The Russian Invasion of Ukraine Prompts a Quebec Restaurant to Temporarily Rename Poutine | Eater Montreal

"A Drummondville diner often regarded as the possible birthplace of poutine, Le Roy Jucep said it would temporarily refer to the dish as “la frite fromage sauce” on February 24 as an expression of dismay at the Russian invasion of Ukraine; the phrase translates to “the fry cheese gravy.” The Quebec specialty of French fries, gravy, and cheese curds bears no relation to Russia other than that in French Vladimir Putin’s last name is spelled “Poutine.” The restaurant announced the change on Facebook with a revised logo in Ukrainian blue and yellow and the slogan “the inventor of the fry cheese gravy,” but that post was deleted the following morning and replaced with one saying the restaurant had received telephone threats; that replacement was also later deleted. The restaurant’s page name still features the revised dish name even though its bio and logo continue to call the iconic Québécois dish by its actual name. Eater reached out to Le Roy Jucep for comment." - Valerie Silva