4 Traditional Foods
You Have To Try in Quebec City

Sugar pie is a popular dessert in France, Belgium, the United States of America, and Quebec, Canada. The dessert consists of an open pie without a top crust, filled with a combination of sugar, maple syrup, cream, butter, and a bit of salt. The pie is usually flavored with vanilla. The popularity of sugar pie throughout the world is due to the fact that many immigrants from Northern France and Belgium went to Canada, discovering maple syrup along the way, which was sometimes the only available sweetener. Today, sugar pie is a holiday favorite in Quebec, when it is usually topped with a dollop of whipped cream. In Indiana, there is a variation on the recipe called sugar cream pie, prepared with somewhat more cream and flour, making for a fluffier filling with a slightly different flavor.Expand

Even though its name stems from the French boudin—a word that usually refers to the pudding-like fillings of sausages—this soppy treat originating from the French Canadian province of Quebec consists of french fries drowned in a thick, brown gravy dotted with clumps of pale, soft, semi-creamy cheese curds. The potatoes are more coarsely cut than regular fries, and they are sometimes even fried twice so that the exterior remains crispy while the interior remains soft, whereas the cheese does not melt but just softens, adding that special squeakiness to the dish, and the gravy is made with either beef or chicken stock with the addition of vinegar. Since its rise to stardom from the 1950s onwards, poutine has spread all over Canada and became popular in many parts of the USA where it's considered the ultimate late-night snack. Many Canadians consider poutine a true national dish. It is found anywhere from food trucks to fancy restaurants, and even at Canadian McDonald's. Poutine connoisseurs claim that the best versions are served at small roadside stands where the curds are fresh, rubbery, and melt easily. Interestingly, in 2007, poutine was placed at number 10 of an online survey about the greatest Canadian inventions, conducted by CBC.Expand

This layered meat pie is typically made with meat such as moose, hare, partridge, veal, pork, beef, or chicken. It is believed that the name cipaille originated from sea-pie, an identical pie that is made with meat, fish, or seafood, although some claim that the dish is derived from a layered meat pie called pâte-royale, where the dough needed to be folded six times, hence the other name of the pie, six-pâtes. Nowadays, the alternating layers of pastry and seasoned meat in cipaille are usually submerged in stock, and the pie is then left to simmer in a pot.Expand

Tourtière is a traditional spiced meat pie that is often prepared between Christmas and New Year's Eve, but since it is so savory and fragrant, it doesn't stay on the menu for too long. Usually made with pork, it sometimes also includes beef for a different texture and flavor. The meat is additionally enhanced with lots of onions, diced or mashed potatoes, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. The mixture of meat, herbs, and vegetables is served under a lid of golden, flaky pastry dough, making it an ideal winter meal. Some sources say that the meat pies came to Canada with French immigrants in the 17th century, while some locals claim that it is a Québécois invention, originally using game meat instead of beef and pork. The dish takes its name from the round tin mould in which both sweet and savory tarts are traditionally baked. Today, this festive twist on a classic Christmas pie is usually served with cranberry sauce, pickled beets, or anything sweet and sour with a kick, pairing nicely with the spicy meat and the flaky crust.Expand