People in Québec take their food very seriously, probably more than anywhere else on the continent. Most Quebecers would put sharing a good meal with good company right at the top of their list of favourite things to do.

Nature has been kind to Québec, endowing it with fertile plains, plentiful game, and rivers full of fish. Our ancestors served themselves from this generous natural pantry, preparing the hearty dishes - meat pies ("tourtière", "cipaille"), baked beans ("fèves au lard"), cretons, sugar pie, buckwheat pancakes - that helped them withstand the rigours of daily life.
Les plaisirs de la table

Foodstuffs and lifestyles may have changed, but eating is as important as ever, and today's chefs use local seasonal produce to create exciting dishes that marry delicacy and originality. While French cuisine still occupies a place of honour, Québec has developed an exciting regional cuisine that combines European and native influences with North American tastes and demands.

Regional Cuisine

Depending on the season, menus focus on fish and shellfish, meat and game. Québec is also the proud producer of an interesting variety of fine cheeses, while locally produced beers, wines and mead have a strong following.

Outside the major urban areas, the dining adventure continues with the "Tables champêtres," a series of country homes certified by the Fédération des agricotours du Québec. Thirty or so establishments are listed, each one welcoming smaller groups of diners who come to sample farm-fresh products prepared in the traditional country manner. In the cities, cosmopolitanism is the keyword, with a stunning array of restaurants serving outstanding cuisine from around the world.

Food Festivals

Québecers never miss a chance to celebrateand food is as good a reason as any. The calendar is full of events and festivals featuring local delicacies. Some of the more famous ones are the Matane shrimp festival (June), the Sorel "gibelotte" (fish stew) festival (July), the Mistassini blueberry festival (August), Montréal's international food festival (August), the Magog-Orford grape harvest festival (September) and the Brome Lake duckling festival (October-November). Seafood, lamb, pork, buckwheat cakes and, of course, maple products are the focus of other culinary celebrations.

Food, feasting and fun... it's all part of Québec's "joie de vivre"!