What the Heck Is Poutine? Quebec’s Cheese-Curd-and-Gravy Classic
From a slang word meaning "mess," there's nothing quite like the yummy concoction that is poutine, Canada's national dish. Learn the history and check out these yummy recipes!
Poutine at a Glance
- What it is: French fries topped with fresh cheese curds and hot brown gravy. Quebec’s signature dish.
- Where it started: rural Quebec in the late 1950s. Most often credited to Fernand Lachance in Warwick (1957) or Jean-Paul Roy in Drummondville (1964).
- What “poutine” means: Quebecois slang for “mess.”
- The cheese is key: fresh squeaky cheese curds. Diced mozzarella is the legal substitute when curds aren’t around.
- Holidays: International Poutine Day, April 11; La Poutine Week, first week of February.
Though not technically Canada’s official food, poutine, which consists of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, is arguably one of the Great White North’s most distinctive contrivances. There’s even a holiday for it: International Poutine Day is celebrated on April 11th each year.
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, poutine has gone from rural-Quebec late-night diner food to gastropub-menu darling in 50 years flat. It is now sold from food trucks in Montreal, in Michelin-recognized restaurants in Toronto, and at every hockey arena from Halifax to Vancouver.
Who Invented Poutine?
Though no one knows its specific genesis, poutine is widely believed to have been invented in rural Quebec sometime during the 1950s.
What Does Poutine Mean?
Its name comes from a Quebecois slang word meaning “mess,” and one popular story posits that Warwick restaurateur Fernand Lachance created it in 1957 at the request of longtime customer Eddy Lainesse. While making the dish, Lachance is said to have exclaimed, Ca va faire une maudite poutine! (Roughly translated: “It will make a damn mess.”)
While Lachance’s is among the most popularly cited tales, other restaurants in towns throughout Quebec lay similar claims on the beloved concoction.
Add Some Squeaky Cheese
For those not hailing from Canada or a bordering state, cheese curds, also known as “squeaky cheese,” may require some explanation. Cheese curds are rough little peanut-sized lumps of fresh, young cheese.
Curds are what happens when the cream in milk separates from the watery whey and begins to solidify. The difference between curds and the more commonly consumed blocks of cheese is that hard cheeses are pressed into molds and allowed to age for several weeks or months.
Because they haven’t been pressed or stretched, the curds also contain a higher quantity of air than other cheeses, causing them to squeak when bitten into.
Cheese curds are commonly sold across Canada and the northern United States but can be harder to find the farther you travel from the Canadian border. The specialty cheese section of your supermarket or an upscale grocer may stock them, just ask.
Six Famous Poutine Variations
| Variation | What goes on top of the fries | Where you’ll find it |
|---|---|---|
| Classic poutine | Fresh curds + hot brown gravy | Everywhere in Quebec |
| Poutine italienne | Curds + meat-spaghetti sauce | Quebec diners |
| Poutine au smoked meat | Curds + gravy + Montreal smoked meat | Montreal delis |
| Poutine au homard (lobster poutine) | Curds + bechamel + lobster meat | Maritime Canada, gastropubs |
| Jamaican jerk poutine | Curds + jerk-spiced chicken or pork + gravy | Toronto street trucks |
| Breakfast poutine | Fries + curds + hollandaise + bacon + fried egg | Brunch menus |
Junk Food? Hardly!
While some decry poutine as mere junk food, its place in the hearts of Canadians, as well as many Americans, is undisputed. The dish even has its own festival during the first week of February each year, with celebrations in Montreal and other major cities across Canada.
Once the province of food trucks and greasy spoon diners, the dish is now experiencing a Renaissance, with poutine-themed restaurants serving gourmet variations, ranging from lobster poutine to Jamaican jerk poutine, and everything in between.
Want to try it? Poutine is easy to make, and if you can’t find fresh cheese curds in your area, you can substitute diced mozzarella. And, of course, with these recipes, you can use packaged french fries, rather than making them from scratch, if you are pressed for time.
Classic Poutine Recipe
Ingredients:
- Packaged frozen French fries
- 2 cups fresh cheese curds
If you can’t get cheese curd, any chunks of your favorite melty cheese will do. But cheese curds make it authentic.
Gravy:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- Black pepper
If you can’t make gravy but have a can or jar in your pantry, simple beef or brown gravy works best, but any kind will do.
Instructions:
- Cook fries according to package directions.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and flour. Simmer, stirring constantly, until browned, about 15 minutes. Stir in stock and add pepper to taste. Bring gravy to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
- When fries are done, pour the cheese curds over them (you can also disperse the cheese curds throughout the pile of fries), followed by the warm gravy. Serve and enjoy.
- (For an extra kick, add crumbled bacon, fried onions, or hot peppers.)
Sweet Potato Poutine Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 large sweet potatoes, or substitute a bag of frozen sweet-potato fries, in which case omit the olive oil.
- Olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- Black pepper
- 2 cups fresh cheese curd
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Peel sweet potatoes and cut into fries.
- Spread fries out in a cookie sheet and coat in olive oil. Sprinkle with cumin, garlic, and onion powder. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, turning over halfway through.
- Prepare gravy and cheese as above and serve.
Vegan Poutine Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 medium potatoes
- Olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- Black pepper
- 2 cups vegan mozzarella, diced
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Wash potatoes and cut them into fries. Spread fries out in a cookie sheet and coat in olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic and onion powder.
- Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes, turning them over halfway through.
- In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt vegan butter over medium heat. Add flour, stirring constantly until browned. Whisk in vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and add the cornstarch and water mixture. Simmer until thick, about 5 minutes, whisking continually. Add pepper to taste.
- When fries are done, pour the cheese cubes over them, followed by the gravy. Serve and enjoy.
Snow-Day Cooking Energy?
Poutine is the perfect cold-and-wet-outside dinner. Check the long-range outlook to know when to stock the fryer.
See Your Extended ForecastFrequently Asked Questions About Poutine
What exactly is poutine?
French fries (skin-on, hand-cut traditionally), topped with fresh cheese curds, and finished with hot brown gravy poured directly over the top so the curds half-melt and the fries soften slightly without going soggy.
Where did poutine come from?
Rural Quebec in the late 1950s. Several restaurants claim the original recipe. Fernand Lachance in Warwick (1957) is the most cited; Jean-Paul Roy in Drummondville added the gravy a few years later, fixing the dish as we know it today.
What does the word “poutine” mean?
It is Quebecois slang for “mess” or “mush.” The story is that Lachance exclaimed “Ca va faire une maudite poutine!” (it will make a damn mess) the first time a customer asked him to throw cheese curds in with the fries.
Are cheese curds and cottage cheese the same thing?
No. Both are fresh, unaged dairy products, but cottage cheese is small wet curd suspended in cream, while poutine cheese curds are firm peanut-sized lumps of fresh cheddar or similar, drained and salted. The squeak is the giveaway.
Why do cheese curds squeak?
Because they have not been pressed or aged, their protein structure traps air pockets. When you bite a fresh (less than 24 hours old) curd, the air pockets rub on tooth enamel, producing the famous squeak. The squeak fades after a day in the fridge.
Can you make poutine without cheese curds?
You can, but it is not technically poutine in Quebec. Diced low-moisture mozzarella is the most common substitute. Avoid pre-grated cheese, the anti-caking starch ruins the texture against the gravy.
What gravy works best for poutine?
A medium-thin brown gravy made with a half-half ratio of beef and chicken stock, butter-flour roux, and lots of black pepper. Quebec diners often add a splash of cider vinegar. It should be hot enough to slightly melt the curds, but not so thick that it congeals on the fries.
For more regional-food reading, see Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich, the Cuban sandwich, and what is scrapple.
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Jaime McLeod
Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
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- Jaime McLeod
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The original poutine is acadian and has been around for generations!
The best poutine I ever had was my ex-daughter-in-law’s, who was from New Brunswick and taught me how to make it. The worst I’ve ever had was a restaurant who made it, but they deep-fried the cheese curds and it was nasty!
We eat Poutine- my favorite is the recipe from Le Cellier at Epcot. It is a red wine garlic beef reduction, poured over fresh cut fries and topped with cheese curds and truffle salt. Fantabulous! Our go to for a quick winter hearty simple meal. Paired with a fresh salad it is excellent. Who cares who invented it or whether it is classic? Im no purist- its just delicious!
Ok , the classic maybe , but the other two recipes are just wrong . Im from Québec , where poutine was invented. And its not a Canadian thing. Its a Québec thing. Please dont assume its a national thing. Just like deep dish pizza , it’s not because they make it in an other state that it’s their thing.. thanks
So then McDonald’s is a Californien restaurant? Gumbo is Lousian? No. Both American from different parts of the country. Poutine is a CANADIAN dish that originated in the beautiful Canadian province of Quebec.
Last I checked Quebec is a Canadian province…duh
Give your head a shake bud…Quebec is in Canada ?? so it’s a truly CANADIAN dish
Poutine was served at my grandson’s wedding for the late snack. It was something very different from sandwiches etc. We thought it was very good, I have never had any before. Someday, I will make the above Classic recipe. This dish is a huge winner in Sudbury, Ontario. We have many different nationalities in our city many French people and nearly everyone eats poutine. It is becoming a favourite in our restaurants.
This is Poutine as Boston Pizza is to actual Italian Pizza. Real Poutine in made in New Brunswick by the Acadians. This is just a slack quick thing, damn good and I like it but has nothing on the real thing.
We used to eat this all the time when I was a kid growing up in the 60’s & 70’s in Oregon…delish!!! Even better with chili and cheese….
My daughter-in-law is from Canada. We had a concession trailer we used at fairs and other occasions. She loved poutines and when she went to visit in Canada, she purchased the gravy mix and we served them like she had back home. Not many people knew what it was, but once they tried it, they were sold on it. We did a good business selling it. After a while, we only eat it occasionally, but we still love it.
You are what you eat. Balance your meal: One carb, one protein; fruit & veggies is a balanced meal. If you eat potatoes, rice or noodles, skip the bread!!!!!
Gross, IMHO! I’ll stick to ketchup for my fries 🙂
Lol… Actually, I prefer BBQ sauce or ranch dressing on my fries!!!