History

Poutine is known as a truly Canadian dish. Fresh cut friends covered in delish, squeaky cheese curds, topped with hot gravy. It made its first appearance in the 1950's in Quebec and then was widely popularized across Canada in the 1980's. Poutine may be found everywhere from fine dining menus at top restaurants to fast-food chains including McDonald’s and Burger King. It has become an iconic symbol of Québécois cuisine and culture

The word poutine is commonly believed to have originated from the English word pudding (or as it were in French, pouding) used to describe a mixture, typically messy, of various foods. In Québec, the term poutine is slang for mess. More than a dozen other explanations have been offered, including the root of the French words potin (pâté) and poutitè (potato ragout).

Mass Popularization 

Poutine was first sold in a restaurant chain in 1985, by the short-lived Québec franchise Frits (the company folded in 1988). In 1987, Jean-Louis Roy, a Quebec-based Burger King franchisee, convinced the chain to offer poutine on its menu. The dish proved so popular that the brand began selling poutine in all of its Quebec outlets, and in Hawkesbury, Ontario, the following year. McDonald’s catapulted poutine to fast-food fame when it added the dish to Quebec store menus in 1990 before expanding the offering to other Canadian locations. Canadian chain Harvey’s followed suit in 1992, placing poutine on menus across the country.

Poutine Variations

Soon after its popularization restaurants started adapting poutine to add their own staple to the dish. By adding meats, such as pulled pork and chicken and fresh vegetables such as green onions and peppers. The most expensive poutine to date is over 450$ and sold at Smoke’s Poutinerie in Toronto. The final surf and turf creation was comprised of a whole lobster, wagyu steak, truffle oil, caviar, shiitake and chanterelle mushrooms, kimchi, edible orchids and $100 worth of gold flakes.

No matter if you have a traditional poutine or create a new master piece this is a staple dish in Canadian culture. Make you own poutine today with homemade cheese curds.