What’s Eaten Where: Montreal

In Montreal, it’s Cold with a capital C, and Christmas is a big thing! In winter, temperatures rarely rise above freezing. It snows for almost 60 days a year, and you can literally ski round the city.

Each winter, there’s an Igloofest (in which salopette-clad party goers toast marshmallows, drink at ice bars, and try curling); a Santa Claus parade; and a mesmerising ‘Winter Light Display’ with luminous installations from local artists. You can cut down your own Christmas tree, take it home, and then head out for a spot of open-air skating. And then wind up your day with hot chocolate, or a toasted bagel, or pulled pork sandwich.

While the province of Quebec is gastronomically famed for its poutine (chips and cheese curds topped with gravy), in Montreal, it’s more about the meat. Thick hunks of smoked brisket layered on rye and smothered with mustard are a local favourite, as are salami and bologna sandwiched into an egg roll with cheese, as well as classic hot dogs covered in mustard, relish, onions and sauerkraut. Then there’s pâté Chinois (a sort of shepherd’s pie that originated with Canada’s immigrant railway workers), a concoction of ground beef, corn, and mashed potatoes; the foie gras doubledown (deep-fried pâté with double-smoked bacon, maple syrup, and smoked cheddar cheese dripping with brown sugar apple juice); and the ubiquitous bœuf bourguignon, ever popular thanks to the city’s affiliations with France. Tourtière is another meaty dish with French roots, a pie that’s made from pork, veal, or beef and potatoes that’s popular across the whole of Quebec. And jambon à l’érable (maple-brushed ham) typifies French Canadian cuisine.

But perhaps the most iconic dish in this city has more to do with Poland than France. The humble bagel is said to have been first baked in Montreal by Chaim Seligman, who gave it a unique twist. In contrast to its American cousin, the Montreal bagel is smaller, thinner, sweeter and denser, with a larger hole, boiled in honey-sweetened water and baked in a wood-fired oven. And it tastes simply delicious.