History of Poutine in Timeline

Poutine is a Canadian dish originating from Quebec in the late 1950s, consisting of french fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. Its precise origin is debated, with multiple claims to its invention. Initially used derisively towards Quebec society, poutine has since become a celebrated symbol of Québécois culture and is strongly associated with Quebec cuisine. Its popularity has expanded beyond Quebec, making it a well-known dish throughout Canada.

1964: Le Roy Jucep first to sell poutine

In 1964, Jean-Paul Roy of Le Roy Jucep in Drummondville was the first to sell poutine with the three combined ingredients of fries, cheese curds, and gravy.

1969: Poutine in Quebec City

In 1969, Ashton Leblond brought poutine to Quebec City in his food truck, which eventually became the Chez Ashton fast-food chain.

1982: Poutine Definition

In 1982, the word "poutine" in the meaning "fries with cheese and gravy" is dated to in English, according to The Dictionnaire historique du français québécois.

1983: Poutine served at Burger King

In 1983, the Burger King chain began serving poutine, but its reputation declined due to the use of inferior cheese.

1993: First poutine festival in Warwick, Quebec

The first poutine festival was held in Warwick, Quebec, in 1993, which eventually became the largest cheese festival in Canada.

2000: Rick Mercer's "Jean Poutine" prank

During the 2000 US election, comedian Rick Mercer posed as a reporter on This Hour Has 22 Minutes and asked US politicians about "Prime Minister Jean Poutine".

November 2001: Foie gras poutine at Au Pied de Cochon

In November 2001, Martin Picard of bistro Au Pied de Cochon began serving a foie gras poutine, which was praised by customers and food critics, influencing chefs in Toronto and Vancouver.

November 2007: Charles-Alexandre Théorêt discusses poutine symbols

On 11 November 2007, Charles-Alexandre Théorêt discussed the evolution of symbols associated with poutine on Tout le monde en parle.

2007: Poutine ranked as a top Canadian invention

In 2007, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation declared the results of an online survey on the greatest Canadian inventions, in which poutine ranked at No. 10.

2008: Poutine festival held in Drummondville

Since 2008, Poutine festivals have been held in Drummondville.

2010: World poutine-eating championship

Since 2010, the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFCE) has held a world poutine-eating championship sponsored by Toronto-based chain Smoke's Poutinerie.

2011: National Poutine Day

By 2011, media outlets were reporting 11 April as National Poutine Day.

2011: "Pierre Poutine" robocall scandal during Canadian election

During the 2011 Canadian federal election, voters received robocalls from a phone number registered to "Pierre Poutine" with the purpose of misinforming them and preventing them from voting.

2011: Chef Chuck Hughes wins on Iron Chef America with lobster poutine

In 2011, chef Chuck Hughes won on Iron Chef America by beating Bobby Flay with a plate of lobster poutine.

2012: Poutine credited as Canada's most famous culinary creation

In 2012, food critic Jacob Richler credited poutine as Canada's most famous culinary creation.

2013: Pulled pork poutine popularity

Around 2013, pulled pork became a popular topping for poutine variations.

2013: Poutine-flavored soft drink created by Jones Soda Co.

In 2013, Jones Soda Co. created a poutine-flavored limited-edition soft drink.

2013: Poutine served as comfort food after Lac-Mégantic rail disaster

In 2013, poutine was a comfort food for the local community after the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster.

2013: Poutine's high sodium content

In a 2013 study of Canadian restaurants, poutine was found to have the second-highest sodium content among single meal items.

2013: La Poutine Week begins in Montreal

Since 2013, Montreal has hosted La Poutine Week, an annual festival, food tour, and competition held 1–7 February.

May 2014: Poutine added to Merriam-Webster Dictionary

In May 2014, the word "poutine" was added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of the English language.

2014: Bacon-poutine finalist in Lay's Canada Do Us A Flavour contest

Bacon-poutine was one of four flavors selected as a finalist in the 2014 Lay's Canada Do Us A Flavour potato chip contest, although it did not win.

2014: Poutine Festival moves to Victoriaville

In 2014, the poutine festival was moved to the larger town of Victoriaville.

2015: Le Grand Poutinefest founded

Le Grand Poutinefest, a poutine festival, was founded in 2015 and tours cities and towns in Quebec.

March 2016: Poutine served at the White House

In March 2016, poutine was served at the White House during the first state dinner hosted by President Barack Obama and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

June 2017: Belgian and Canadian Prime Ministers eat poutine

On 16 June 2017, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel had a Canadian lunch with Justin Trudeau, during which they ate poutine.

2017: Poutine tops "favorite iconic Canadian food" survey

In 2017, Maclean's survey of "favourite iconic Canadian food" placed poutine first with 21% of respondents.

2017: Vladimir Poutine poutinerie opens in Montreal

In 2017, a Russian-themed poutinerie named Vladimir Poutine opened in Montreal.

2017: La Maison de la Poutine opens in Paris

In 2017, the first poutinerie in Paris, La Maison de la Poutine, opened and quickly gained attention from mainstream media and gastronomers.

2017: "Poutine ice cream" served at Giapos Ice Cream

Since 2017, Giapos Ice Cream of New Zealand has served a "poutine ice cream" of oolong matcha tea, ice cream and caramel sauce over hand-cut fries.

2018: Joel Edmundson eats poutine from the Stanley Cup

In 2018, Joel Edmundson of the St. Louis Blues ate poutine from the Stanley Cup during celebrations.

2018: Tim Hortons begins selling poutine

In 2018, Tim Hortons began selling poutine at its locations.

2018: "World's richest poutine" created for Crazy Rich Asians promotion

In 2018, for a promotional campaign for the film Crazy Rich Asians, "the world's richest poutine" was created with wagyu steak, lobster, truffles, shiitake and chanterelle mushrooms, edible orchids, and gold flakes, priced just under $450.

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2019: Canada uses poutine to garner UN Security Council seat support

In 2019, Canada served poutine to UN diplomats in an attempt to garner support for its campaign for a non-permanent United Nations Security Council seat.

2020: Mathieu Joseph wins the Stanley Cup

In 2020, Mathieu Joseph won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

2021: La Poutine Week becomes the largest poutine festival in the world

By 2021, La Poutine Week had become the largest poutine festival in the world, with over 700 restaurants serving more than 350,000 poutines.

2021: Mathieu Joseph eats poutine from the Stanley Cup

In 2021, Mathieu Joseph of the Tampa Bay Lightning ate poutine from the Stanley Cup during a celebration.

2022: Poutineries face backlash due to name similarity with Putin

In the week following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, several poutineries, including La Maison de la Poutine in Paris and Le Roy Jucep in Quebec, faced backlash due to the similarity between "Poutine" and "Putin".