This Quebecois dish's origins are a bit of a mystery. It appeared in the rural Quebec of the 1950'. That makes it hard to pin point who created the Poutine. Many municipalities claim that they are the rightful birth place of this now world renown meal. The two primary combatant in this never ending dispute are Victoriaville and Drummondville. For tourists, poutine is not often a- Love at First Sight! It does have the messy, "We've tossed everything in there" look! Once you've tasted it, you either love it or hate it. But make sure you stop at the first "Cantine" or "Casse-Croûte" you come across in this francophone part of Canada. It's what we here call our Greasy-Spoon. Order a world famous Poutine! What are you 'poutine' in your mouth? They are three essential elements in the construction of the Poutine. First, you need French-Fries. I'm talking about thumb sized, brownish fries. They usually taste a bit sweet and are very gooey in the middle. Secondly, the cheese needs to be "fromage en crotte" which I won't translate literally here! These particular Quebecois curds are also referred to as "Squick Squick" cheese. Because that's the sound, they make as you chew them. Never buy a poutine that has grated cheese, it's not the real thing! The process in which the curds are made is different from everywhere else in the world. It gives the white pieces that much appreciated tang. The right amount of cheese is about one curd every three bites! Thirdly, the "Sauce Brune"! Brown gravy needs to be poured on top of everything else at a pretty hot temperature. Enough for the cheese curds to half melt. The quantity of sauce is also an important factor. You want there to be enough sauce, so the fries on the middle and bottom are wet. The side fries need to stay untouched, so you alternate from saucy to dry. Once you are done with your cheese and fries, you should not be left with a brown sauce soup. If you are a Poutine virgin, don't settle for the various adaptations of the dish! Go directly to La Belle Province, LaFleur or Valentine instead of McDonald's' or Burger King to Pop your Poutine! Here are a few links to help you out on your first trip to Montreal: http://restaurantlabelleprovince.com/fr/accueil/ http://restolafleur.com http://www.valentine.ca/fr/