Foie Gras & Caviar l Marine Products l Berries l Cheese l Cider l Maple Syrup l Game Meat l Pork
Québec's traditional hard ciders have long been appreciated, but now a new product has been added to the mix: ice cider. Not to be left out, honey processors are turning honey into mead and now produce prize-winning beverages.
Québec raised duck foie gras has entered many kitchens at home and abroad. The number of top quality producers is growing annually. Restaurants in Québec are benefiting from the increasing availability of excellent and unusual products. This is particularly noticeable in Montreal, where in addition to traditional Québécois and French cuisine, virtually every food style is represented: Italian, Indo-Chinese, Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Indian are all available. Cuisines such as these are often presented with a special French accent, since Montréal is a magnet for French-speaking immigrants around the globe.
Cheeses have always been a favorite in Québec. The art of cheese-making has undergone an extraordinary development over the past few years, with artisanal offerings often supplanting the reputation of French cheeses. Milk from cows, goats and sheep are made into award winning aged and raw milk cheeses; virtually all cheese categories are available.
In the development of this culinary culture, women have played an important role. In Québec, as elsewhere, professional chefs have traditionally been men, while women were relegated to the home fires. In recent years, women have been entering the profession in great numbers. And they have made their presence felt. In 2000, for the first time since the award was established, the Society of Chefs, Cooks and Pastry Chefs of Québec gave its top honors, the "2000 Chef of the Year" title, to a woman, Marie-Chantal Lepage. Women chefs also head up the kitchens in two of Québec's most important foreign missions, the Délégation générale du Québec in Paris and the Délégation générale du Québec in New York City.
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Champagne, caviar and foie gras, the trio gourmets dream of!In Québec, like everywhere else in the world except France, champagne is imported. But caviar and foie gras are produced locally. Ducks are raised for both meat and foie gras. Duck cutlets, or magrets, are served in many restaurants. Duck confit is fast becoming a classic of Québec cuisine. (more) |
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Smoked fish is a gourmet item that adds flair to special menus. Salmon is the most familiar smoked fish ... Every processor has its own recipe and some enjoy a widespread reputation. But smoked salmon has plenty of competition. Smoked trout, while less flashy ,is nonetheless gaining ground due to its many fine qualities. And then there is smoked scallop, a highly prized delicacy, and smoked eel, which is unrivalled when properly prepared. Gourmet marine products from the Magdalen Islands, are highly prized. Every year, come spring, the fishing season opens with huge lobster feeds, and no Québecer would want to miss out on this celebration. Chefs outdo themselves with their ingenious lobster recipes. (more) |
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Berries…strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and blueberries, fragrant, sweet, and tangy. In Québec, we are as fond of them as we are of our traditions, perhaps because the first strawberry harvest coming around La Fête National, they are the first harbingers of a long awaited summer. (more) |
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CheeseIn Québec, cheese has an illustrious history. From the early days of the colony, artisans made cheese using the recipes and traditions of their homeland. The oldest is the cheese from Île d ’Orléans,which was produced from the very beginning but that disappeared in the early 1970s. (more) |
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CiderLittle wonder that cider is counted among Québec ’s finest products, since the first colonists hailed from Normandy and Brittany, two cider-producing provinces in France. But it is only recently that cider has become officially established. (more) |
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Maple SyrupNo one knows exactly when people began boiling maple sap to produce syrup. Some say the First Nations did before the arrival of the Europeans, and some say not. Be that as it may, one thing is clear: maple syrup was indeed produced in the early days of New France, and this home-grown sweetener replaced imported sugar for most residents. Québec is the world's leading maple syrup producer. (more) |
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Game meat farmingIn Québec, forests, lakes and streams converge to create a hunting and fishing paradise. Game-hunting may mean an excursion to outfitters ’ areas that are clearly off the beaten track, but sometimes it may be as simple as a trek down a country road to hunt partridge and deer. (more) |
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PorkThe humble hog has been a staple of New France ever since the colony ’s inception, not only for its meat, but also for its lard. In the Québec and European countryside, pork was a subsistence food. Every part of the hog was used and curing preserved the meat. Traditional Québec recipes attest to its versatility: ragoût de pattes, a stew made with pigs’ feet; headcheese; cretons, a type of highly seasoned pork spread; tourtière, or meatpie; pork roast; and pork renderings. (more) |