To add to the sticky, cheesy mass of poutine writeups above:
Mes Aieux, on their album
En Famille, have a song entitled
Hommage en Grains, which actually says a lot about poutine, from its history to its unique texture, the cheese, and how and when to eat it. My (somewhat lacking, I admit) translation is below:
When "last call" time comes around
And the neon lights come on
Exposing our pale tones
Extinguishing our ambitions
When going to sleep
Isn't a solution
Our muddled brains
Only see one solution
Potatoes, gravy, and cheese
Make an excellent combination
Past three-thirty in the morning
It's
haute cuisine
The waitress is
perky
Despite the late hour
And from under a ton of hairspray
She hands us her menu
And our salivating eyes
Read the definitions
Of alternative versions:
Italian, Galvaude or Duleton
Potatoes, gravy, and cheese
Make a happy marriage
Yes, I'll admit, it's a little
fatty
But it 'repatches' the stomach
I will never break the object of my ecstasy
The perfect equilibrium of the three base elements
It's on the classic that I fix my choice
I'm not one of the eccentrics who adds
green peas
In the unbearable wait of the supreme blowout
All around the table ask the ultimate question:
From what corner of the earth comes this master delight?
Opinions differ -
Drummondville or
Victo (
Warwick)
Then the feast arrives with its plastic fork
Finally under the gums, the cheese goes "squeak-squeak"
And even if politeness dictates slowly eating one's bowl
You still have to eat quick, before the fries go soggy
Potatoes, gravy, and cheese
Form a powerful amalgam
It's like eating
a pound of butter
But
Montignac doesn't frighten us
Ah! What joy to know
That all throughout Quebec
At the same time, every night
The experience repeats itself
Drunken wrecks
Drown the alcohol with gravy
And with ballooning stomachs
And belching will dream (Dream of...)
Potatoes, gravy, and cheese
It's fattening... what a shame!
Potatoes, gravy, and cheese
A part of our heritage
Potatoes, gravy, and cheese
We give to you this homage...
(en grains!)*
* This bit I'm not sure how to translate, but I'm sure some francophone noder will enlighten me shortly.