuts at ONLY Tim Hortons.
The variety of donuts was amazing. So many of them!
We got 10 Timbits and coffee. Mmmm… Coffee and donuts!
The first thing I said after I ate one of the donuts was
“It taste like amusement park.”
Meaning? Guess!
Queues de Castor a.k.a. Beaver Tail
No, I’m just kidding.
Seriously, I think I might have had a heart attack if I had a Beaver Tail tonight. I had enough extraordinary food for one day. I’ll save the joy for the next day.
Oh, Canada!
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Welcome to Canuckistan! You coming to the Canadian Rockies (Alberta and BC?)
Thanks! No, just Quebec province and heading back to Vermont!!! I really want to someday though
I would be in heaven there! I love gravy and fries, so poutine is like a 27% improvement on that, haha.
The pie looks fantastic as well. Very jealous of your adventures!
only 27%? 🙂
We just spent 7 weeks in Canada and our favorites were the same: Poutine & Timbits 😉 Make sure to try the Beaver Tails, they are delicious!
hahaha great to meet fellow Poutine lovers! 🙂 I’m seeing another dish of Poutine on my way….. mmm.. my friends tease me about Beaver Tail is named because it made out of Beaver’s hair or something but as soon as I saw them I knew why it named like that. So cute! 🙂 I will try to have some, maybe I’ll go for a classic one.
POUTINE! How I love this canadian heart attack on a plate… Fries, gravy, cheese… Nothing better in this world! Glad you have experienced it as well! I’ve never had it in Canada! But you now have and apparently, you have met some nice Canadian sheep! *bah*
Oh yes, Canadian sheep are so nice! But they keep trying to eat my purse though. It’s not made out of grass!
I actually thought about you when I had Poutine that you might like it. And I was right! 🙂 I had two dishes of Poutine already. Mmmm…. so unhealthy (maybe?!) but so good!!!!
I will hike my ass off when I go back to Vermont! 😀
So whilst I’m partial to pie+chips, would tourtière+poutine be excessively greedy?
mmmm…. warms my heart, to just think of it! 🙂
Hahaha the best of Canadian food for sure! Beaver tails are great! And I miss Tim Hortons… get the ice capp!
Jade Johnston – http://www.ouroyster.com
Didn’t try Beaver Tail…. ugh! Next time! 🙂
We hit Poutine place and Tim Hortons just before crossed the border. Just couldn’t leave without them!
As a Canadian, when people ask me what is Canadian food I always just draw a blank! Its more of aaaa eerrrr hamburgers! But Poutine and Timmy’s are the ultimate Canadian dishes! And now I want a Boston Cream doughnut.
I had Boston Cream donut right before I crossed the border. Great choice indeed 🙂
Yes Poutine is ultimate Canadian food too. More like Quebec food? Anyhow, it was great to finally have it, authentically!
Hey Juno, you had a few things I didn’t try. I wanted to try Beaver Tail, but never had the chance.
YUM! I miss poutine, and even Tim Horton’s. I love their breakfast sandwiches (with sausage, not bacon, made on a tea biscuit), and my favorite donut is the sour cream glazed (you must try!) Just don’t tell me about it or it will make me sad for home. 🙂
DELICIOUS. My stomach is grumbling, and I just had breakfast. Those french fries sound heavenly!
Sorry about that! 🙂 Oh poutine….. I can do poutine everyday, even if I have to run more every day, but it’s totally worth it!! 🙂
Its not really a date like dish but it brings out the kid in all of us and I would never complain if served it
Agreed. 🙂 It can be a date dish!!
Welcome to Canuckistan! I’ve never had it in Canada! More like Quebec food?
It’s incredible how unhealthy our most famous Canadian dishes are. But it’s also part of the reason people just can’t get enough of them! Comfort food truly doesn’t get much better than poutine 🙂