Poutine

Poutine (/puːˈtiːn/; Quebec French: [put͡sɪn]) is a Canadian dish, originating in the province of Quebec, made with french fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy. This fast-food dish is typically found across Canada and in some places in the northern United States, less often elsewhere and is still considered 'exotic' in such places. In Canada, it is sold in small "greasy spoon" type diners (commonly known as cantines or casse-croûtes in Quebec) and pubs, as well as by roadside chip wagons (commonly known as cabanes à patates, literally "potato shacks") and in hockey arenas. National and international chains such as Smoke's Poutinerie,New York Fries,McDonald's,Wendy's,A&W,KFC,Burger King, and Harvey's also sell mass-market poutine in Canada (although not always country-wide.)

Origins

The dish is thought to have originated in rural Quebec, Canada, in the late 1950s and several Canadian communities claim to be the birthplace of poutine, including Drummondville (by Jean-Paul Roy in 1964),Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, and Victoriaville. Prior to this, since 1901, the closest dish to poutine was known as "Chips, cheese and gravy" and was widely available in the UK (particularly the north of England and Scotland). Some believe that the Canadian classic "poutine" was somewhat inspired by this European dish.