Cuisine of Quebec

Thecuisine of Québec(also called "French Canadian cuisine" or "cuisine québécoise") is a national cuisine in the Canadian province ofQuébec. It is also cooked byFranco-Ontarians.
Québec's cuisine descended from 17th-centuryFrench cuisineand began to develop inNew Francefrom 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 offur tradingand hunting, as well asQuébec's winters, soil fertility, teachings fromFirst Nations,British cuisine,American cuisine, historical trade relations and some immigrant cuisines.
Québec is home to many unique dishes and is most famous for itspoutine,tourtières,pâté chinois,pea soup,fèves au lard,cretonsand desserts such asgrands-pères,pouding chômeurandSt. Catherine's taffy. Québec's unique dishes are the traditional fare of the holidays, as well as thetemps des sucres, a time in March where families go tosugar shacks.
Québec is known for being the biggest producer ofmaple syrupon 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 ofcheese, some of which have won international contests.
Food criticJacob Richlerwrote 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 andAcadian cuisinehave much in common due to proximity and a shared language and history.
The cuisine of Québec evolved from that of 17th-centuryNorthern France. It also retains some heritage fromPoitevincuisine: many Québecois makepâté marmite;soupe aux gourganes, which is based ongourganebeans, a strain offava bean;and soups based on other legumes.Charentaisechowders(chaudrées charentaises) have evolved into thequiaudesofGaspesiaand thetourtes saléesof Poitiers intotourtières.
Other foods that originate fromFrancearepot-au-feu;blood sausage(boudin);head cheese(tête fromagée);plorinesausages;ham hockstew (ragoût de pattes de cochon);rabbit stew(civet de lapin);French toast(pain perduorpain doré); and pastries likecrêpes,beignets,croquignolebiscuits, and tarts. As in France,porkis 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 theAlgonquins,AtikamekwandIroquois. The most important ones werel’acériculture(the process of harvesting maple sap and creatingmaple syrup),ice fishing, andboucanage(in which fish or other meat is smoked for preservation and flavour).
Food preservationwas always important in pioneer times, due to long winters and to the frequent voyages ofcoureurs des bois.Butter,herbs, andlardwere used for seasoning and salting. Pork and fish wereboucanés(smoked), while other meats and vegetables were preserved invinegar. These techniques are still practiced today, though not for survival. Asgamewas so plentiful, pioneers and their descendants alwayshuntedandfishedfor sustenance.
By the 1670s, a substantialagrarianpopulation had emerged in the region ofQuébec City, and French habits dominated. Meals almost always featuredsoup,bread,meat, andwine.Since the climate made it difficult to grow European grapes (namely,Vitis vinifera), wines were always imported from France.
TheConquest of New Francein 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 thepotato, which, in only a few decades, became astapleingredient in Québec, dethroningbreadin popularity. Sugar consumption also increased. Finally, theBritishimported many recipes likemashed potatoes,crumble, andmeat pies.
Because tensions with the youngUnited Statesalleviated, the period following theAroostook Warin 1839 saw increased interaction between Québec andNew England. Some recipes inspired by the cultural exchange includedfèves au lard,ketchup maison, anddate squares.The socio-economic standing ofFrench Canadiansalso fell to deplorable levels; the intense poverty pushed them to simplify their meals. Recipes forbouillonwere now almost nothing more than warm water. Alcoholic beverages were rarely consumed, and butter was either used sparingly or absent. Some famine foods likeployeemerged 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, thepassenger pigeon, calledtourtein French, also became extinct. Because this bird's meat had been used to fill the pie-like dishes known astourtières, thetourtièrerecipe had to change. Farm-raised meats like beef and pork were usually chosen as the substitutes.
TheGreat Depressionof the 1930s saw the creation of new recipes likepâté chinois("Chinese pie") andpouding chômeur("unemployed man's pudding") that were delicious and cost-conscious.Immigrationafter this period diversified; immigrants no longer came only from theBritish Islesbut also from other parts ofEurope. Jewish specialties likebagelsandEastern Europe-stylesmoked meatbecame popular, resulting in the creation ofMontréal-style smoked meatandMontréal-style bagels.
The 1950s saw many changes in the eating habits of the Québécois for a variety of reasons: the popularity offast-foodgrew enormously, raw milk was banned, and many fruits and vegetables became available year-round thanks torefrigeratorsand larger supply chains. As a result, the homemadepain de ménagewas replaced with store-bought sandwich bread; many old cheese recipes were abandoned and new ones created; andspaghetti,pizza,turkey,bacon,sausages, industrial cheeses,hamburgers,hot dogs,french fries,coleslawandlobster rollsall become popular.
In the late 1950s, these changes brought about the creation ofpoutine—arguably the most famous Québécois dish—as well as other dishes, likehot chickenandguédilles.
TheQuiet Revolutionof 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, for exampleLafleur,Valentine,La Belle ProvinceorSt-Hubert.
From the 1980s to today, a desire for higher quality foods, more spending power, and an influence by immigrants from Europe —particularlyItaly,Greece,FranceandPortugal— has led to the rise of the creation and production of high-quality cheeses and alcoholic beverages across Québec, as well as a return to recipes of theterroir.Immigration from Greece has popularizedgyrosand brought about slouvaki pitas.Immigrants fromLebanonhave popularizedshawarmaswhich has createdshish taouk.Finally,NAFTAand the new culture of Quebecers vacationing south has resulted in the adoption ofWestern-style sushiandTex-Mexdishes likenachos,fajitas,salsa,chiliandburritos.
Historical poverty led many families in Québec to hunt for food until the mid 20th century.Tourtièreswere stuffed with the meat of thetourte, orpassenger 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 theAllee effect.Families had to replace the meat with whatever they had. As a result, most moderntourtièresare 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 frommoose,deer,hares,ruffed grouse,wild turkey,waterfowland more rather than that of livestock.Game is also sometimes given as a gift.
As for seafood,lobsterandcrabare caught inGaspesia, laCôte-Nord, and theMagdalen Islandsto be sold to the rest of Québec.Shrimpis often marketed ascrevette de Mataneafter the shrimp-processing factory in the town ofMatane. However, the shrimp themselves are caught in several villages on theSaint Lawrence Riverestuary.Mussels,oysters,scallops, andwhelks(bourgots) are also caught.
Salmonandtroutare the most popular fish in Québec. Thebrook troutis nearly ubiquitous, salmon is farmed and can be caught in 118 different rivers, andArctic charis present across nearly 100 lakes.Other fished species includelake 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(betweenTrois-RivièresandCap-Chat),ouananiche(a kind of freshwater salmon;Lac Saint-Jean),frostfish(Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade),deepwater redfish(Saguenayfjords),capelin(coastal villages), andbrown bullhead(Îles de Sorel).
Sainte-Anne-de-la-Péradeholds a world-renowned festival every December to February calledLa pêche des petits poisons des chenaux,where ice fishers catchtomcods. Historically, starving French colonists learned ice fishing techniques from theAtikamekw—a privilege, as the technique was kept a secret from neighbouringFirst Nations.
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 inbarbecues.
Québécois pigs are mostly hybrids of theDuroc,Yorkshire, andAmerican Landracebreeds.The cattle are also hybrids of many breeds; theAberdeen Angus,Charolais, andLimousinare the most common.Despite the large cattle population, Québec imports most of its beef from theCanadian West, using its own cattle mostly fordairy. Milk production is dominated by theHolstein, butJerseyorBrown Swisscows are also milked.
Poultryis commonly consumed.Chickenis the most popular by far, butturkeyandduckare also consumed.Chicken eggsare very popular and mostly used at breakfast and to make pastries. Turkey is traditionally served at Christmas and Thanksgiving with croutons and sage.TheEstrieregion has produced duck since the early 20th century. Québec is also the only producer offoie grasin Canada, as well as its largest producer in North America.
Horseis eaten marginally- by less than 1% of Quebecois. Its consumption is consideredtaboo, though it is not illegal.
Other meats includelamb,veal,rabbit,bison,elkandfrog legs(fromAmerican bullfrogsandleopard frogs).
Spices common in traditional recipes are linked to local production and historical commerce:salt,savory,cloves,cinnamon,parsley,thyme,sage,nutmeg,quatres épices,chives,garlic,oreganoandbay leaf.Thanks to globalisation, a wider selection of international spices are available today, liketurmeric,curry powder,allspice,cumin,cayenne pepper, etc. In recent years, chefs have attempted to create excitement for the flavours of theboreal forest; among them aregreen alderpepper,sweetfern,carawayseed,sweetgale, andjuniper berry.
The types of sugar used arewhite sugar,brown sugarandmaple sugar.Maple syrupis used to sweeten breakfasts, meats, and pastries.Honeyis almost exclusively used for desserts, but it is also used astoastspread.Molassesandraisinsare common ingredients in traditional recipes because of historical commerce with theAntillesandBrazil.
Traditional and most common cereals arewheat,rice,oatandbuckwheat.Buckwheat became popular because it could grow well on theCanadian Shield.Nowadays, a few other cereals have managed to gain a small presence:quinoa,wild rice,chia seeds, andbarley.
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 aroot cellaror brined in jars. These vegetables arepotato,onion,carrot,beet,pumpkin, squash (butternut,spaghetti,accorn, etc.),zucchini,beans,cabbage,turnip, andcorn. In modern times, Québécois also cook with store-boughttomato,bell pepper,cucumber,lettuce,asparagus,cauliflower,broccoli,avocado,microgreens,radish,shallot,spinach,parsnip,eggplant,artichoke,kale,leek,rutabaga,sweet potato,celery,lentil,peanut,soybean,chickpeaand others.Rhubarbis typically grown in backyard gardens.Fiddleheadsare gathered from the wild in the spring.
Frequently eaten berries are theblueberry,strawberry,raspberry,blackberry,grape,cherryandcranberry.Thegoldenberryis uncommonly imported from South America.Cloudberriesonly 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 ofgooseberriesorcurrantsare virtually unknown to Quebecers.
Other important locally-grown fruits are theapple,pear,plum,cantaloupeandwatermelon.The most eaten imported fruits are:banana,orange,lemon,lime,kiwi,coconut,mango,clementineandpineapple. Other imported -but less popular- fruits include:pomegranate,grapefruit,starfruit,papaya,dragonfruit,passionfruit,figand others.
Mushroomshave long been absent from Québec's traditional cuisine. However, they are present now, and almost always of thecreminivariety. In recent years,morchella,chanterelle,shiitakeandenokismushrooms have also gained a small presence.
The idea offast foodwas quietly introduced to Quebec from the United States during the early 20th century. At first, it was sold from food trucks or carts pulled by horses who would park next to factories to sell quick cheap meals to factory workers. They were called "casse-croutes" or "cantines" and run by local entrepreneurs. They would usually only sell a few items, like fries and hot-dogs. In 1940, there were around 200 of these mobile distributors around Montreal factories. Cantines as actual restaurants began to appear in the 1930s. These had wider menus serving fast food staples like hamburgers, hot-dogs, fries and club sandwiches, alongside some traditional meals like pea soup, pouding chômeur, etc.
Following the Second World War, the popularity of fast food grew enormously, aided by the rise of the automobile.The post-war years also saw the popularization ofpizzeriasserving American pizzas,chicken rotisseries, and breakfast restaurants serving English breakfasts.
Quebecois tastes popularized certain techniques or foods that are not found or are uncommon in the rest of North America. For example,steamed hot dogs("steamies") are popular here, and it's the norm to ask customers for their cooking preference. Steamies are usually topped with coleslaw, sweet yellow mustard, onion and/or sweet relish, but topping options can be more expansive.Another example is that the typical American industrial gravy is not used, insteadbrown gravyis favored, which is made from dehydrated chicken and beef along with spices, animal fat and vinegar. A lightly spiced chicken stock is also used and called "sauce barbecue". These were made to cover French fries (known as frite-sauce) and dishes such as hot chicken (chicken between two slices of bread covered with peas) or hot hamburger (an untopped hamburger covered with sauce and peas). Brown gravy also came to be used in Quebec's most emblematic fast-food dishpoutinewhen it was invented.
Casse-croutes are still very common today (in 2016, there were over 1400), but they now also compete with large chains from the US and native chains from Quebec like Valentine, La Belle Province, Ashton, Saint-Hubert, etc.Nowadays, foods usually served in Quebec fast-food establishments include: poutine and its variants, steamies,Michigan hot dog,pain à la viande(onions and ground meat on a hot-dog bun),frites-sauce, hot chicken, hot hamburger, hamburgers, pogos, onion rings, fries, coleslaw, spaghetti,caesar salad, pizza and its variants, thecombination mealsof pizza-ghetti and pizza-caesar, sandwiches, submarine sandwiches, club sandwiches,Montreal smoked meatsandwiches and platters,shawarmasand a Quebec variant calledshish taouk,gyrosand the Quebec exclusivesouvlakipita, roasted chicken, chicken fingers, lasagna, mac n cheese,grilled cheese,fish n chip,guedilles(lobster roll), cheese sticks, chicken wings, ice cream, and finallysoft drinks.
The classicPoutineis composed of freshFrench friesand freshcheese curdstopped with hotbrown gravyin 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 theCentre-du-Québecarea 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 inEnglish Canada.It was even used by some to stigmatizeQuébec 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 iscultural appropriationof 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 calledpoutineries.
When Canada was part of the French Empire, colonials used theirCanadienne cattleto create a variety of soft, semi-soft and soft-ripened cheeses to eat.Following theConquest 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 theCharlevoixandSaguenay-Lac-Saint-Jeanregions. Nowadays, there are attempts to diversify the ways in which Cailles is consumed.
There are some cheeses that were created by priests. Towards the end of the 19th century, a group oftrappist monkswere expelled fromFranceand moved toOka. One of them, who originated fromNotre-Dame-du-Port-du-Salut, created a paste which was eventually used to mold the firstOka cheese.Benedictineswere responsible for creating l’Ermite, ablue cheese, in 1943 atSaint-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 flavored with beer or wine. Most soft cheeses are produced locally and many are artisanal.
Québec produces 72% of the maple syrup sold on Earth and 90% of the maple syrup sold in Canada.Maple syrupis made from heated maple sap. The syrup is often used at breakfast to covercrêpesandpain doré, and as a component offèves au lard. It can also be used to caramelize meats like ham, to stabilize the acidity of certain sauces, and to complement desserts. It is the main ingredient showcased insugar shacks.
Many maple syrup-derived products exist.Tire, French forsugar on snow, is heated maple syrup that is cast onto a flat bed of snow and then rolled up onto a Popsicle stick.Tireis very popular at sugar shacks and during springtime.Maple butteris a spread commonly used at breakfast on toast.Maple sugarcan serve as a replacement to brown and white sugar.
In Québec, a technique calledboucanageis sometimes used to smoke meat.
Colonials learned this technique from First Peoples. After they discovered that it was useful for preserving food, they decided to start smoking their meat in theboucanagefashion, following their usual brining and/or spicing. First Peoples, on the other hand, continued to onlyboucanerand never started brining or spicing.Today, Québecers still eat food that has beenboucanéfor its taste.
Establishments calledboucanièresorboucaneriesare specialized in the process. Modernboucanièrescan also use tree essences to infuse a certain taste in the meat, withmaplewood being the most popular choice. A technique calledboucaner à froidhas also been developed; it involves drying fish and then suspending them over a fire.Boucaner à froidhas always been popular in theGaspesia,Bas-Saint-LaurentandCôte-Nordregions since fish were and are still commonly caught there.
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 makeMontréal 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 withMontréal steak spiceand 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 decreasedand it is now almost exclusively consumed during Easter.
In Quebec,charcuterieis sometimes referred to ascochonailles. It includes:
Here are some pastries popular in Quebec:
Some regions of Québec are known for specific foods or products. Montréal is known for having createdMontréal-style smoked meat,Montréal-style bagels,Montréal hot dogs(also called "steamies"), andMontréal melons. TheSaguenay-Lac-Saint-Jeanregion is the birthplace of thetourtière du Lac-Saint-Jean,soupe aux gourganesand Saguenay Dry.
Maritime Quebec, known for its fish and seafood, is a region wherecipailleis consumed during the holidays.Pot-en-pot des îles de la Madeleineis a dish of the Magdellan Islands.
Some municipalities are associated with high-quality meat, such as duck from lake Bromeor Charlevoix lamb.
Over the centuries, new strains of fruits and vegetables were created in Québec. Then, in the 1900s, people moved away from a farming lifestyle. As a result, most of these have been lost.Here are some that have been preserved or rediscovered:
Though few in number now, these breeds are still used today: