There are several claims to the origins of this dish, but most likely poutine (meaning “mess” in French) was invented in Warwick, Quebec, in 1957. Rushing to fill a trucker’s order, restaurant worker Fernand Lachance quickly dumped French fries and cheese curds all into the same bag. As the trucker left, Lachance warned, “It’s going to make a damn mess.” (For good measure, diners eventually added gravy.) The trucker liked it, and more than 50 years later poutine is still one of Canada’s most popular fast foods.
Damming Evidence
North American beavers are smaller than only the South American capybara, which
