Quebec food is heavily influenced by the cuisines of France and Ireland, as many immigrants from these countries settled in Quebec starting in the 1800s. These influences led traditional Quebec food to be hearty yet sophisticated. More contemporary Quebec food has global influences but draws from the flavors of local organic fare.

Here are some of the most popular Quebec food items you may come across.

1. Quebec Cheeses

One of the culinary thrills of visiting Quebec is the chance to taste many of Quebec’s artisan cheeses that are not available outside of the province, as many of the producers are small-scale and do not export. Once known mostly for its cheddars and Trappist cheeses (Oka is popular across Canada), today there are hundreds of varieties, including raw-milk cheese aged less than 60 days, which aficionados claim to be more flavorful and healthful.

The Quebec Cheese Route totals 50 “cheeseries” in 14 regions where visitors can sample cheeses and even mingle with the goats, sheep, and cows.

2. Maple Syrup

Maple syrup production is a rite of spring in Canada and draws thousands of people to sugar shacks in Quebec to see how it’s made and sample the sweet sticky condiment. Quebec City and Montreal have stores devoted especially to maple syrup and maple products and restaurants feature maple syrup inspired menus, especially in early spring when the syrup starts to flow.

3. Creton

Like a pâté, but a bit chunkier, creton (cray-tawn) is a fatty pork spread seasoned with onions, cloves and maybe cinnamon, nutmeg or garlic. Creton is a popular part of traditional Québécois cuisine and is often enjoyed for breakfast with homemade pickles and crusty bread or toast.

In Quebec, you will often come across creton in small disposable plastic containers at restaurants, resembling butter servings.

4. Pouding Chômeur

Pouding chômeur (pudding show-mer) is simply delicious. This maple-flavored pudding dessert was once a “poor man’s pudding,” created to use everyday, inexpensive ingredients like flour and sugar. Today, it’s served in a wide range of restaurants. In Montreal, try pouding chômeur at Bistro Cocagne.

5. Tourtière

Tourtière (tor-tee-air) is a traditional Quebec meat pie that is particularly popular during the winter months. This dish can be found on menus at sugar shacks during the maple syrup making season as well as in traditional French-Canadian restaurants.

6. Fèves au Lard

Baked beans, or fèves au lard, pronounced “fev-o-lar,” are part of the traditional Québécois cuisine. Like creton, fèves au lard is often served for breakfast, providing high amounts of fat and protein for energy. In Quebec, fèves au lard are frequently infused with maple syrup, enhancing their flavor.

To experience this dish, try it at The Binerie in Montreal’s Plateau district, renowned for traditional Quebec breakfasts.

7. Tarte au Sucre

Sugar pie (French: Tarte au Sucre, pronounced “tart-o-su-cra”) is akin to a pecan pie without the pecans or a butter tart. This sweet, simple dessert is also popular in New England, Belgium, and France, but is hard to find in Canadian provinces outside of Quebec. Sugar pie essentially consists of sugar or maple sugar, butter or cream, flour, and vanilla in a pie shell.

8. Soupe aux Pois

Pea soup, thick and hearty, is a winter favorite. This classic soup is traditionally made with yellow split peas, salt pork, herbs, and broth, creating a warming dish perfect for cold days.

9. Pâté Chinois

Pâté Chinois (pæ-tay shi-nwa) closely resembles a shepherd’s pie, featuring ground beef and onions layered with corn and topped with mashed potatoes. Despite its translation meaning “Chinese pie,” pâté Chinois is not a Chinese dish. It likely originated as a meal for Chinese railway workers using inexpensive ingredients during the construction of North American railroads in the late 19th century.

10. Poutine

This delicious yet unrefined culinary offering originated in Quebec. Poutine (poo-teen) is counter-intuitive, combining french fries, gravy, and cheese curds. Quebec restaurants, even fine dining establishments, will serve poutine topped with various ingredients, from tomatoes to foie gras. Fast food places and diners serve poutine right across Canada, especially popular among late-night revelers, but poutine remains most common and reliably delicious in Quebec.