Bon Appétit!

There is little doubt that the province of Quebec is a unique region of our country. Officially recognized as “a nation within a united Canada” by the federal government in 2006, Quebecers have been distinguishing themselves linguistically, culturally and even from a culinary standpoint since French colonizers established New France on Canadian shores in the early 16^thcentury.

Montreal, Quebec’s largest city and one of the most vibrant in the country, has possessed a unique (and often indulgent) culinary personality for decades. To be sure, there is a myriad of options for fine French cuisine and healthy soups and sandwiches in the city, but it is the following food triumvirate that has come to define the Montreal food scene. Much like cheese steaks in Philadelphia, or clam chowder in Boston, a visit to this city just wouldn’t be complete without them.

Poutine

The origin of this traditional Québécois dish of french fries, cheddar cheese curds and gravy is a source of passionate debate in the province. Three different communities maintain that the delicious yet calorie-ridden mélange, which can now be found across the country and even in some chic New York City restaurants, originated in their towns.

While the inception of the dish is cloudy, some things are certain. Believed to have surfaced in the late 1950s, poutine has become somewhat of a provincial symbol and definitely a source of pride for Quebecers. Crispy french fries are topped with fresh cheese curds and typically, a chicken, veal or turkey gravy. Using grated cheese instead of the curds would be met with vehement objections from poutine purists, who believe the cheese should make a squeaking sound when you bite into it.

Perhaps the most famous poutine spot in the city is La Banquise, a 24-hour slice of poutine heaven. Located steps away from Parc La Fontaine in the Plateau neighbourhood, the bustling diner-style restaurant offers 28 different variations of the dish, ranging from the classic poutine to the Elvis poutine with ground beef, green peppers and mushrooms to the aptly-named T-Rex poutine with ground beef, pepperoni, bacon and smoked sausage sprinkled atop the three traditional ingredients. Considered by many to be the perfect place to cap off a night on the town, La Banquise caters to the late-night crowd by never closing its doors.

Montreal smoked meat

Unique to Montreal and a must for anyone visiting the city, a smoked meat sandwich is delicious in its simplicity. Like poutine, there are only three ingredients: Rye bread, yellow mustard and a towering heap of warm Montreal smoked meat. Similar to pastrami and corned beef, Montreal smoked meat is prepared by salting, spicing and curing beef brisket and leaving it to absorb its flavours for about a week before it is smoked and then steamed. Always sliced by hand and never with a meat slicer, the origins of Montreal smoked meat are contested much like poutine. Not likely to be resolved any time soon, at least three people claim to have come up with the idea in the early 20^thcentury.

Schwartz’s, located on St-Laurent Boulevard and established in 1928, is undoubtedly the place to go for smoked meat in Montreal. With lineups snaking around the street at all times of the day, the Hebrew delicatessen has become nothing short of iconic. The kosher-style beef is sold by fat content, with lean, medium, medium-fat or fat. The sandwich is typically accompanied by fries and coleslaw, and the eatery has been the subject of a 176-page book by Bill Brownstein and a full-length documentary by Garry Beitel.

Montreal bagels

Unlike your typical bagel found at Canadian staple Tim Hortons, Montreal bagels are smaller, sweeter and denser with a larger hole. As they usually go stale within 24 hours, the bagels, flavoured with honey and poached in honey-sweetened water before hitting the wood-fired oven, are meant to be eaten quickly, often right away. Throwing them in the freezer is another way to make them last. Because thousands of bagels are sold every day in some of the city’s best-known bagel shops, customers are usually treated to bagels fresh out of the oven and still warm.

Maintaining the trend of contested origins, it is unclear at best who came up with the signature recipe. While it is clear that Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe are responsible for the distinctive treat, different people lay claim to the bagel. As one story goes, Chaim Seligman began the first Montreal bagel business in the early 20^th century by selling his baked goods by way of pushcart, horse and wagon and finally out of a renovated taxicab.  

One thing that is uncontested is that the most famous spots for Montreal bagels, said to be in competition with the thicker and breadier New York variety, would have to be Fairmount Bagel and St-Viateur Bagel Shop, which opened in 1919 and 1957, respectively. Located in Mile End, between the young and trendy Plateau area and the affluent Jewish neighbourhood of Outremont, Fairmount and St-Viateur have been embroiled in a light-hearted battle for Montreal bagel supremacy for decades, with loyal followers on both sides of the debate. Located only a few blocks away from each other, both bagel shops are open 24 hours a day and see thousands of bagels leave their doors on a daily basis.

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So while Montreal’s unique cuisine may not do wonders for your waistline, the distinctive culinary fare offered by the city should definitely be sampled. And one of these Montreal staples has even left the planet.

When Montreal-born astronaut Greg Chamitoff was asked if he would like to bring any special treat with him for his six-month stint at the International Space Station in 2008, he didn’t hesitate for a second. Chamitoff chose 18 sesame seed bagels from Fairmount.

The folks at St-Viateur are still getting over the heartbreak.