Written by Gabriela Estrada

Do you know what is poutine? This is a classic Canadian dish, typical of Quebec, which, apart from being delicious, can also help you improve your French. Why? Because it is so popular that everyone talks about the recipe, its taste, the best place to go to eat, etc., which promotes the oral and/or written production of French learners in an entertaining and effective way.

On poutinea perfect blend of pommes frites, fromage en grains and sauce brune, is much more than food: it is a symbol of integration in the French-speaking community. There are several theories about the etymology of the poutine. Some believe that it comes from the English word puddingwhile others maintain that in Québécois slang it means "strange mixture" or "mess". "strange mixture" or "mess"..

Today we will learn French words related to the poutine y les repas (meals). Read to the end and expand your francophone gastronomic vocabulary with Planeta Immiland. with Planeta Immiland. Let's get started!

Learn French with the poutine

Initially, the poutine was considered a humble dish, but over time it became an icon of Canadian cuisine. icon of Canadian gastronomy.. Today, it is found in restaurants, street stalls and even in fast food chains.

Ordering this dish in French reinforces the vocabulary. For example, you can say: s'il vous plaît, un poutine classique!

Let's see what's in the poutine!

Recipe for poutine to expand your vocabulary

Ingrédients

• Pommes de terre (potatoes)
• Huile végétale (vegetable oil)
• Fromage en grains (cheese in grains or fresh cheese in pieces)
• Bouillon de bœuf (beef broth)
• Farine (flour)
• Beurre (butter)

Préparation 

1. Frire les pommes de terre. 
2. Prepare the raw willow. 
3. Assemble and serve hot!

French learners can practice in restaurants to gain confidence in speaking. Because this dish is so popular and generates empathy among peers in the same environment, talking about it makes French conversation easier and more relaxed, which stimulates verbal fluency and promotes interest in expanding vocabulary around food.

Other meals (repas) French-speaking

Learn about meals (les repas) in French is a didactic way to enter the world of gastronomy in countries such as France and Canada. Knowing how to name each dish makes communication flow in restaurants, stores and social gatherings where you share at the table.

Each meal of the day has a specific name in French:

• Breakfast - Le petit-déjeuner: coffee (coffee), pain au chocolat (chocolate bread), croissant (croissant), jus d'orange (orange juice).

• Lunch - Le déjeuner: salade niçoise (nizard salad), soupe à l'oignon (onion soup), steak frites (steak with french fries), quiche lorraine (egg, cream and bacon tart), steak frites (steak with french fries)

• Dinner - Le dîner (in France) o le souper (in Canada): tourtière (meat pie typical of Quebec), ratatouille (Provençal vegetable stew), bœuf bourguignon (beef in wine sauce), poutine (french fries with sauce and cheese).

Typical situation in a French-speaking restaurant

If you order food in a restaurant, this may be the dialogue:

-Hello! Que souhaitez-vous commander? (Good evening! What would you like to order?)

-I would like a soupe à l'oignon and a bœuf bourguignon, s'il vous plaît. (I'd like a soup with onions and a bœuf bourguignon, please.)

-Very good! Et pour boire? (Very well! And for drinking?)

-A verre de vin rouge, merci! (A glass of red wine, thank you).

Strategies for learning food names in French

To consolidate the above vocabulary and apply it in real situations, it is necessary to activate the 4 areas of language: speaking, listening, reading and writingwith the following activities at home. This will make speaking about food in French more natural and effective.

• Reading: look at menus in French and look up the key words for each dish.
• Writing: practice writing review lists reviews with your Spanish translation.
• Speech: listen to audios and repeat aloud to improve your accent and pronunciation.
• Listen: watch videos about recipes and meals in French and try to identify the ingredients mentioned.

To close on a sweet note, here are three dessert options:

• Tarte Tatin: upside down caramelized apple tart.

• Mousse au chocolat: classic dessert of French gastronomy. "Mousse" in English translates as "foam" o "whipped cream", depending on the context.depending on the context.

• Beignes (typical doughnuts from Quebec). Beignet (diminutive of beigne) is French for doughnut.

Knowing French meals improves fluency in speaking the language and establishes important connections in the French-speaking social environment.

Learn French with Planeta Immiland Education

To enrich your lexicon and better prepare yourself, Planeta Immiland offers French courses that will help you master the language from the most basic to the most advanced levels. Our practical and context-oriented approach to everyday life is ideal for those seeking to integrate into Canadian society by facilitating the learning of useful terms and specific expressions.

Do you know your level of French for everyday life? We invite you to fill out our free testtest, with instant results and a special discount at the end of the test. Visit our website with the courses available at https://www.planeta-immiland-education.com/cursos-frances.

We are the first immigration language school for Canada and our certified teachers can teach you to speak French and English for work, school, personal or immigration purposes. In addition, we are certified by Languages Canadawhich guarantees a good language learning adapted to the Canadian reality.

I hope this topic has been in good taste. Thank you very much for reading. 

See you in the next blog!

With love, 

Planeta Immiland Education