The word “poutine” may conjure up different ideas of the wonderfully messy fries dish for different people: Comfort food. A symbol of Quebec culture. A Canadian culinary emblem.

“It started as a very popular everyday snack food meal that you used to get in the countryside. Not in Montreal, not in Quebec City,” explained Charles-Alexandre Théorêt, a CBC Montreal producer and an author who traced the dish’s complicated history in his book, Maudite Poutine!

Poutine translates to “mess,” which, as legend has it, is what it was called when a casse croûte customer asked for fries, fresh cheese curds, and gravy be put in a sandwich bag.

All about the curd

Fresh-made curds topping Quebec poutines squeak when eaten. Elsewhere, the curds are usually stringy and melting.

“The best thing is, of course, the freshest cheese you can find. If it’s two or three days old, or if it had been in the fridge, that’s a big no-no. It’s almost a crime,” chuckled Théorêt.

Despite its humble beginnings of being a cheap rural Quebec snack, it has since become an elevated dish with different versions that can be found in many places.

Théorêt said city dwellers initially snubbed its affordable rural roots, but the dish eventually became accepted in urban centres. Poutineries opened, adding ingredients ranging from hot dogs to bean sprouts to vegan nut cheese. It became gentrified, with Montreal’s Au Pied de Cochon famously using fois gras with theirs.

Other regional variations developed, including white sauce and shrimp in Matane, and a sweeter sauce in Lac St-Jean.

Local poutine flavours

With options named the Pickle Rick, Meat Tsunami and Green Giant, Breslau’s The Pork Stop’s poutines feature local produce and meats.

Owned by Tyler and Judy Ishihara, their young nephews and customer suggestions inspire the family-run diner’s poutine menu.

“We have had customers who said, ‘Can you do half of this, half of that?’ Of course we can do that. If we have it, we’ll make it,” said Judy Ishihara.

Their poutines can be served on fries or fresh-cut wedges and topped with an array of sauces and fresh toppings.

“What makes a great poutine is whatever the customer says makes a great poutine,” said Tyler Ishihara.

Newfie fries

Technically, Newfoundland fries is not a poutine but adding cheese to its fried onions, peas, and dressing turns it into one.

While popular here, it can be a challenge to the uninitiated.

“They’ll ask what it is and then when you say peas, you can see that look on their face. My staff just tells them they don’t have to have it with peas,” said Donna Edwards, owner of Kitchener’s Manitou Takeout. “When they try it, they love it.”

Along with scratch-made dressing using Mount Scio’s savory, the chip wagon uses fresh-cut Reba potatoes, grown in New Hamburg.

“I think a Newfoundland fry is a comfort fry,” said Edwards. “It is warm. That nice dressing gives you that bun feeling. It’s spiced with savory. And then, with the nice rich brown gravy, it definitely hits the right spot.”

Poutine goes global

For some, poutine lets them meld their culinary traditions with Canada’s, creating tasty and creative options. Local examples include:

• Shawarma Poutine 1001 Nights Shawarma, Kitchener.
• Jerk Chicken Poutine at Irie Myrie’s, Cambridge.
• Samosa Poutine at Samosa Bar, Kitchener.
• Poutine made with plantain fries, at Mama Favourite Kitchen, Guelph.
• Gyro Poutine at Three Kretans, Kitchener

Other local poutines to try:

• Blackened Salmon Poutine at Crowsfoot, Conestogo.
• Burnt Brisket Ends Poutine at Park Eatery, Guelph.
• The DTK at The Crazy Canuck, Kitchener and Waterloo.
• Dynasty Duck Poutine at Bao Sandwich Bar, Waterloo.
• Montreal Smoked Meat Poutine at The Lancaster Smokehouse, Kitchener.
• Pioneer Park Poutine at The Rabbid Fox, Kitchener.

How sweet it is

Dessert poutines are often made with cake, pretzels, or churros, but potato-based ones fill that salty-sweet niche, like chocolate-dipped potato chips.

Manitou Takeout sometimes serves Granny’s Sweet Fries topped with chocolate sauce, white chocolate chips, and icing sugar.

In Waterloo, Mike’s Poutine House’s chocolate poutine covers fries with dark and milk chocolate sauces, chocolate chips, toffee bits and marshmallows. 

“I always had this weird craving for fries and Nutella,” said creator Priyanshi Patel. “It’s a mix of warm and crispy fries with a sweet topping. It is a sweet and salty take, which makes it special.”

She’s currently working on a new sweet poutine for maple syrup season featuring a maple-caramel sauce.