Enjoy poutine in Quebec City

The history of Quebec poutine has its roots in Drummondville, Quebec. It's undoubtedly the best-known Canadian dish on the other side of the Atlantic. As well as being a delicious comfort food for cold Canadian winters, poutine has become part of Quebec's culinary identity. In Quebec City, poutine is eaten everywhere, as a main course, side dish or snack, at any time of day!

This legendary dish is made with :

• Chips: as the Quebecois say, "no good fries, no good poutine".

• couic-couic" cheese: this very specific cheese is cut into small cubes and is similar to the Cyprien cheese known as "halloumi". It is slightly rubbery, hence the "couic-couic" sound it makes when chewed.

• Poutine sauce: This sauce is similar to "HP" sauce or "gravy" in the UK. It's a meat base with lots of flavour that enhances the chips and cheese. The poutine sauce is made with maple syrup and starch flour for a thicker texture.

Finally, you have a plate of crispy fries bathed in poutine sauce, sprinkled with couic-couic cheese. Delicious!

Although the exact origins of poutine remain a little hazy, fans seem to have agreed on one version.

The history of poutine dates back to the late 1950s. Apparently, it was the Roy Jucep restaurant in Drummondville that invented poutine. The owner of Roy Jucep, a small restaurant and canteen, began making the first poutines at the request of his customers, and gradually poutine became the new culinary invention in vogue. It didn't take long for it to make its way across Quebec and onto every restaurant menu in the country.

Today, the villages of Quebec are snatching up the origins of this now mythical dish. Everyone wants their village to be the famous inventor of poutine. Whatever the case, everyone has their own story to tell and their own variation on the national dish.

Roy Jucep in Drummondville

If you're passing through Drummondville, be sure to visit the Roy Jucep restaurant and try one of its famous poutines.

Poutine seems to know how to dress up in style. It likes to adopt flavours from all over the world. As proof, there are as many variations of poutine as there are Chips on the plate:

• Italian poutine: replace the poutine sauce with tomato Bolognese sauce and you're done!
• Western poutine: a traditional poutine with small pieces of sausage.
• Poutine foie gras: for a gourmet version of poutine, add foie gras and drizzle with demi-glace.
• Galvaude poutine: a well-known Quebec poutine with chicken and peas.
• Steak and minced meat poutine: add a little minced steak to your poutine. Delicious

Chefs are inventive when it comes to variations on poutine: smoked meat, BBQ, grilled peppers, hot sauce, and so on. Everyone has their favourite!

Poutineville: create your own poutine

Here, you create the poutine you want. At Poutineville, you choose the ingredients one by one from the menu: brie, bacon, guacamole, filet mignon, etc. You can even choose your sauce. Enjoy your poutine!

Casse-Croûte Chez Gaston, the best in Quebec?

In a small street snack atmosphere, Chez Gaston's poutine is apparently the best in Quebec. The prices are affordable, the decor is "old school" and the staff are very friendly. Choose the variant of poutine you prefer: Italian, Galvaude, poutine, and so on. Enjoy your snack on the spot or to take away.