Montreal food and gifts: what to buy, where to buy it

Regional Dining Discussions Quebec, Maritimes, Prairies
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Fruits and vegetables

Hello everybody! It has been a while!

Still have a few sections to cover and they are big ones. How do you approach a section on fruits and vegetables when you know more than half a dozen individuals much much more knowledgeable than you? With humility I guess.

See, I tend to know a lot about fruits and veg when they are transformed and fermented. Beer, spirits and wine? Right up my alley. Fresh produce? Less so.

I am, however, from Montreal so I so learn some things, if only through sheer osmosis. So. Here it is. My humble addition on the subject.

I’ll try to focus on peculiar elements and things I feel interesting.

What to buy

  • Heirloom seeds

Do you know Montreal used to have a famous melon? The Montreal Nutmeg Melon used to be a prized product. Extremely temperamental, impossible to predict (a plant can give you a 20 pounds melon a year and give you nothing the next), hard to carry (it used to be housed in an individual wooden box filled with straw) it used to be one of the most popular melon in the east coast of north america. Records show it was sold from 1.25 to 1.75$ a melon in 1907 (roughly 45$ in today’s money) at retail in american markets.

Unfortunately, the development of Montreal and the difficulty of the crops made it disappear. The only thing that saved it is a discovery in an american seedbank.

Heirloom Montreal melon, tomatoes, peas, onions, spinach, carrots, countless numbers of squash… a true underground of heirloom seeds is being used, harvested and passed around by a small army of enthusiasts. If you like gardening it is a true opportunity to get seeds from species and varieties simply nonexistant in today’s market. I’m not a gardener, most of my plants, unfortunately, die but if I was heirloom vegetable would probably be the only thing I’d do.

Find more information on Quebec heirloom varieties, look no further than these websites!:


www.semences-jardinsnathalie.com

  • Blueberries
    I already talked about blueberries earlier but I must bring them back here. Quebec is a particularly good land for blueberries (with the area around saguenay lac-st-jean being particularly famous) and you will find a lot of great ones from the end of july to september. Always, always look for the smaller ones because they are the most tasty.

  • Raspberries and Strawberries
    These go together in Quebec. Blueberries don’t grow everywhere but raspberries and strawberries will. Every house I know have at least a plant of each in its garden. Strawberries can be had from May to the end of September and Raspberries come a bit later, starting at the end of July and ending at the end of September. As all berries, Quebecquers make the distinction between the smaller Quebec varieties, more sugary and flavourful and the big American ones (sorry Americans… that’s our perception) full of water.

  • Cranberries
    Quebec is a big producer of cranberries and these should be available year round! While we call these “canneberge” we sometimes revert to their old name “atoka”. They are an important element of christmas and new year’s eve eats.

  • Celeriac
    I don’t know if this vegetable is popular elsewhere but it is very popular here. You can find a classic rendition in the ancient Montreal french bistro in their “celery remoulade” appetizer, which combine celeriac with mayo. It can be found from the end of july to the end of mars.

  • Ground Cherry
    We call it “cerise de terre” but its real french name is apparently “Physalis”. It is an orange fruit found in its delicate dried leaves. It is very popular in quebec and can be found from the end of july to the start of november,

  • Sweet corn
    “Blé d’inde” season (in english “indian corn”) is an occasion for true celebration in Quebec. The start of july to the end of october (to be honest, its almost always in summer) give way to “indian corn corn husking party” (épeluchettes de blé d’inde) in which famillies boil the sweet corn together and eat it with salt and butter.

  • Snow peas
    Snow peas (pois mange tout) have been popular for a while here. You can have them from the end of july to mid october.

  • Yellow split peas
    “pea soup” is a traditional quebec soup. It was so popular with our ancestors that it used to be an insult to french canadians by anglophones. “Pea soup”. The pea is dried, not fresh. The best brand for it is apparently from St.Arnaud. I have translated a version in english there: http://captmtl.tumblr.com/post/92245476901/traditional-quebec-pea-soup-ingredients-375. There is a nice video on it here from an american with a quebec mother:

  • Fiddlehead fern
    “Tête de violon” or “Fiddleheads” are furled front of young furns prevalent in Quebec from may to june. They can be toxic if prepared the wrong way so make sure you get the right information before going ahead and cooking them. They are great sauteed with butter.

  • Rhubarb
    An old person once told me that the rhubarb was the only plant with medicamental roots, eadible stalk and toxic leaves. I still don’t know if its totaly true. Rhubarb, however, is a quebec starwart with rhubarb pie being a classic. They are available from the start of may to mid june.

Where to buy it

  • Marché Jean-Talon
    The premium place to find Montreal fruit and vegetables in the city. In summer, this is a spectacular metropolis of fruit and vegetable vendors. They’ll even offer you samples! Even in winter its the best place to find things.
    http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/marches/jean-talon/

  • Marché Atwater
    More expensive and not as large as Marché Jean-Talon, Marché Atwater is still pretty impressive!
    http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/marches/atwater/

  • Lufa Farms
    A new concept: put greenhouses on the top of buildings and factories. Lufa farm is a true urban farm complex and will ship you fruits and vegetables picked the same day. Its possible because they are located within the city itself! Ecological and practical at the same time!
    http://lufa.com/en/

  • Vegetable baskets
    The concept is simple: buy a part of the production from fruit and vegetable farmers early in the season and get regular shipments of fresh baskets straight from the producers. The price is about 20$ a week and the basket are so huge I’ve seen couples splitting one in two households. Its a way to bring the city closer to the farm, encourage small producers and insuring the reception of fresh products.
    http://www.equiterre.org/solution/paniers-bio?gclid=CKDVj8OwxMsCFQyNaQodO7wM_Q

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Forgot to mention the restaurant that served the “celeri remoulade”. Its l’express!

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I realised I ignored a couple of more obscure quebec berries available in season in some of Montreal’s better stocked fruit market. While they don’t have the notoriety of the king and queen of berries (the strawberry and the raspberry) and didn’t have the push their cousin the cranberry had in recent years they are still part of Quebec culture. My grandfather used to do red currant wine (vin de gadelle) and my mother used to do gooseberry jelly that she’d preserve and eat off season.

Amelanchier (sugarplum? saskatoon berry?)
Native to Quebec. Very obscure berries, a bit unknown. Available from mid-july to end of july. Rich in anthocyanin and antioxidant, lots of pectin. Can be consumed fresh, in liquors or jellies

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Sureau (elderberry)
The harvest of this berry seem to be at the end of august/start of september. It has a very neutral taste when eaten fresh so its usually transformed. Very rich in antioxidant and vitamin C. Available as a syrup, jelly, liquor or fresh!

Cassis (blackcurrant)
I feel this berry is a bit better known. Harvested from mid-mai to august, this berry is to fragile to be eaten fresh and is often transformed. Very juicy, very aromatic and has a tinge of acidity. Transformed in liquors, jelly, juice, vinegar, desserts…! The french do a very famous cassis liquor and some quebec producers have taken to produce it too (see http://www.saq.com/page/fr/saqcom/liqueur-de-fruit/lorleanne/396119?selectedIndex=13&searchContextId=-100216131642600 )

Gadelle (redcurrant)
This fruit has an incredible red colour. Acid, sweet and aromatic, redcurrant has a lot of pectin, anthocyanin and vitamin C. Available mid mai to august. Produces vinegar, jelly, syrup, wine and desserts.

Groseille (gooseberry)
Available from mid-mai to august, this berry can be eaten fresh or preserved. When very ripe it can be sweet, if picked early it is acid but can go into pies and jelly. Can go into wine, jelly and pastries, among others.

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Thanks for the new update. I have just done booking everything from beginning to end (bank accounts are totally wiped out!), now I can start collecting food and drink addresses.

I shall wait for your next updates. Staying near Berri metro station so it can’t be too far getting to a good market for cheese, chacuterie and wine.

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Actually, its pretty practical because it is the central metro hub.

You are in the latin quarter, north of sherbrooke you have the ultra trendy plateau mont-royal, west you have downtown and south you have old montreal.

The best markets, however, are located near Metro Jean-Talon (Marché Jean-Talon) and Metro Lionel-Groulx (Marché Atwater).

If I had to shop from Berri UQAM I’d go to IGA Louise Menard at place dupuis. Its not Atwater or Jean-Talon Market but its pretty good!

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Thanks, Haddock. I have 7 days in total in Montreal. Want to check out a few markets for delicious provisions.

One of these day I will make specific threads for places I am visiting.

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As a former montrealer with many many strong connections warranting 4-5 visits a year, I am blown away by your expertise and generosity. Thank you for this exhaustive resource which I will refer to for many many more visits. I’m very impressed!

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Meat

What to buy

  • Porc
    Porc has always been Quebec’s favorite animal. The particular thing with porc is that you can eat everything off it, from head to toe. Families used to come together and do “la grande boucherie” (the great butchery) once a year. They’d take the blood and make boudin, take the tripes and make sausages, the legs would become hams, the head would become “head cheese”, different parts would go in pâté, lard, bacon, you name it. Known producers and vendors are Porcmeilleur at Marché Atwater ( http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/en/merchants/porc-meilleur/?filter_market=436 ) and Gasporc ( http://www.gaspor.com/ ), which has a long association with legendary restaurant Au Pied de Cochon. The best restaurant to see porc being featured is probably Au Pied de Cochon ( http://aupieddecochon.ca/?lang=en ).

  • Canard (Duck)
    There is a lot of french tradition in Quebec. Tradition like foie gras, the fattened liver of the duck. But foie gras doesn’t come in a vacuum, it brings with it all the parts of the duck. Parts like duck fat to cook potatoes in, maigrets, duck consommé. The best known duck producers are “Canard du Lac Brome” (duck from lac brome). They even have a store at marché jean-talon! Most good butchers will carry duck and foie gras. The best known restaurant for foie gras is Au Pied de Cochon (they put it in everything). As for duck, most good french restaurants should do a competent maigret de canard. see http://www.canardsdulacbrome.com/en/

  • Agneau de Charlevoix (Charlevoix lamb)
    It took 15 years for Lucie Cadieux of the Ferme Eboulemontaise to convince the provincial government to issue an “Appelation d’origine controlée”. As such, the agneau de charlevoix is Quebec’s first AOC. An AOC is a legal protection of a product designating its origin. It is very popular in Europe but rarely used in North America. It was a realisation that there was a lot of fake charlevoix veal sold in restaurants and butcher shops around Quebec that led Lucie Cadieux to seek protection. Now Agneau de Charlevoix is a sought after product by connoisseurs and neophytes alike. See: http://www.fermeeboulmontaise.com/

  • Agneau nourris aux algues de Gaspesie (Seaweed fed Gaspesie Lamb)
    Producers from the Gaspesie region of Quebec started to sell seaweed fed lamb. Different? See for yourself! http://agneauauxalgues.ca/en/

  • Boeuf (beef)
    Canada’s better known beef comes from its western provinces. However, consumers in Quebec are more and more on the lookout for specialised and gourmet products so some producers took it upon themselves to try to develop a better beef. Products like the highland beef from de eastern townships region. This scottish breed is born and raised locally without antibiotics, steroid or growth hormones. They are butchered in their own factory. See http://www.highlanddescantons.ca/

  • Lapin/Lièvre (Rabbit/hare)
    Rabbit used to be much more prevalent than today. You can still find it in season at places like joe beef or liverpool house or in french restaurants. If available, you should find it in good butchers. Look for stanstead rabbit, the biggest producers of rabbit in Quebec! http://www.lelapindestanstead.com/default.html

  • Cheval (horse)
    Eating horse meat in america seem to be very taboo, on a similar level with eating your dog or cat. In the french tradition, however, horse is on the menu and on the same level as beef, porc or chicken. Horse meat is leaner and has a stronger metalic taste. Be careful to buy it from a reputable butcher. The horse you buy has to be horse meat raised for human consumption, not the transformed carcass of racing horses, which is shot with all kind of chemicals. You might be able to find horse tartare if you are lucky and joe beef/liverpool house sometimes have a great rendition with their “filet de cheval à cheval” (horse fillet on a horse).

  • Bison
    Bison meat has been on a rise since the 90’s. Richer and leaner than beef, it is used in steaks or make great hamburgers. There are more and more bison producers in Quebec that offer a delicious alternative to beef! See http://www.bisonquebec.com/index.html

  • Caille (Quail)
    I just want to give a small shout out to this precious little bird. I actually don’t like quail, it is very small and eating it feels like work, which eating should not. It was a favourite of my father and is considered a delicacy to many. I have strong memories of my father watching us children to make sure we ate every gram of meat of that bird that was so expensive and precious. Me? I felt like I was eating a sparrow and just wanted to chuck it out the window. Its still found on some Quebec tables though and I guess its part of our french heritage.

  • Dinde (Turkey)
    If turkey is synonymous with thanksgiving in the united states in Quebec we eat it around Christmas. There is nothing else specific about Quebec turkey eating, its mostly a once a year thing that follows north american tradition.

Where to buy it

  • Marché Jean-Talon and Marché Atwater
    Those two market feature about half a dozen very good butchers each. That’s where I go when I want to source quality meat. The Montreal market have a nice website where you can find providers and opening hours at http://www.marchespublics-mtl.com/en/

  • Maison du roti
    An institution of the plateau, if you are around it is known and dear to many. The place caught fire a few years ago and it caused quite a commotion to the numerous residents and clients.
    http://maisonduroti.com/fr/

  • Viandal
    A gem of a butcher in verdun. This family run business is one of my favorite and is the reference for a lot of friends. Impressive selection, they do all their butchering in house. Legend tell that they are so popular in the korean community that the owner learned korean! See http://www.yelp.ca/biz/boucherie-viandal-verdun and http://korcan50years.com/2013/05/29/interview-with-a-korean-butcher/

  • Boucherie Lawrence
    Lawrence is a very nice restaurant that’s part of the nouvelle vague and they started their own butcher shop. I’ll be honest, I tend to see them as a hipster butcher shop but I’ve had great feedback from friends. http://www.boucherielawrence.com/

  • Boucherie Grinder
    To me, Grinder is Boucherie Lawrence’s hipster cousin. They occupy the same headspace and I’ll often confuse the two even if they are really not in the same location. Like Lawrence, they are associated to a well known restaurant (although I’d classify Grinder as more “commercial” than Lawrence). Like Lawrence, I’ve heard great things about them! https://boucheriegrinder.ca/

  • Société orignal
    Société orignal is not a boutique, its a philosophy. Their mission is curate and develop exclusive quebec products in partnership with producers and offer to it to restaurants and enthusiasts. Its not only meat, its fish, milk, grain, herbs, vegetables, transformed products, oils, sugars, butters… ect. They opened a brick and mortar boutique but it didn’t last. They are still present online though. See: http://societe-orignal.com/en.html

  • Abu Elias
    Ok, this butcher is FAR from downtown but its very well known! It appeared in the “Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern”. We have a lot of middle eastern butchers and this one is one of the better examples.

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Thank you for the kind comments!

I’m happy it will be of use. These are the kind of information I love to read about when I travel so I thought it might be nice to put what I know in a format that would be useful to me if I had to travel in my own city!

Plus it helps to separate the wheat from the chaff. There are so many nice things to find here, its nice to have a list from a local!

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I’ll be sure to read it if you do! I love hearing feedback from tourists!

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@Captcrunch, I shared this epic list with Julian Armstrong and Lesley Chesterman as well as Tourisme Montreal and Tourisme Quebec. Hopefully this list can be of use to their readers at some point!

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Ha! Thanks!

:grinning:

I still have some stuff to cover but I ran out of time (and a bit of steam I guess). Didn’t forget it! (there’s still seafood to do!)

I only hope it helps people. The only payment I ask in return is that you give me your feedback if you do come in Montreal!

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BTW, if some luminairies of the food or wine world read the list understand that I know that the okanagan valley is in British Columbia but it was late when I wrote the text and I cannot edit it after 1 hour.

The following sentence (“While Ontario has started to garner a great reputation in its Okanagan valley…”) was probably meant to say ("While Ontario has started to garner a great reputation and British Columbia with its Okanagan valley,)

ahem

(I only say that because I cringe a bit every time I re-read myself :smile:)

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The best chocolate I’ve had in Montreal came from Gendron Confiseur Chocolatier. By far the most interesting, complex and unique flavors.

Looking through my inbox, this was an order that I placed directly with Daniel several years ago; he conveniently delivered it right to my apt door, with a smile:

1x - abricot

1x - canneberge

1x - citron

1x - figue

1x - lime

1x - mandarine bergamote

1x - pamplemousse

1x - thé vert Matcha de Mariage Frères

1x - Gyokuro de Betjeman and Barton

1x - Sencha de Betjeman and Barton

1x - Kaüai d’Hawaïï

1x - Café Népal

1x - amande

1x - noisette

1x - pistache

1x - tonka

1x - anis étoilé

1x - genévrier

1x - gingembre

1x - menthe

1x - romarin

1x - thym

1x - vanille bourbon

1x - verveine

1x - lavande

1x - mimosa

1x - caramel

1x - caramel bergamote

1x - caramel diamant de sel

1x - morille

1x - truffes d’Alba

1x - épinette noire

1x - Cohiba

1x - porto

1x - pure malte

1x - roquefort Carles

Here’s a c+p from his 2012 selection and pricing:

GENDRON CONFISEUR CHOCOLATIER

Nos produits réalisés dans la pure tradition de la chocolaterie artisanale vous offrent un chocolat de première qualité entièrement fabriqué à la main.

Nous utilisons du chocolat de couverture noir à 84, 75, 70 et 64% de cacao.

Nos intérieurs sont composés de ganaches, un mélange de chocolat, de crème fraîche et de beurre. Nos saveurs sont créées à partir de fines herbes, de fleurs et de fruits frais. Nous utilisons des produits d’origine de première qualité, notre crème, notre beurre, ainsi que les fleurs et les herbes sont certifiés biologique.
Nous n’utilisons aucun arôme de synthèse, essence artificielle ni conservateur chimique. Notre chocolat est garanti pur beurre de cacao.

Alerte aux allergies

Tous nos produits peuvent avoir été en contact avec des noix et des arachides.

Saveurs :

Nos fruits: abricot, canneberge, citron, figue, lime, mandarine bergamote, pamplemousse

Nos thés: thé vert Matcha de Mariage Frères, Gyokuro de Betjeman and Barton, Sencha de Betjeman and Barton

Nos cafés: Kaüai d’Hawaïï, Népal,

Nos noix: amande, noisette, pistache, tonka

Nos herbes et épices: anis étoilé, genévrier, gingembre, menthe, romarin, thym, vanille bourbon, verveine

Nos fleurs: lavande, mimosa

Nos caramels: caramel, caramel bergamote, caramel diamant de sel

Nos champignons: morille, truffes d’Alba

Nos curiosités: épinette noire, Cohiba, porto, pure malte, roquefort Carles

Nos prix:

Cohiba 3,50$ unité

Morilles 3,50$ unité

Pistache, thé Gyokuro 2,50$ unité

Roquefort Carles, Thé Sencha 2,25$ unité

Café du Népal 3.00$ unité

Truffe d’alba 5,00$ unité

Autres saveurs 2.00$ unité

CHOCOLATS

  • Boîtier et sac assortis (origami) de forme pyramidale

· 24 chocolats variés 50,00$

· 12 chocolats variés 25,00$

· 6 chocolats variés 12,50$

· 4 chocolats variés 8,75$

· 2 chocolats variés 4,75$

· Petite coupelle 10,00$

· Grande coupelle 40,00$

Taxes en sus.

Livraison 10,00$

DANIEL GENDRON (450) 646-6001 1-866-646-6001

e.mail : gendronconfiseurchocolat@qc.aira.com

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Presunto, where did you stay near Berri-UQAM? Yes, the IGA there is a very decent supermarket for people staying in a hotel as they have a lot of prepared food - that IGA and the one at Complexe Desjardins have a lot of custom from nearby office workers. And it is a short trip by métro to Jean-Talon or Atwater markets (in opposite directions) or many eating and drinking places.

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Yes, I went to that IGA several times. Only a couple of minutes on foot from my lodging (“M Montreal”). I also went to Jean-Talon a few times, but only once to Atwater. I got day passes so zipping around on the metro is easy.

Love the (super)markets in Quebec. Even small shops have decent stuff AND lots of craft beer.

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Walked away with my box of Péché Mortel like it’s nothing! (the bottles survived the trip home)

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Thank you so much @Captcrunch for this amazing treatise! Starting to plan a trip to Montreal at the end of March and this is incredibly helpful.

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My pleasure!

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Wow, I’m still reading through this but each time we have visited we had trouble taking items home. Liquid restrictions aside we had hassles. We have learned to enjoy more while visiting and shipped things home.

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I’ve been giving people jars of Joe Beef’s Butcher’s Blend as a hostess gift lately. It has become our favourite for steak.

It’s available at many upscale food shops in Ontario, , including Eataly in Toronto and Remark Market in LondonOn . https://joebeef.com/collections/all