The producer group representing Quebec’s dairy industry intends to request a protected Geographical Indication (GI) for Quebecois cheese curds. Products with a GI can only be produced in one given region, which certifies their authentic origin. Similar designations protect the quality of Bordeaux, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Tequila. The request to claim poutine cheese curds as a controlled, Quebec-only item highlights the province’s persistent efforts to protect its cultural heritage—this time, unlike many of its other cultural preservation projects, the amusing endeavour feels relatively harmless as it, refreshingly, does not target the province’s multiculturalism.
The Conseil des industriels laitiers du Québec (CILQ) aims to submit this demand to the Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants (CARTV), the Quebec organization responsible for granting controlled status to agricultural products.
CILQ President and CEO Charles Langlois and his fellow cheesemonger conglomerates seek recognition for the quality of the province’s cheese curd, the quintessential ingredient to any respectable poutine. Many know poutine as the unofficial national dish of Canada, often enjoyed after a hockey game or a long day of profusely apologizing to a Timmies cashier. Fearing the Canadianization of Quebec’s culinary success, Langlois says obtaining a GI would protect Quebec’s provincial food heritage amid the growing mainstream popularity of poutine nationally and internationally.
If adopted, a seal would be assigned to cheese curds made in Quebec from Quebec milk. Other criteria, such as meltability, heat resistance, and squeakiness, might determine whether a product qualifies for the GI. If cheese tasting can become official provincial business, then sign me up to be a Quebec bureaucrat.
However, to obtain the GI, the CARTV must first prove that Quebec squeaky cheese has a distinctive characteristic or reputation that sets it apart from others produced outside Quebec. However, while cheese curds are an integral part of Quebec tradition, they are not inherently Quebecois in origin or production. We can only hope that the potential Quebec-isation of cheese curds will not lead to a slippery slope of paperwork filed to certify beavers, maple trees, or Heated Rivalry as fundamentally Quebecois.
The Fromagerie St-Albert in Ontario has produced notoriously squeaky cheese curds since 1894, well before Quebec invented poutine in the 1950s. Eric Lafontaine, Director General of the Ontario establishment, says Quebec’s claim for the invention of //cheese curds// is unfair. Similarly, Wisconsin is famous for its cheese curd industry, which grew in the 1860s.
Producers unable to claim the “Quebec poutine cheese” GI would still be able to market their cheese curd as such, only prevented from claiming any link to Quebec. The GI is, to a certain extent, symbolic. Behind the demand really lies a pride in regional culinary mastery. And who can blame Quebec for wanting recognition for the invention of poutine and its agricultural expertise? The province is known for its fromageries and institutions that sell exceptionally fresh cheese curds, a key factor in its beloved squeakiness.
The Quebecois love their cheese—sue them! It wouldn’t be surprising if this curd venture were a cheeky ploy orchestrated by a secretly foodie bureaucracy that, if the GI were instated, would have to annually assess the squeakiness of every producer’s cheese to ensure status regulation.
But this cheese curd-fuffle is not an isolated effort by Quebec to promote its heritage. It fits into a series of measures aimed at preserving regional identity, often at the expense of the province’s multiculturalism. Whether through implementing harsh migration restrictions, cutting funding for non-French-speaking educational institutions, or enforcing French-language laws that contradict Canadian constitutional rights, the province has shown consistent aggressiveness in cultural preservation enterprises.
The CAQ government’s hostility has discouraged non-Francophones and foreign immigrants from engaging in Quebecois culture. Considering the especially combative stance Quebec has taken since 1977, maybe this cheese petition isn’t so terrible after all.
Only a few solutions for effective cultural promotion have been proposed by critics. Shouldn’t we see this cheesy—albeit silly—undertaking as an earnestly positive way to promote Quebecois culture? Although frivolous, this request for a Geographical Indication does not threaten the rights and well-being of Quebec residents but celebrates tradition without disparaging others. Maybe, just maybe, Quebec has finally discovered a form of Quebecois nationalism that doesn’t result in discriminatory consequences—though the lactose-intolerant community’s stance on the topic remains to be seen.