Poutine

Poutine is one of my favorite meals and the first thing I think of if anyone asks me what a fundamentally Canadian dish is. Made with thick cut whole potato fries, topped with white melty cheese curds and a dollop of thick brown gravy it is the perfect meal for 3am or anyother time of the day!

This dish originated in Quebec, Canada in the 1950’s and is popular in ‘diner type’ restaurants all over Canada. The name is reminicent of the American ‘Sloppy Joe’ and ‘ça va faire une maudite poutine’ translates as "it will make a damn mess".

The recognition of the dish in America surged during the 2000 election when a Canadian comedy sketch called “Talking to Americans” on the show This Hour Has 22 Minutes featured a reporter convincing then Governor of Texas George W. Bush, that Canada’s Prime Minister was named Jean Poutine and that he was supporting Bush’s candidacy. When Bush made his first visit to Canada as President, during his speech he said “There's a prominent citizen who endorsed me in the 2000 election, and I wanted a chance to finally thank him for that endorsement. I was hoping to meet Jean Poutine."

In-N-Out Burger has the closest thing to a poutine at an American Fast Food Chain, their off-menu item ‘French Fries Animal Style’ is french fries, grilled with special sauce, onions and cheese.