Technically the equinox isn’t until Thursday the 22nd, but last week Montréal definitely shifted gears into greyer, cooler, start-to-hunker-down mode. Probably just the shorter days, but it seems as if the arms of the sky are closing after the wide-open embrace of summer. People already seem a little more grim, unairconditioned cafés that were lava during the parboiling humidity now seem cozy and inviting, and your tummy’s thoughts turn to des plats reconfortants: onion soup and poutine and tourtières.
L’automne: it’s not just a season, it’s a state of mind.
Tiens, some random updates for your blog-reading pleasure:
—If you remember my post about Canada’s Strongest Man slapping people silly down at the Old Port, this may be part of the explanation.
I had no idea that slap-fight competitions even existed. This is an event I could win at an Olympic level if a certain contractor of our recent acquaintance was my opponent. My slap-dragon would rise up from a volcanic rift with eyes venting steam and red lasers, really good value for your entertainment toonie. I would be such a natural at slapfighting. I’d be a star.
—Our toaster is bilingual. If the current premier of Québec François Legault had his way, we would only be able to toast bread in French. French toast, ha!
Thankfully, the word “bagel” seems to be the same in every language.
–Ketchup is a big thing here, though in Quebec, “ketchup” often refers to something that’s more of a tomato relish than a runny red bottled sauce.
But ketchup popularity means that there are, of course, ketchup chips–one of the top-selling flavors of chips in Canada. We tried them. They’re a little too sweet for my taste (like a lot of prepared foods here in Québec) but they grow on you.
I had a flash of insight about the added-sugar thing here though, as my Québécoise neighbor explained to me that, in Québec cuisine, sugar is a favorite preservative for canning (along with salt, vinegar, and the like) even for savory foods. For most of Québec’s history, pioneers and habitants had to work hard to keep themselves provisioned, which included lots of food preservation against the epically awful winters. So anything that would keep food from spoiling was a good thing.
Also, the French also learned from the indigenous people how to tap maple trees and cook down the sap into syrup, which gave them an ample supply of sweetener. Québec currently produces over 70% of the world’s maple syrup and a bajillion products are flavored with it; the famous spring ritual of the sugar shack is built around it. Maple syrup is practically worshipped here, both as a condiment and a provincial income source.
Finally, in the late 1700s when the English conquered New France (as the province was called then) the Anglos brought their sugary eating habits with them. Sugar consumption increased throughout the province and I’m guessing that still influences flavor preferences today.
Whatever the reasons, modern-day Québec foods have a lot of hidden sugars. I’ve had a hard time finding anything that doesn’t list sugar as the second or third ingredient, even at the local health food store. Something I appreciate a lot more now that I’ve had to hunt hard for months to find no-sugar cereals, condiments, and canned goods: we’re really spoiled when it comes to food choices back home.
—TIL that Canada’s most populated city is pronounced “Toronno” unless you want to sound like an outlander.
–Now that we’ve bought our tickets back to L.A., I’m starting to view Montréal with departure eyes–seeing all the things I’ll miss about Montréal, and some of the things I won’t miss. It was surprising to me how quickly I got attached to/annoyed by certain things. I’ll do a detailed post about that someday soon.
That’s the update! Wishing you a happy autumn and hoping your harvest season is abundant and joyful. Looking forward to seeing you soon…or, as we say in Québec:
