Since the earliest days of the colonial period, this region has come to be known for dishes inspired by Native traditions, which had their origins in locally available resources - wildfowl, as well as ground game; berries and other wild fruit. The pioneer spirit lives on in Abitibi-Témiscamingue: there's no other way to explain the success of the greenhouses at Guyenne, where top grade tomatoes are grown in the middle of a forest; sheltered harvesting of forest mushrooms; the emergence of ostrich and emu farms; vineyards; blackcurrant production; and so on. The region's other riches include trout farms, lake whitefish and sturgeon farms (Québec-made caviar is making inroads internationally), and a much loved raw-milk cheddar cheese. Did we mention the fine micro-brewed beers? A sure-fire value!