On a recent ski trip to Mont Tremblant (or simply, Tremblant), in Quebec, I resolved to try new foods, like I usually do. Here are some foods I got to try and some I’ll have to save for next time!
But first, a bit about the province of Quebec...
It’s one of thirteen provinces and territories in Canada.
Population: about 8.1 million as of 2016
Capital: Quebec City
Largest City: Montreal
Official language: French
Mont-Tremblant is a ski resort in the province Québec, in the Laurentian Mountains, northwest of Montréal.
1. Beaver tails
Imagine a giant fried, flattened, oblong donut (no hole), rolled in cinnamon and sugar and served warm, and you’ve got a beaver tail, aka, a little slice of heaven. Beaver Tails or “Queues de Castor” is a chain of pastry stands in Canada and the treat resembles a beavers flat tail. There were two stands in Tremblant and most of the time, there were long lines outside both of them. We were lucky to find an off time when there wasn’t a line anywhere. I had one with maple butter and my husband had the classic cinnamon and sugar.
2. Cheese
Oh. My. God. The Canadians have cheese down. While on a trip to the grocery store to stock up on food for our little apartment, we bought three different cheeses:
Tomme: Typically made in the French Alps and in Switzerland, it can be made from cow, sheep or goat milk. It’s got a mild taste, but this cow's milk Canadian Tomme has a twist – it's made with apple cider, giving it a delicious little something something.
Smoked Bleu: Yes, you heard that right SMOKED bleu. Mind blowing. Enough said.
Le Sorcier de Missisquoi (“SdM”): If Gouda and Cheddar had a baby, this would be it. It was inspired by the French Morbier cheese, which was made with a layer of morning cream and evening cream separated by a layer of vegetable ash in the middle (I know, sounds gross, but it’s not).
3. Anything Maple
So one of my favorite flavors is maple and I was in maple heaven in Tremblant. I tried maple butter*and maple tea, and even a maple beaver tail (see above). But, I didn’t try a quintessential treat of the Laurentian Mountains called Tire Sur la Neige or Tire d’Erable. “Erable” is the French word for maple, and Tire d’Erable is basically taffy made by pouring hot, boiled maple sap into fresh snow that’s set up in trays on various places in the Ski Village at Tremblant, and even by the lifts. So once you pour the hot maple in a straight line in the tray of snow, you take a popsicle stick and roll the line of maple onto the stick, like your rolling string. While I wanted to try it, the thought of other people have poured before me, sorta creeped me out. Here's a You Tube video I found that will give you an idea of a Tire Sur La Neige.
Two foods we didn’t get to try, but will next time…
4. Poutine
Poutine might be Quebec’s ultimate food to eat after a night out drinking because it’s the type of food that could be an “apres” food. It’s basically fries, with gravy and cheese curds. Is that so wrong? While we didn’t actually try it, it’s definitely on the list for the next time we visit.
5. Bagels
Montreal has their own style of bagels. Unlike New York style bagels, Montreal bagels are wood-fired. They’re also smaller and denser than New York bagels. We were all set to head into Montreal to compare New York style bagels to Montreal style bagels, but the construction on the roads in and around Montreal set us back, so we never got to sample. It’s on the to do list next time.
Have you been to Quebec and tried any of these foods? What was your favorite? Tell me about it on Facebook or in Traveleidoscope's comment section!
