Who hasn't thought about adding a special ingredient to their poutine? The Poutine Trail has done it for you! The famous Quebec recipe is now being put to good use in Manitoba to attract people to its rural communities. Eight restaurants in the province's bilingual municipalities are featured on this Poutine Trail, to the delight of foodies near and far!
Lynne Vincent, owner of the Ti-Beauville restaurant in Richer, sees her participation in the Poutine Trail as an opportunity. "It’s important to support this kind of initiative. What's more, until now, poutine was the only recipe I didn't know how to cook. So it's given me the chance to exercise my culinary chops!"
What exactly is the Poutine Trail? "It's something innovative and appealing at the same time," says Roselle Turenne, tourism consultant with the CDEM. Manitoba's bilingual municipalities are showcased through their restaurants. "The idea is for each participating restaurant to develop its own signature poutine. In addition to attracting new customers, the project will generate more traffic in French-speaking communities and develop the economy. And it's fun!"
The Poutine Trail consists of restaurants in eight bilingual communities in southeastern Manitoba, including Lorette, Ste. Anne, Marchand, and St. Malo. Each original recipe will be officially featured on their menus and ready for tasting as of August 31. "The aim was to create a strategy for drawing Winnipeggers to rural areas. What has the potential to attract people to our bilingual municipalities? Food, of course! And everyone loves poutine."
Participants must follow two simple rules: their fries must be homemade with fresh potatoes, and the cheese must be curds.
The Ti-Beauville restaurant naturally has poutine on the menu. After giving it some thought, Lynne Vincent has come up with her new recipe. "The fries are smothered in homestyle gravy and seasoned hamburger, topped with grated cheese as well as cheese curds, and garnished with bacon bits and green onions. They can even be served with eggs. And who knows? We may tweak the recipe later with peppers and zucchini…" The options are endless!
This experience-based adventure combines culinary innovation and local, Francophone flavour. Originally from Quebec, poutine is now an essential in western Canadian Francophone communities. "It's a dish you can make your own, and it's very popular in our communities."
Lynne Vincent is thrilled to be able to offer her new creation to customers. It also bodes well for the upcoming winter. "We get a lot of people coming to the restaurant in the summer, but less so in the winter. Richer is a small village, and visitors are often surprised to find out that we speak French here."
A blend of culinary delight and economic development, the Poutine Trail invites Winnipeggers and all flavour seekers to head off the beaten path and discover what Manitoba's bilingual municipalities have to offer.
