I've Finally Had Poutine!!!

[JSngry]

1. I had it in Windsor. Does that count as real? Or is that tourist poutine? 

2. It was served with a little side of ketchup. Our server said that a lot of people like that. Was she bullshitting me, was this some kind of hazing ritual, or what?

3. After initially having been repulsed by the ketchup thing, I began to liberalize my mind about it, tried it, and actually liked it. A lot. Was this a sin, did Satan actually come into my body through my ketchuped poutine?

I experienced internal bodily pleasure in a foreign country. Now I am unsure of my moral standing in the great race of life. I need the guidance of some serious moral adults. 

Serious replies only, please. 

[medjuck]

But did they offer vinegar?  (To be honest I'm not sure it goes with poutine but you get it with french fries in Canada.) 

Edited September 14, 2023 by medjuck

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, medjuck said:

But did they offer vinegar?  (To be honest I'm not sure it goes with poutine but you get it with french fries in Canada.) 

Salt and vinegar on fries / chips is pretty common over here, too. So common that it was the first ever flavour developed for commercially available crisps / chips (created in Ireland, where it is also common).

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

1. I had it in Windsor. Does that count as real? Or is that tourist poutine? 

2. It was served with a little side of ketchup. Our server said that a lot of people like that. Was she bullshitting me, was this some kind of hazing ritual, or what?

3. After initially having been repulsed by the ketchup thing, I began to liberalize my mind about it, tried it, and actually liked it. A lot. Was this a sin, did Satan actually come into my body through my ketchuped poutine?

I experienced internal bodily pleasure in a foreign country. Now I am unsure of my moral standing in the great race of life. I need the guidance of some serious moral adults. 

Serious replies only, please. 

I'm no Canadian but I am duty bound to ask whether or not it was poutine made with "real curds" and then to cluck under my breath, deeply unimpressed, whatever your answer might be.

[JSngry]

Real Kurds? WTF?

Malt vinegar with chips is obligatory here, and years ago a friend from New Hampshire introduced be to the delights of fries with tartar sauce. Much better with fries than with fried fish, imo.

Vinegar was not offered, but my instinct would have been to embrace it in the brown gravy more readily than the ketchup. But the ketchup worked, so adding on the vinegar is something I would have done, absolutely. 

[Rabshakeh]

When I worked as a waiter, every day at the end of shift I used to get French fries (i.e., US style chips), gravy and mayonnaise. That was my happy place.

It helped that I was running up and down stairs and on my feet for 12 hours a day.

[JSngry]

Mayo?

Hmmm... maybe so! 

[Rabshakeh]

I was hungry and had a twenty year old's metabolism.

[JSngry]

I remember those days. Fondly! 

[JSngry]

So doubling down on the potatoes... Not particularly a spuds guy myself...what was your gravy, did it have a twist? 

[T.D.]

The one time I had poutine, it was definitely genuine. Way up the St. Lawrence in Quebec, somewhat Northeast of Tadoussac.

If the ketchup was served as a side, I wouldn't doubt legitimacy. That way leaves the ketchup decision up to you.

My experience (somewhat faded by the fact that I was slightly loaded on super-strong Trappist style beer )was that poutine is really heavy, and I had difficulty finishing the (large) plate. Vinegar and/or (possibly) ketchup would have made it go down easier, actually. I think I went for some mayo, which I enjoy on frites, but I just didn't love the cheese curds.

I subsequently visited Montreal a bunch of times but never again ordered poutine.

Edited September 14, 2023 by T.D.

[JSngry]

Yeah, my curiosity has been satisfied. But I would not reject another opportunity.

This mayo thing intrigued me though....

[T.D.]

3 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Yeah, my curiosity has been satisfied. But I would not reject another opportunity.

This mayo thing intrigued me though....

Mayo on frites is a big Euro thing, I think especially in Netherlands/Belgium. I like it! Also vinegar.

[JSngry]

I am 67, on the way to 68, and have realized that there's only so much that is within my control. Diet is very much a thing where I no longer want to be stupid on a regular basis, but neither will I avoid stoopid fun altogether. I'm not going to live forever, and from the looks of things, I'm more than ok with that!

My wife and daughter had pizza at the same Windsor place and loved it. I shared a slice and did too!

The real revelation of the trip was the candy selection at WalMart. Canada has a few different candy options than we do here, and...whoa, good options they are indeed! 

37 minutes ago, T.D. said:

Mayo on frites is a big Euro thing, I think especially in Netherlands/Belgium. I like it! Also vinegar.

It stands to reason that if tartar sauce works, mayo should too! 

[JSngry]

My daughter knew what to look for, went straight for it!. And she continues to be amused at the red/yellow pricing signs all over the Wal-Mart, instead of the drab black-white we have here  I wonder why that is.

Oh yeah, I got bacon on my poutine, but only after confirming with our totally delightful server that it was real bacon and not Canadian Bacon. I asked the question a little slyly to see if she would get the joke, and she did, laughing and also dropping science about the word "peameal". She added to her tip with that little gem! 

[medjuck]

39 minutes ago, JSngry said:

 

The real revelation of the trip was the candy selection at WalMart. Canada has a few different candy options than we do here, and...whoa, good options they are indeed! 

 

Cadbury Aero bars!

Edited September 14, 2023 by medjuck

[JSngry]

yeah, tip of the iceberg... 

[JSngry]

Pretzel & Cookie Reese's Pieces...omg, did NOT see that one coming! 

[danasgoodstuff]

3 hours ago, rostasi said:

Because we were Canadian and Ukrainian,
pierogi poutine was served at our house.

Never had pierogi poutine, but when I was in downtown Buffalo for a Sabres game I had pierogi nachos.  I may have mentioned that I find Buffalo to be the most Canadian place I've ever been in the States.  And that when I was a kid in SK we didn't have proper poutine, just fries with vinegar and gravy.  Vinegar I'm good with, gravy no thanks.

[jlhoots]

No heart attack??

[JSngry]

But you did! 👁️‍🗨️

[GA Russell]

Jim, if you can get back to Windsor, my Canadian friends live for HP steak sauce.  No guarantee that you'll like it.

My favorite Canadian candy bar is Coffee Crisp.  My nephews and nieces like Mr. Big.

[JSngry]

"peameal" I just assumed from hearing it was spelled "pimiel" or thereabouts. Had to look it up to learn otherwise and to learn that it means exactly what it says!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peameal_bacon

[GregK]

born and raised in Canada, I've never had poutine. Gross.

[GA Russell]

There is an article about poutine in the November issue of Readers Digest.

https://www.rd.com/article/what-is-poutine/

[Rabshakeh]

Yuck.