A Brief History of Poutine

By: Kayleigh LaSalle- Franco-American Intern and UNHM Student

The NHPoutine Festival is almost upon us and the Franco-American Centre would like to provide you with the history of the decadence that is fries, gravy, and cheese curds.

Before writing this, I knew little to nothing about poutine. I have experienced poutine on occasion, but I was completely unaware of the history and controversy that is poutine.

Where did Poutine come from?

No one is sure where poutine originates but the traditional story says it was most likely from Warwick, Quebec. This was around the 1950’s at “Le Lutin qui rit” a restaurant owner noticed that his customers would order a side of cheeses curds with their fries and gravy. The restaurant owner was supposedly named Fernard Lachance. When people asked him to put cheese curds with his fries he would respond with this: “Ça va faire une maudite poutine,” or, “That’s going to make a dreadful mess.”

This is just one version of the story however, we do know that poutine did come from rural Quebec. Another theory poutine coming from Drummondville, Quebec, but again no one is quite sure of the origin specifically.

Poutine in Politics

The people of Quebec were not as ecstatic to see their culture be “Canadized.’ Six years ago, Montreal chef Chuck Hughes told Toronto Life magazine that he’s “concerned” about how poutine has become known as a Canadian dish.

“It’s totally NOT a Canadian dish. It’s Québécois!” he said. This holds merit due to Quebec’s history of independence and idiosyncratic society.

People were even more mad when Wendy’s pushed for a “Poutition” that Canada make poutine their national dish back in 2012.

A Montreal researcher found that Poutine was a dish of lower class and a form of ridicule, then rose in popularity by foodies and the public. He called it the Rags to Riches trend. This was because poutine was also used to make fun of the Quebecois but has evolved to a Canadian delicacy, which is another point of controversy because poutine is not Canadian but is Quebecois.

Let me point out that the people of Quebec want you to enjoy poutine they just want you to know where it really came from!

Poutines Rise in Popularity

Poutine started to get sold in chains in Canada in about 1985, the chain it started in was called Frits. The company ended up folding in 1988. This led to other chains picking up poutine as a dish and therefore enhancing its popularity. Canada even has poutine on the top 10 inventions from Canada above the electron microscope, the Blackberry cellphone, and the paint roller!

Today you can get you poutine with lobster, truffle oil, Italian Bolognese style, cheeseburger poutine you name it its out there!