A Québecois delicacy: La Poutine

Originating from the rural areas of the province of Quebec the heart stopping dish known as poutine consists of fries, cheddar curd cheese and gravy. It's exact birthplace remains a mystery. There are several communities who claim to have invented the dish but the most popular story is that of Fernand Lachance.

Fernand, a restaurantuer in Warwick, Quebec, was serving a customer one day who requested that Fernand mix up his fries with cheese in a bag, to which Fernand replied: "ca va faire une maudite poutine!" (That's going to make a damn mess) Right then and there the 'poutine' was born.

Traditional casse-croute style grease pit restaurants like "La Belle Province" or even "Lafleurs" are by far the best types of poutines to have because of the kind of fries they use. The other big fast food chains have jumped on board with their anorexic over salted fries and watery gravy. If you are going to treat yourself once in a while, do it right. My personal preference is La Belle Province. It's also reminiscent of a time when the term "La Belle Province" was our licence plate logo, then it became "Je me souviens" and everything just went to shit... but that could be another story for another time.

You can also make your own poutines at home with great success, however with the cost of curd cheese these days, it's actually more cost effective to go and buy a poutine.

Really?

Once in a while you should indulge in an extremely unhealthy snack like Poutine. It will bog you down and make you feel lethargic for hours on end. You will appreciate a healthy lifestyle after you stop sweating grease and farting out that pound and a half of potato, gravy and cheese. Yes, my friends, the Poutine will make you feel alive! Live dangerously, eat a Poutine (every once in a while, if you eat to many you will not live as long, or be able to breath or walk as effortlessly as you do now). Every once in a while, really.