#poutine 911

National Poutine Day

Savoring a delightful combination of crispy fries, savory gravy, and gooey cheese curds in this Canadian classic dish.

Coming in a wide range of varieties, poutine is a dish that is distinctly Canadian, specifically from French-speaking Quebec, but has made its way to becoming beloved all around the world!

How to Celebrate National Poutine Day

Show some love for this deliciously messy pile of gravy soaked fries and celebrate National Poutine Day in some of these fun ways:

Enjoy Eating Poutine

Those who live near a place that serves poutine (and who in Canada doesn’t?!) might want to head over to order some up at a local restaurant.

The good news, however, is that just about anyone, even those with very low culinary skills, can probably whip up a batch of poutine at home.

Hop online to search up a recipe that includes pre-made frozen French fries, along with some cheese curds and a simple gravy sauce. Grab a friend to share it with because it’s a delight to enjoy in honor of National Poutine Day!

Learn and Share Fun Facts About Poutine 

Increase the hype about this delicious and delightful dish by sharing some interesting bits of trivia with friends, family members or co-workers in honor of National Poutine Day. Or, even better, head over to social media and make a post that shares photos or some of these fun facts to get others involved in the day:

In 2019, the town of Warwick, Quebec in Canada beat the Guinness World Record for the largest poutine, weighing in at more than 3000 kilos (over 6600 pounds)

Though it was invented in the 1950s, the word poutine didn’t make it into Webster’s dictionary until 2014

The name for poutine loosely means ‘mess’ or ‘hot mess’, but also may have originated from a local word for ‘pudding’

History of National Poutine Day

Poutine has a rich history that is a bit hard to pin down – sort of like the ingredients in the dish itself! It was rumored to have been invented in Quebec in the 1950s, when a customer requested squeaky cheese curds on top of his French fries.

Originally served in a paper bag, the food is rumored to have evolved to include ketchup and vinegar, and then later gravy to keep it warm.

Other similar stories have been told, but the origins of this plate of gravy-soaked fries are really less important than the fact that it deserves to be celebrated.

In recent years, poutine has become a foundation for a number of different dishes and varieties, some that are approved of and some that Canadians find appalling. For instance, Italian poutine is topped with spaghetti sauce, Spicy poutine has Tabasco sauce in the gravy, and Galvaude poutine contains shredded chicken and peas.

National Poutine Day has been celebrated for more than a decade, and rumor has it that it was founded in 2014 by film producer and restaurant owner Danny Rodriguez of Smoke’s Poutinerie in California.

While some people seem to celebrate on March 5th, it seems to be more commonly observed on April 11. Of course, no die-hard poutine fans should be stopped from celebrating twice!

National Poutine Day FAQs

How did poutine get its name?

The name “poutine” likely originates from Quebecois slang for “a mess,” reflecting its rustic, comfort-food appeal.

It was first used in rural Quebec diners in the 1950s, describing the unusual combination of fries, cheese curds, and gravy.

This slang also mirrors how the dish mixes different ingredients into a single hearty meal.

Is there a world record related to poutine?

Yes, competitive eater Joey Chestnut holds the record for consuming 28 pounds of poutine in just 10 minutes.

The challenge took place during the World Poutine Eating Championship in Toronto.

His achievement highlights the dish’s enduring appeal and the lengths fans will go to celebrate it.

How do different regions customize poutine?

Poutine has inspired endless regional variations. In Italy, it’s topped with bolognese sauce and parmesan cheese, creating Italian poutine.

In Quebec, Galvaude adds shredded chicken and peas, giving the dish a homey twist.

Other international versions use toppings like kimchi, pulled pork, or even foie gras.

What is La Poutine Week?

La Poutine Week is a global festival where restaurants craft creative poutine dishes for a week of fun competition.

The event began in Montreal but has since spread to cities across Canada and even the U.S. Restaurants compete for titles like “Most Original Poutine,” while diners celebrate their love for the iconic dish.

Did poutine ever appear at a White House event?

Yes, poutine made its way to the White House during a 2016 state dinner hosted by President Obama.

It was included as part of the menu honoring Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The dish’s appearance at this high-profile event showcased its rise from humble beginnings to global fame. 

Are there poutine-flavored products?

Surprisingly, poutine has inspired unusual spin-offs like Jones Soda’s limited-edition poutine-flavored drink.

Released in Canada, the soda aimed to capture the dish’s signature flavors in beverage form.

Though polarizing, the product shows how poutine continues to influence creative food trends.

How do other countries celebrate poutine?

New Zealand-based Giapo’s Ice Cream created a poutine-inspired dessert featuring fries topped with caramel and oolong matcha tea.

In France, similar dishes often include duck confit as a topping.

These adaptations reflect how other cultures embrace poutine while adding their own culinary flair.

What are some myths about poutine’s origin?

Several Quebec diners claim to have invented poutine in the late 1950s, leading to debates over its birthplace.

The most common tale credits Fernand Lachance, who reportedly exclaimed “Ça va faire une maudite poutine!” (“That’ll make a damn mess!”) when combining fries, cheese, and gravy.

These competing stories have become part of the dish’s charm and mystery.

How has poutine influenced pop culture?

Poutine has appeared in movies, TV shows, and even inspired themed restaurants worldwide.

In Canada, poutine-eating contests are a regular feature at food festivals. Its inclusion in pop culture cements its role as a symbol of indulgence and Canadian pride.

Is poutine considered Canada’s national dish?

While poutine is widely associated with Canadian cuisine, it’s seen more as a Quebecois specialty than a national dish.

Some Canadians debate whether maple syrup or butter tarts better reflect the country’s culinary identity.

Regardless, poutine’s popularity across provinces makes it a close contender.

National Cheese Curd Day

National Cheese Curd Day was created by Culver's, a fast-food restaurant that started in Wisconsin that is located mainly in the Midwest, that as of 2020 has restaurants in 25 states. One of their most popular menu items, their cheese curds, are made with white and yellow Cheddar cheese. The fresh cheese curds—which they source from LaGrander's Hillside Dairy in Stanley, Wisconsin—are breaded with their signature blend of herbs and spices and then deep-fried. Culver's sold over 17.7 million orders of cheese curds in 2015, and over 28 million orders in 2018. During the month of October, when they hold National Cheese Curd Day, they offer chances for people to win cheese curds and other prizes. They've even given away a year's supply of cheese curds as their grand prize.

Cheese curds are popular in the Midwest, particularly in Wisconsin. They also are common in Quebec, Canada. Cheese curds are fresh, made by separating the curd from whey during the cheese-making process. Instead of going through the whole process, where a block of cheese is made, a solid curd of cheese with a milky flavor is formed. Cheese curds are mainly made of young Cheddar, either white or yellow, although some are made from mozzarella, Muenster, Colby, or Monterey Jack cheese. Fresh cheese curds are moist and rubberlike and will squeak when eaten when their elastic protein strands rub against tooth enamel. They begin losing their squeakiness after 12 hours and are no longer considered fresh about two days after being made. They are rather mild in flavor with a bit of saltiness and are often flavored with dill, garlic, spicy Cajun, taco seasoning, ranch, or jalapeno.

Cheese curds are commonly eaten as a snack or appetizer. Not only can they be eaten fresh, but they can be deep-fried, after being covered with a breading or batter—sometimes a beer batter. They are often then dipped in marinara sauce, ketchup, or ranch dressing. Deep-fried cheese curds are popular at state fairs, carnivals, and bars. They are also common at some fast-food restaurants, Culvers and A&W being two that offer them. Cheese curds are also used to make poutine. No matter if you eat deep-fried cheese curds at Culver's today, or enjoy them somewhere else or made in another manner, you are sure to find National Cheese Curd Day most enjoyable!

How to Observe National Cheese Curd Day

Some ways to observe National Cheese Curd Day include:

Pick up some cheese curds at Culver's. Watch their social media accounts for chances to win cheese curds and other swag.

Have some cheese curds at another restaurant, at a bar, or at a carnival or fair.

Pick up some fresh cheese curds at a store or shop, or make your own.

Make your own deep-fried cheese curds.

Plan a trip to the next Cheese Curd Festival.

National Poutine Day

In Canada, particularly in Quebec, poutine is a staple food, if not  also an iconic one. It has become a popular food in America as well as  in other countries, and we celebrate it today, on National Poutine Day.  Standard poutine is made up of fresh-cut french fries, squeaky fresh  cheese curds, and brown gravy, but there are many variations of the  dish. Among other possibilities, the name may have come from the word  "pudding," which is spelled pouding in French, or from poutine,  which is slang for "mess" in Quebec. It is pronounced "pou-tin" in the  French-dominated regions of Quebec and New Brunswick, but as "poo-teen"  elsewhere.

According to the most widely known and accepted story, poutine was  first served at L’Idéal (Café Ideal)—a restaurant that later changed its  name to Le Lutin Qui Rit (The Laughing Elf)—in 1957, in the small town  of Warwick, in Arthabaska County, Quebec, a town known for producing  squeaky cheese curds. A usual customer, Eddy Lainsesse, requested curds  on top of his fries. The restaurant owner, Fernand Lachance, supposedly  replied, "Ça va faire une maudite poutine," which roughly translates to  "That's going to make a dreadful mess." A variation of the story says  that Lainsesse asked for the curds and fries to be thrown together in a  paper bag, upon which Lachance looked into the bag and said, "This is  poutine." The dish started being sold in a bag and soon caught on.  Patrons began adding ketchup and vinegar to it. In 1963, Lachance began  serving it on plates. Customers soon noticed that the fries got cold  quickly, so Lachance added gravy to keep them warm.

According to another story, poutine was created by Jean-Paul Roy,  owner of Le Roy Jucep, a drive-in restaurant in Drummondville, Quebec.  He had been serving a dish of gravy and french fries called patate-sauce  since 1958, and in 1964 noticed that some of his diners were adding  cheese curds to it. He soon added a dish that contained all three  ingredients and named it fromage-patate-sauce.

No matter how poutine got its start, it soon could be found being  sold as street food in Canada. By 1969 it was being sold in Quebec City  at the Ashton Snack Bar food truck on Boulevard Wilfred-Hamel, and it  was being sold in Montreal by 1983. By the early 1980s, it had become a  widely popular street food in Ontario and Quebec.

It made its debut in Canadian chain restaurants in 1985, appearing on  the menu at Frits, a now-defunct Quebec-based chain. By the 1990s,  poutine had reached mass popularization in the country, after its  inclusion on the menus of other chains. It first appeared on a Burger  King menu in 1987 in Quebec, and soon spread to other locations of the  chain. The same happened with McDonald's in 1990. Canadian fast-food  chain Harvey's debuted it on menus across the country in 1992.

But poutine wasn't to remain only as street food and fast food. By  the early 2000s, it was appearing in high-end Canadian restaurants. It  was put on the menu at Aud Pied de Cochon in Montreal in 2002, where it  was topped with foie gras. Other high-end Montreal restaurants followed  suit. Garde Manger began serving an Iron Chef America-winning lobster poutine, and Pub Quartier Latin put poutine made with steak, truffles, and red wine demi-glace on their menu.

Some Canadian restaurants have made poutine their main focus. La  Banquise in Montreal began serving it in the 1980s. They started with  the standard version and an Italian version with bolognese sauce instead  of gravy. They have since expanded to serving 30 types. Smoke's  Poutinerie was started in Toronto in 2008, the first poutine-only  restaurant in that city. Other poutine-only restaurants that followed in  Canada are Poutini's House of Poutine, La Poutinerie, and Poutineville.

Poutine made its first foray into the United States in New Jersey and  New York, where a variation of the recipe called "Disco Fries" became  popular. This version substituted mozzarella or cheddar cheese for the  curds. Poutine has since become relatively common in the States, and  took hold in other countries as well, such as the United Kingdom and  Russia.

As mentioned, there are various types of poutine besides the usual  french fries, cheese curds, and gravy combination. Different types of  potatoes, cheese, and sauces can be used. Italian poutine may use  spaghetti sauce instead of gravy; veggie poutine is made with mushroom  sauce and vegetables; Irish poutine is made with lardons. La galvaude is from Gaspésie and is made with chicken and green peas. A variation in Montreal uses smoked meat.

Festivals devoted to poutine are held across Canada throughout the  year. Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto are some cities that hold them. On  National Poutine Day, events are held and specials are available at  restaurants in countries like Canada and the United States. For example,  My Meatball Place in Toronto has given away free samples of meatball  and vegan poutine, and The Hops Spot in Syracuse has offered half-price  poutine. With so many types of poutine—and so many restaurants that  serve it in some parts of the world—there is no reason to remain hungry  on National Poutine Day.

How to Observe National Poutine Day (Canada)

Here are some ideas on how to celebrate the day:

Make your own poutine. You could make the original version or another variation of the dish. You could even make Disco Fries, the Americanized version of the dish.

Check if there is a place near you that serves poutine.

Enjoy poutine at a Canadian restaurant that specializes in the dish, such as La Banquise, Smoke's Poutinerie, Poutini's House of Poutine, La Poutinerie, or Poutineville. Smoke's Poutinerie also has some locations in the United States.

Have poutine at a restaurant in Warwick, Quebec, the town where the dish is said to have originated, or have it at Le Roy Jucep in Drummondville, Quebec, the other location where it is said to have gotten its start.

Eat some poutine at Harvey's or at another fast food restaurant in Canada.

Enjoy poutine at a high-end Canadian restaurant such as Aud Pied de Cochon, Garde Manger, or Pub Quartier Latin.

See if there are any specials on poutine today at restaurants such as My Meatball Place in Toronto or The Hops Spot in Syracuse.

Plan a trip to an upcoming poutine fest, such as Montreal's Le Grand Poutinefest, Ottawa Poutine Fest, or Toronto Poutine Fest.

National Poutine Day

In Canada, particularly in Quebec, poutine is a staple food, if not  also an iconic one. It has become a popular food in America as well as  in other countries, and we celebrate it today, on National Poutine Day.  Standard poutine is made up of fresh-cut french fries, squeaky fresh  cheese curds, and brown gravy, but there are many variations of the  dish. Among other possibilities, the name may have come from the word  "pudding," which is spelled pouding in French, or from poutine,  which is slang for "mess" in Quebec. It is pronounced "pou-tin" in the  French-dominated regions of Quebec and New Brunswick, but as "poo-teen"  elsewhere.

According to the most widely known and accepted story, poutine was  first served at L’Idéal (Café Ideal)—a restaurant that later changed its  name to Le Lutin Qui Rit (The Laughing Elf)—in 1957, in the small town  of Warwick, in Arthabaska County, Quebec, a town known for producing  squeaky cheese curds. A usual customer, Eddy Lainsesse, requested curds  on top of his fries. The restaurant owner, Fernand Lachance, supposedly  replied, "Ça va faire une maudite poutine," which roughly translates to  "That's going to make a dreadful mess." A variation of the story says  that Lainsesse asked for the curds and fries to be thrown together in a  paper bag, upon which Lachance looked into the bag and said, "This is  poutine." The dish started being sold in a bag and soon caught on.  Patrons began adding ketchup and vinegar to it. In 1963, Lachance began  serving it on plates. Customers soon noticed that the fries got cold  quickly, so Lachance added gravy to keep them warm.

According to another story, poutine was created by Jean-Paul Roy,  owner of Le Roy Jucep, a drive-in restaurant in Drummondville, Quebec.  He had been serving a dish of gravy and french fries called patate-sauce  since 1958, and in 1964 noticed that some of his diners were adding  cheese curds to it. He soon added a dish that contained all three  ingredients and named it fromage-patate-sauce.

No matter how poutine got its start, it soon could be found being  sold as street food in Canada. By 1969 it was being sold in Quebec City  at the Ashton Snack Bar food truck on Boulevard Wilfred-Hamel, and it  was being sold in Montreal by 1983. By the early 1980s, it had become a  widely popular street food in Ontario and Quebec.

It made its debut in Canadian chain restaurants in 1985, appearing on  the menu at Frits, a now-defunct Quebec-based chain. By the 1990s,  poutine had reached mass popularization in the country, after its  inclusion on the menus of other chains. It first appeared on a Burger  King menu in 1987 in Quebec, and soon spread to other locations of the  chain. The same happened with McDonald's in 1990. Canadian fast-food  chain Harvey's debuted it on menus across the country in 1992.

But poutine wasn't to remain only as street food and fast food. By  the early 2000s, it was appearing in high-end Canadian restaurants. It  was put on the menu at Aud Pied de Cochon in Montreal in 2002, where it  was topped with foie gras. Other high-end Montreal restaurants followed  suit. Garde Manger began serving an Iron Chef America-winning lobster poutine, and Pub Quartier Latin put poutine made with steak, truffles, and red wine demi-glace on their menu.

Some Canadian restaurants have made poutine their main focus. La  Banquise in Montreal began serving it in the 1980s. They started with  the standard version and an Italian version with bolognese sauce instead  of gravy. They have since expanded to serving 30 types. Smoke's  Poutinerie was started in Toronto in 2008, the first poutine-only  restaurant in that city. Other poutine-only restaurants that followed in  Canada are Poutini's House of Poutine, La Poutinerie, and Poutineville.

Poutine made its first foray into the United States in New Jersey and  New York, where a variation of the recipe called "Disco Fries" became  popular. This version substituted mozzarella or cheddar cheese for the  curds. Poutine has since become relatively common in the States, and  took hold in other countries as well, such as the United Kingdom and  Russia.

As mentioned, there are various types of poutine besides the usual  french fries, cheese curds, and gravy combination. Different types of  potatoes, cheese, and sauces can be used. Italian poutine may use  spaghetti sauce instead of gravy; veggie poutine is made with mushroom  sauce and vegetables; Irish poutine is made with lardons. La galvaude is from Gaspésie and is made with chicken and green peas. A variation in Montreal uses smoked meat.

Festivals devoted to poutine are held across Canada throughout the  year. Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto are some cities that hold them. On  National Poutine Day, events are held and specials are available at  restaurants in countries like Canada and the United States. For example,  My Meatball Place in Toronto has given away free samples of meatball  and vegan poutine, and The Hops Spot in Syracuse has offered half-price  poutine. With so many types of poutine—and so many restaurants that  serve it in some parts of the world—there is no reason to remain hungry  on National Poutine Day.

How to Observe National Poutine Day (Canada)

Here are some ideas on how to celebrate the day:

Make your own poutine. You could make the original version or another variation of the dish. You could even make Disco Fries, the Americanized version of the dish.

Check if there is a place near you that serves poutine.

Enjoy poutine at a Canadian restaurant that specializes in the dish, such as La Banquise, Smoke's Poutinerie, Poutini's House of Poutine, La Poutinerie, or Poutineville. Smoke's Poutinerie also has some locations in the United States.

Have poutine at a restaurant in Warwick, Quebec, the town where the dish is said to have originated, or have it at Le Roy Jucep in Drummondville, Quebec, the other location where it is said to have gotten its start.

Eat some poutine at Harvey's or at another fast food restaurant in Canada.

Enjoy poutine at a high-end Canadian restaurant such as Aud Pied de Cochon, Garde Manger, or Pub Quartier Latin.

See if there are any specials on poutine today at restaurants such as My Meatball Place in Toronto or The Hops Spot in Syracuse.

Plan a trip to an upcoming poutine fest, such as Montreal's Le Grand Poutinefest, Ottawa Poutine Fest, or Toronto Poutine Fest.

National Poutine Day

In Canada, particularly in Quebec, poutine is a staple food, if not also an iconic one. It has become a popular food in America as well as in other countries, and we celebrate it today, on National Poutine Day. Standard poutine is made up of fresh-cut french fries, squeaky fresh cheese curds, and brown gravy, but there are many variations of the dish. Among other possibilities, the name may have come from the word "pudding," which is spelled pouding in French, or from poutine, which is slang for "mess" in Quebec. It is pronounced "pou-tin" in the French-dominated regions of Quebec and New Brunswick, but as "poo-teen" elsewhere.

According to the most widely known and accepted story, poutine was first served at L'Idéal (Café Ideal)—a restaurant that later changed its name to Le Lutin Qui Rit (The Laughing Elf)—in 1957, in the small town of Warwick, in Arthabaska County, Quebec, a town known for producing squeaky cheese curds. A usual customer, Eddy Lainsesse, requested curds on top of his fries. The restaurant owner, Fernand Lachance, supposedly replied, "Ça va faire une maudite poutine," which roughly translates to "That's going to make a dreadful mess." A variation of the story says that Lainsesse asked for the curds and fries to be thrown together in a paper bag, upon which Lachance looked into the bag and said, "This is poutine." The dish started being sold in a bag and soon caught on. Patrons began adding ketchup and vinegar to it. In 1963, Lachance began serving it on plates. Customers soon noticed that the fries got cold quickly, so Lachance added gravy to keep them warm.

According to another story, poutine was created by Jean-Paul Roy, owner of Le Roy Jucep, a drive-in restaurant in Drummondville, Quebec. He had been serving a dish of gravy and french fries called patate-sauce since 1958, and in 1964 noticed that some of his diners were adding cheese curds to it. He soon added a dish that contained all three ingredients and named it fromage-patate-sauce.

No matter how poutine got its start, it soon could be found being sold as street food in Canada. By 1969 it was being sold in Quebec City at the Ashton Snack Bar food truck on Boulevard Wilfred-Hamel, and it was being sold in Montreal by 1983. By the early 1980s, it had become a widely popular street food in Ontario and Quebec.

It made its debut in Canadian chain restaurants in 1985, appearing on the menu at Frits, a now-defunct Quebec-based chain. By the 1990s, poutine had reached mass popularization in the country, after its inclusion on the menus of other chains. It first appeared on a Burger King menu in 1987 in Quebec, and soon spread to other locations of the chain. The same happened with McDonald's in 1990. Canadian fast-food chain Harvey's debuted it on menus across the country in 1992.

But poutine wasn't to remain only as street food and fast food. By the early 2000s, it was appearing in high-end Canadian restaurants. It was put on the menu at Aud Pied de Cochon in Montreal in 2002, where it was topped with foie gras. Other high-end Montreal restaurants followed suit. Garde Manger began serving an Iron Chef America-winning lobster poutine, and Pub Quartier Latin put poutine made with steak, truffles, and red wine demi-glace on their menu.

Some Canadian restaurants have made poutine their main focus. La Banquise in Montreal began serving it in the 1980s. They started with the standard version and an Italian version with bolognese sauce instead of gravy. They have since expanded to serving 30 types. Smoke's Poutinerie was started in Toronto in 2008, the first poutine-only restaurant in that city. Other poutine-only restaurants that followed in Canada are Poutini's House of Poutine, La Poutinerie, and Poutineville.

Poutine made its first foray into the United States in New Jersey and New York, where a variation of the recipe called "Disco Fries" became popular. This version substituted mozzarella or cheddar cheese for the curds. Poutine has since become relatively common in the States, and took hold in other countries as well, such as the United Kingdom and Russia.

As mentioned, there are various types of poutine besides the usual french fries, cheese curds, and gravy combination. Different types of potatoes, cheese, and sauces can be used. Italian poutine may use spaghetti sauce instead of gravy; veggie poutine is made with mushroom sauce and vegetables; Irish poutine is made with lardons. La galvaude is from Gaspésie and is made with chicken and green peas. A variation in Montreal uses smoked meat.

Festivals devoted to poutine are held across Canada throughout the year. Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto are some cities that hold them. On National Poutine Day, events are held and specials are available at restaurants in countries like Canada and the United States. For example, My Meatball Place in Toronto has given away free samples of meatball and vegan poutine, and The Hops Spot in Syracuse has offered half-price poutine. With so many types of poutine—and so many restaurants that serve it in some parts of the world—there is no reason to remain hungry on National Poutine Day.)

Make your own poutine. You could make the original version or another variation of the dish. You could even make Disco Fries, the Americanized version of the dish.

Check if there is a place near you that serves poutine.

Enjoy poutine at a Canadian restaurant that specializes in the dish, such as La Banquise, Smoke's Poutinerie, Poutini's House of Poutine, La Poutinerie, or Poutineville. Smoke's Poutinerie also has some locations in the United States.

Have poutine at a restaurant in Warwick, Quebec, the town where the dish is said to have originated, or have it at Le Roy Jucep in Drummondville, Quebec, the other location where it is said to have gotten its start.

Eat some poutine at Harvey's or at another fast food restaurant in Canada.

Enjoy poutine at a high-end Canadian restaurant such as Aud Pied de Cochon, Garde Manger, or Pub Quartier Latin.

See if there are any specials on poutine today at restaurants such as My Meatball Place in Toronto or The Hops Spot in Syracuse.

Plan a trip to an upcoming poutine fest, such as Montreal's Le Grand Poutinefest, Ottawa Poutine Fest, or Toronto Poutine Fest.

National Poutine Day

In Canada, particularly in Quebec, poutine is a staple food, if not also an iconic one. It has become a popular food in America as well as in other countries, and we celebrate it today, on National Poutine Day. Standard poutine is made up of fresh-cut french fries, squeaky fresh cheese curds, and brown gravy, but there are many variations of the dish. Among other possibilities, the name may have come from the word "pudding," which is spelled pouding in French, or from poutine, which is slang for "mess" in Quebec. It is pronounced "pou-tin" in the French-dominated regions of Quebec and New Brunswick, but as "poo-teen" elsewhere.

According to the most widely known and accepted story, poutine was first served at L’Idéal (Café Ideal)—a restaurant that later changed its name to Le Lutin Qui Rit (The Laughing Elf)—in 1957, in the small town of Warwick, in Arthabaska County, Quebec, a town known for producing squeaky cheese curds. A usual customer, Eddy Lainsesse, requested curds on top of his fries. The restaurant owner, Fernand Lachance, supposedly replied, "Ça va faire une maudite poutine," which roughly translates to "That's going to make a dreadful mess." A variation of the story says that Lainsesse asked for the curds and fries to be thrown together in a paper bag, upon which Lachance looked into the bag and said, "This is poutine." The dish started being sold in a bag and soon caught on. Patrons began adding ketchup and vinegar to it. In 1963, Lachance began serving it on plates. Customers soon noticed that the fries got cold quickly, so Lachance added gravy to keep them warm.

According to another story, poutine was created by Jean-Paul Roy, owner of Le Roy Jucep, a drive-in restaurant in Drummondville, Quebec. He had been serving a dish of gravy and french fries called patate-sauce since 1958, and in 1964 noticed that some of his diners were adding cheese curds to it. He soon added a dish that contained all three ingredients and named it fromage-patate-sauce.

No matter how poutine got its start, it soon could be found being sold as street food in Canada. By 1969 it was being sold in Quebec City at the Ashton Snack Bar food truck on Boulevard Wilfred-Hamel, and it was being sold in Montreal by 1983. By the early 1980s, it had become a widely popular street food in Ontario and Quebec.

It made its debut in Canadian chain restaurants in 1985, appearing on the menu at Frits, a now-defunct Quebec-based chain. By the 1990s, poutine had reached mass popularization in the country, after its inclusion on the menus of other chains. It first appeared on a Burger King menu in 1987 in Quebec, and soon spread to other locations of the chain. The same happened with McDonald's in 1990. Canadian fast-food chain Harvey's debuted it on menus across the country in 1992.

But poutine wasn't to remain only as street food and fast food. By the early 2000s, it was appearing in high-end Canadian restaurants. It was put on the menu at Aud Pied de Cochon in Montreal in 2002, where it was topped with foie gras. Other high-end Montreal restaurants followed suit. Garde Manger began serving an Iron Chef America-winning lobster poutine, and Pub Quartier Latin put poutine made with steak, truffles, and red wine demi-glace on their menu.

Some Canadian restaurants have made poutine their main focus. La Banquise in Montreal began serving it in the 1980s. They started with the standard version and an Italian version with bolognese sauce instead of gravy. They have since expanded to serving 30 types. Smoke's Poutinerie was started in Toronto in 2008, the first poutine-only restaurant in that city. Other poutine-only restaurants that followed in Canada are Poutini's House of Poutine, La Poutinerie, and Poutineville.

Poutine made its first foray into the United States in New Jersey and New York, where a variation of the recipe called "Disco Fries" became popular. This version substituted mozzarella or cheddar cheese for the curds. Poutine has since become relatively common in the States, and took hold in other countries as well, such as the United Kingdom and Russia.

As mentioned, there are various types of poutine besides the usual french fries, cheese curds, and gravy combination. Different types of potatoes, cheese, and sauces can be used. Italian poutine may use spaghetti sauce instead of gravy; veggie poutine is made with mushroom sauce and vegetables; Irish poutine is made with lardons. La galvaude is from Gaspésie and is made with chicken and green peas. A variation in Montreal uses smoked meat.

Festivals devoted to poutine are held across Canada throughout the year. Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto are some cities that hold them. On National Poutine Day, events are held and specials are available at restaurants in countries like Canada and the United States. For example, My Meatball Place in Toronto has given away free samples of meatball and vegan poutine, and The Hops Spot in Syracuse has offered half-price poutine. With so many types of poutine—and so many restaurants that serve it in some parts of the world—there is no reason to remain hungry on National Poutine Day.

Poutine 911

Poutine