Quebec City Restaurants - Quebec Cuisine

Bon Appétit

Many of Quebec's popular dishes are heavily influenced by historical French cuisine. French breads, pastries and crepes stuffed with vegetables or fruit for dessert hint of days gone by. Split yellow pea soup and the distinct mosaic of cipâte or cipaille (chicken, pork, beef and vegetable casserole with a flaky crust) warm the bellies of Québécois and sweeten the palette of travelers looking for something other than the vast array of fast food chains dotting the landscape.

• Poutine - Gourmets cringe at the thought of this artery-clogging specialty that clams the title of Quebec's favorite dish. But in Quebec City, never insult the poutine. Derived from the English word pudding, poutine is a mix of thickly sliced fries topped with cheese curds that squeak when chewed and doused in thick brown gravy. You can order poutine at most restaurants in the city, including MacDonald's, but Chez Ashton offers the real deal on this dish.
• Tourtière - A meat pie made from ground pork, veal, or beef or a combination. It's a Christmas specialty, but it's available year round in most restaurants and grocery stores. Another version of tourtière, called pâté à la viande (meat pie), is baked in a deeper dish and includes potatoes and wild game along with the other meats.
• Tarte au Sucre - Sugar pie, made from boiled sugar or maple sugar and thick cream, is a Quebec specialty. Hit the local bakery and try a slice - it'll inject enough energy to keep you going for hours.
• Maple Products - In Quebec City, or anywhere in the province, gold comes in the form of maple. Eaten in various forms, maple butter, hard sugar blocks, maple candies or maple syrup poured over crepes or baked beans, maple always brings a smile. For a unique cultural experience, in spring take in a sugar shack and enjoy a full breakfast including baked beans, eggs, sausages, pancakes and cretons (meat spread) soused in maple syrup, followed by maple taffy on snow. What's more fun than eating maple syrup straight from the tree?