Discovering the Modern Tastes of Quebec

Food-wise, there are two things I notice every Winter,  two things on opposite ends of the Franco American time spectrum. First, we’ve hung on to some great legacy recipes. We love cretons, tourtiere, cipaille and many of the hearty roasts and stews our grandparents brought with them from Quebec. With that fond realization, however, comes the other realization that we tend to be stuck in the era that those recipes came from. It’s a great thing to still have those dishes, but everything in life evolves, including food. Each year this happens, I tell myself I need to get “caught up” on the modern tastes of Quebec. 2024 was the year I set out to do that.

So, what are these modern tastes, and how would I find them? Traveling to Quebec was a limited option due to money and time. In theory, the internet should have solved this conundrum, but it was trickier than I thought.  I couldn't seem to find that one source that would scream “Quebec food of today!” Like many great discoveries, however, my “in” came when I wasn't looking for it. 

While scrolling a page dedicated to cast iron cooking, a comment caught my eye.  It wasn't the comment itself, but where it came from; a rather Quebec-sounding name “Le Gars du Four.” One click later, my suspicion was confirmed: “Le Gars du Four” was indeed a Quebecer. I was instantly amazed at the catchy videos and reels, not to mention the food, on his page. I reached out to start some dialogue not knowing how wide the door was about to open. 

The ingredients used on his page were almost exclusively from Quebec. Zooming in on a few of his pictures, my eyes went from an inquiring squint to a pie-eyed amazement. Spices, sauces, marinades and condiments lined his shelves- most with very Quebec sounding names.

With some advice from my new source, I began seeking out those products online. Not only did I find those products, but several of their web pages had recipes sections. Within those recipe sections I began to see posts from Le Gars du Four as well as a host of other Quebec based food personalities: Corine Cuisine Epique, Sam FoodnDrinks, Alain Larose and many others. On their pages came pictures and videos of more Quebec made products. 

What occurred to me in this process was that I had been looking for specific dishes, when I could have been looking for specific flavors. Today, Quebec’s culinary leaders are pushing the boundaries in flavor and cooking techniques. From sweet to savory, and smokers to air fryers, it’s all there, and they’re doing it with their own local products.

All that was left was to find out how to get those products. Fortunately, many producers offered online shopping, including shipping to the US. Some didn’t have this option but agreed to do it on request, and of course, there were some strikeouts along the way.

It’s only been about a year since spotting that post, but I’m well into the exploration of Quebec’s modern cooking scene. Today, “Le Gars” is a friend, I routinely cook with the products I’ve found, and I’ve even become a contributor on a few of those recipe pages. I’ve ordered some products multiple times, some once, and have a few more I'm working on getting shipped to the States.  The beauty is I know I’m only scratching the surface. Learning is part of the fun of cooking. 

There’s no reason to stop cooking our heritage dishes. We should be promoting them so they’re not lost to future generations. At the same time, let’s ensure we’re making room for the “then” and the “now”. 

As I’m finding, there are plenty of pages, products and personalities to keep us current in Quebec’s food scene. I’m including a few links in the comments, but those links are in no way intended to be advertisements, or an “everything you’ll ever need.” They’re a sample of the ones that helped get me started. I hope you’ll do some exploring and, of course, share your “finds” as you venture into the modern tastes of Quebec!  Happy cooking, everyone!