Poutine debate heats up as Quebec seeks protection for cheese curds

Quebec dairy producers are pushing for special recognition for their cheese curds, something cheesemakers in eastern Ontario are watching closely. CTV’s Josh Ma

Poutine may be one of Canada’s most beloved comfort food, with its crispy fries, rich gravy, and, of course, squeaky cheese curds. But now the curds at the centre of the dish are stirring up controversy.

Quebec dairy producers are pushing for special recognition for their cheese curds, and cheesemakers in eastern Ontario say they’re watching closely.

At St. Albert Cheese, just east of Ottawa, fresh bags of curds continue to fly off the shelves as customers stop in for key ingredients behind a classic poutine.

For Dave Veldstra, a stop at the cheese factory has become a tradition.

“We were down from London, and every time we’re down here, we stop here to pick up the fresh cheese curds,” he said while stocking up on bags of the squeaky snack.

However, the iconic curds that people line up for are now at the centre of a debate over poutine’s most important ingredient.

Quebec dairy producers are pushing for what’s known as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), a designation that would recognize Quebec-made curds as the traditional ingredient tied to the dish.

The idea is similar to how only sparkling wine produced in France’s Champagne region can legally be called Champagne.

Eric Lafontaine, director general of St. Albert Cheese, says while the debate is drawing attention to poutine and curds, he has concerns about the proposal.

“It’s good news because everybody’s talking about cheese curds and poutine,” Lafontaine says.

But he argues cheese curds themselves are not unique to Quebec.

“Cheese curd is part of making cheddar, when you cut the cheddar slab itself, it makes curds,” Lafontaine explains. “Curds were not invented by Quebec, so it should not only be known in Quebec.”

Lafontaine says his concern is that the designation could favour producers in Quebec over cheesemakers elsewhere in Canada who have been producing curds for decades.

“It’s not fair that it’s only going to be controlled name in Quebec and not the rest of Canada, when the rest of Canada has been doing that product for a long time,” he says.

Lafontaine says his biggest worry is how the designation could affect producers like St. Albert Cheese in the long term, particularly as poutine continues to grow in popularity internationally.

“It’s the longer term we’re more concerned about,” he says. “They want to export the poutine name everywhere else in the world, and we think St. Albert should be a part of it because we’re the biggest one and the oldest one.”

St. Albert was founded in 1894. Poutine’s origin can be traced back to the late 1950’s in rural Quebec.

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