issue 10// vol 47 The history of poutine ~ >» A Canadian classic Brandon Yip Senior Columnist pow was invented in Quebec in the 1950s, although its actual origins remain a contentious issue. Several restaurants in Quebec claimed and boasted to be the sole inventors of this delicious and tasty Canadian staple. Charles-Alexandre Théorét, author of the 2007 book, Maudite Poutine! states two cities in Quebec—Warwick, and Drummondville—have very believable stories about being the ones who invented poutine. “Poutine is the new fast-food queen, you know. It was invented in rural Quebec in the mid ’50s. We don’t know, we will never know [who the original inventor was],” Théorét said in a CBC segment called We Are The Best. For the most part, poutine is a simple dish. Yes, you all know what it looks like: hot fries laced with cheese curds on top, and then smothered with delicious gravy! And it is especially even more enjoyable during a cold winter evening or when craving a late-night snack. Théorét says poutine has to be made a certain way for it to be perfect: “Crispy fries, thick, and tasty gravy, and of course the cheese. It needs to be squeaky; you need to hear it to taste it.” In contrast, French-Canadian singer, Mitsou, is not a fan of the Quebec delicacy, telling the CBC in a 1991 interview that poutine looked disgusting to her. She also said it reminded her of “the stuff that we got in our nose.’ So much for her being the poster girl for the product! Birthdays: Interestingly, the origins of the word “poutine” have some asserting that it is related to the English word “pudding.” Yet a more popular etymology is that it is derived from a Quebecois slang term meaning “mess.” Oh, and what a delightful “mess” it is! Also, poutine is included in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and is defined as “chiefly Canada’—with the definition stating that it is “a dish of French fries covered with brown gravy and cheese curds.” Furthermore, in 2007 the New York Times wrote about poutine’s growing popularity—referring to it as the newest favourite dish in the Big Apple. Even the late Anthony Bourdain filmed an episode focused on poutine for his show No Reservations when he visited Montreal. Bourdain visited poutinerie La Banquise, where he ate five plates of poutine. “Meat, cheese, and fries—all on one fork. I feel so dirty, yet so alive. It’s like forbidden love,” he said. “T feel guilty eating any of these.” Notably, one place that serves pretty decent poutine—and you may be surprised that they do—is Costco. Normally, Costco would be the last place foodies would go to replenish their poutine pallet. But at their food court, Costco serves their usual hot dogs, fries, pizza, chicken fingers, and drinks—but also included in their menu is poutine, which costs under $5. Remarkably, Costco poutine is being shown some love online. Katie Machado, in her October 2020 article published on The Travel website about fast-food poutine, offers high praise for Costco poutine: “Due to its overwhelming presence on Reddit in terms of poutine and how often it’s mentioned as one of the best in a hurry. According to those on Reddit, Costco knocks it out of the park with their offering and, not to mention, it’s likely one of the largest servings out of any other on the list which, in terms of french fry to cheese ratio and weight, that’s a hefty lead.” Lastly, I have ordered Costco poutine many times and it is surprisingly very decent. The portions are generous for what you pay for. The fries are hot and fresh, and life & style // no. 11 Photo by Billy Bui the cheese curds are abundant—and the gravy laced on top is the crowning touch. It makes for a very tasty and filling meal. Like McDonald’s fries, you should eat Costco poutine immediately. Reheating it in the microwave the next day will lose much of its original quality and taste. Throwing it into the garbage may be a wise decision. So, the next time you are at Costco, order their poutine. It may not taste like the poutine made in Quebec, but it is a decent substitute. Trust me, you won't regret it. yet another strange day Opinions Editor Matthew Fraser » The slow single climb towards back pain equally strange week as the strange world spins on its axis. Pretty soon, everyone in Canada will have Illustration by Sonam Kaloti I: almost that day again. That day that comes once a year for all of us to commemorate our own emergence into the sunlight. Well, I’m talking about my annual trip around the sun. Indeed, I have managed to brave the tribulations of the past year, skirt the horrors of the lockdown, and best starvation using only frozen pizza and assorted cereals. I have successfully survived and shall add another number to the string of digits that denote my age-rank. Yet, this year there will be less fanfare than normal, no drinks, no parties, and no group shenanigans. Just some words plastered on the inside of a screen, against the white pixelated background of a Facebook wall. I realized while I was talking to my mom the other day that all these numbers have blended together. I mean, I know that I’m 20-whatever, but I don’t know which 20-something I’m becoming. I recall that this year’s digit is greater than last year’s, but the specific number eludes me. ] remember being 18 and thinking I'd never feel back pains, and like everything I thought, I was wrong. I have decided to blame coronavirus gluing me to this seat and confining me to a slow rotation between my couch, bed, and computer chair (did I tell you this before?) for any twinge in my spinal column. I promise it’s not that I’m old now. This life thing happens so slowly you'd think it isn’t happening at all and then you realize it’s been done to you. Like watching rain turn into puddles and then puddles grow into swamps. It’s just another strange day in an experienced their own birthday during the lockdown; a few people may have experienced two. Isn’t that something? The penumbra of COVID-19 has embedded itself into the horizon of our lives so thoroughly that the banalities (or electricities) of a birthday have slipped from our minds to a forgotten realm like old teddy bears and favorite T-shirts. Happiest date of birth to you indeed. Will we have a cake for coronavirus this year or next? We must be careful to keep the party a secret, you know how much COVID likes surprises. I hope I’m invited to the party; I promise I'll give a nice speech about how much COVID has changed my life. | hope you get invited too; we can go halfsies on a present, save a little coin ‘cause we probably both need it. It'll be you, me, and everyone else, singing songs and swaying gently—six feet apart of course—we'll take turns lifting our masks to eat the cake and we wont linger in place for more than 25 minutes. Separate entrance and exits with hand wash stations galore. I never much cared about my one day in one month that comes every year. I suppose I didn’t get enough presents as a child, or maybe I was just so special every single day that no day felt all that different from the last. This day will be even less exciting than usual. Maybe I'll treat myself to a grilled cheese sandwich and a couple of donuts. I'll stand outside and let the sun warm my face too. I think I deserve it this year.