September 26, 2016 – the day I arrived in Canada with wide eyes, little money, my entire life fitting into a single rucksack, but happy to be back to an English-speaking country for the first time in two years.
Realizing the similarities and differences between Canada and Australia, as like living in the United Kingdom, I’ve slowly learnt that I need to say “garbage” not rubbish, exaggerate my “R” to sound like a pirate, and that Canadians like to keep you on your toes when it comes to measuring something.
Height of a mountain: imperial.
Distance to the mountain: metric.
Your weight and height: imperial.
Speed limit: metric.
I’m still confused, but the common response when questioned why Canadians don’t stick to their official metric system status, “We don’t want to offend anybody.”
Like many Aussies “fresh off the boat,” I went to a ski resort in B.C. a.k.a Bring Cash. Plodding away and being miserable, wondering how anyone affords to live in this country, I grew disheartened.
Was I ever going to see anything in Canada? Would I get to experience anything?
Six months later in the spring of 2017, I had a modified car, a little cash and vague idea to head north for a new life. This was met by Southerner’s warnings: “People are crazy up there, it’s not safe. The men are really dangerous,” or “You can’t sleep in your van, grizzlies will tear open the door and kill you,” or “It’s so cold up there, you will freeze to death.” Not joking, these were serious comments from actual Canadians, none of whom had ever been further north than Jasper.
Ignoring these “warnings” and heading into the Northern abyss, I came to unique Whitehorse and, surprisingly, discovered only the second place I have ever wanted to stay in my life. Since being up here, I am lucky to have a good job, have joined some incredible volunteer organizations, have seen amazing parts of Canada, am having new experiences, and am slowly making friends and building a life.
Like many who go to live abroad, we do always have a checklist of things we want to do while there, however long that list may be and how much time we get to do it. My list included – and I have checked off – meet a Mountie, see a moose, bear and beaver, try maple syrup, go sledding, drive the Alaska Highway and Icefields Parkway. Others still on the list, yet to do, are see a professional hockey game, go ice-skating, walk/swim in the Arctic Ocean, go heli-skiing and eat poutine!
Yes, this Canadian delicacy was still on my list after being in Canada for well over a year. Why wait you may ask? I had thought I was only in Canada for two years – a very short time to see such a large and diverse country and I like to experience the “real-deal,” so I had thought I would first try it in Quebec.
Since that was not going to be a reality and Canadians were constantly in shock that I hadn’t eaten it yet, I thought, “What better way to celebrate my time in Canada and my one year milestone in the Yukon than to have the most Canadian dish ever?”
So here I am, in one of the farthest places from Quebec, the originators of this dish, but with the third largest Francophone community in Canada, wondering if, in fact, there is a perfect poutine in Whitehorse. I went to the experts to find out what would make the perfect poutine.
What Makes the Perfect Poutine?
Before I could determine what would be the best poutine, I had to find out what my criteria should be. If a poutine doesn’t have cheese curds, is it in fact poutine? If it’s not in a traditional form, such as with additions like shawarma or pulled pork, is it in fact poutine? What would be the criteria to assess the best poutine?
So I asked the Association franco-yukonnaise for some help and we developed a “Poutine Criteria Card.” I need to assess the French fries, gravy, cheese curds and its holistic union that brings the dish together, from both a traditional and un-traditional poutine.
Each category gets a score from 1 to 5 (5 being the highest mark) and an overall score to determine the best poutine in Whitehorse. The highest possible score is 20.
The excitement and anticipation of what this Canadian delicacy will taste like is beckoning. Will I be able to find the perfect poutine this far north? Will it be as good as everyone says? Will I start saying ‘Eh’ straight after? So many questions.
The First Poutine
I had to start somewhere, but my first poutine should be the best, right? So, I queried the public to ask – where is the perfect poutine in Whitehorse?
With the most votes on my public poll, I got my first taste of fries, cheese curds and gravy at Big Bear Donair. With a whopping 189 out of 339 votes (55 per cent), it was clear where over of half of Whitehorse’s poutine lovers thought the best poutine was. And with a big empty belly I ventured out to find the best poutine in town.
Arriving at the busy and cozy Big Bear Donair restaurant for my first ever poutine, I had made sure not to have any afternoon snacks and was positively hungry. I ordered the regular poutine with my Canadian friends, one of whom ordered the chicken shawarma special. I requested their help as we chatted about the criteria card. Since they are Canadian they have had their fair share of poutines all over the country and could help guide me on my journey of what I should be looking for.
My poutine was ready and it was huge. I immediately regretted my decision to get the large instead of the regular. The French fries were covered in gravy with cheese curds sprinkled throughout. I had to take a bite before I started taking pictures because it looked too delectable. The first bite was followed swiftly by the next and before I knew it, I was shovelling it in my mouth destroying good picture opportunities.
I halted, pleased by the meal, but as I caught my breath, I noted it also wasn’t quite what I expected. From all the hype and discussion I had about poutine I thought perhaps the gravy had some kind of Canadianesque flavouring, like beaver or moose. I know, pretty stereotypical. But I really thought it was going to be a little more Canadian.
Still, delicious. My friend Nicole and I discussed the poutine. It’s all about the gravy-to-fries ratio and the cheese curds. Squeaky, yet with melted bits. And it held close to perfection, as my Canadian comrades compared to other poutines and as good as those Nicole had eaten in Quebec.
With half my plate finished, stomach pains ensued. Apparently this is normal when eating poutine and it should come with a warning. Nevertheless, I finished this addictive meal, with stomach pains and all.
Whitehorse’s Perfect Poutine
After trying various poutines in Whitehorse from mainstream, commercialised McDonald’s, to international adaptations like Korean poutine, I have to say I may have had my fill of poutine for the rest of my life.
The winner of the best poutine in Whitehorse, I think, goes to Titan Gaming and Collectibles!
Québécois or Canadian?
Poutine. This simple, but tasty dish, was officially put in the dictionary in 2014 and the CBC listed in the top 10 greatest Canadian invention of all time. Yes it was ninth, beating the electron microscope, snowmobiling and even superman. Meanwhile the Canada Project asked 1500 Canadians to determine their favourite iconic Canadian food and the winner at 22 per cent was poutine, followed by maple syrup at 14 per cent.
It seems from all the votes that this dish represents an entire nation. However, when I asked various Québécois about the dish’s national identity, they claim it’s not Canadian but Québécois.
When I ask non-Québécois Canadians, they believe it’s Canadian. “Twenty years ago you couldn’t get poutine outside of Quebec,” said my Québécois source. “Now you can get it everywhere – but it’s not real poutine.”
In 2016, academic Nicolas Fabien-Ouellet argued that classifying the Quebec creation as “Canadian” actually risks the province’s culture and customs being absorbed and assimilated by the English-Canadian majority. But is that the worry? Or is it just that poutine has to be made a certain way to be any good?
When I did a public Facebook poll asking for the best poutine in Whitehorse, a debate started among the Québécois community about whether it was even possible to find a “real” poutine outside of Quebec.
But shouldn’t you be able to when there are a large number of Yukon residents who originate from the province?
Having travelled all over the world and tried the “best,” or original, places for foods, I can see the argument.
The best pizza in the world isn’t Italian, it’s from Naples (which is true in my opinion, having eaten pizzas all over Italy and the world).
My experiences with the British was that their favourite national food has even changed from the traditional fish and chips to chicken curry, showing its national evolution in diversity and immigration.
And so the battles continue around the world as cross-culturally we merge together.
Don’t even get me started on the desert pavlova – no one can confirm whether New Zealand or Australia created the dish and it is a constant, nationalistic debate usually escalated during the Rugby World Cup.
Food and drink are often a source of hot debate, as many are proud to be where they are from and food can be a way of representing that pride. And no more do you have this feeling of nationalistic pride than when you are away from your home.
National Poutine Day is April 11 and now that I have eaten this fine delicacy, I will ensure I mark it on my permanent residency application for Canada.
From commercial overload with many Canadian fast food chains serving it for the masses, to foreign food restaurants adding their own unique design to the dish, poutine has changed from a Quebecois identity into a national identity, whether that is good or bad.
My personal opinion is it is super tasty, but nothing beats thick french fries and chicken salt with gravy from Australia – just saying.
However, now I have my future 3 a.m. post-drunk snack, my PMS-stay-at-home-Bridget-Jones comfort meal ready to go!
Just how good Whitehorse poutine is, compared to poutine in Quebec, I probably will never know. But it’s definitely tasty and I guess I’m slowly becoming more Canadian, eh!
