Poutine

Poutine is a Canadian dish of French fries topped with fresh cheese curds and covered in a hot brown gravy. The gravy gently warms the curds so they soften without fully melting, keeping their signature squeak.

The contrast is the whole point: crisp fries, springy curds and savoury gravy coming together into something greater than its parts. Once humble diner fare, it now appears everywhere from street stalls to upscale restaurants, often loaded with extra toppings.

Poutine emerged in rural Quebec in the late 1950s, with several small-town snack bars claiming to have served the first plate. For years it was dismissed as unsophisticated, before growing into a proud symbol of Québécois identity.

Today poutine is celebrated across Canada and beyond, with dedicated festivals and endless variations — from smoked meat and pulled pork to lobster — while the classic curds-and-gravy version remains the standard by which all others are judged.