The Russian President’s decision to order his troops to invade Ukraine is seeing a global protest, with a classic Canadian dish loved by the French taken off the menu after a backlash.
Poutine, a bowl of hot chips, cheese curds and gravy, shares its name with the French spelling of Putin’s surname.
Maison de la Poutine, a specialty restaurant throughout France, has taken the dish off the menu.
“Our dish was born in Quebec in the 1950s. And the stories to tell its origin are numerous. But one thing is certain: poutine was created by passionate cooks who wanted to bring joy and comfort to their customers,” Maison de la Poutine said in a tweet.
“The House of Poutine has worked since its first day to perpetuate these values and today brings its most sincere support to the Ukrainian people who are courageously fighting for their freedom against the tyrannical Russian regime.”
The decision came after Quebec restaurant Le Roy Jucep, which claims to have invented the dish in the 1950s, said it was renaming poutine as “fries-cheese-gravy” (sounds enticing) as a stance against the invasion of Ukraine.
Major companies including McDonald’s, Microsoft, Google, PayPal, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Apple, Nike, L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, Netflix, EA, H&M, Prada, Sports Direct, IKEA, TikTok, PG Tips, Heineken, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, BP and Shell, as well as the top four global accounting firms, have all closed shop or announced plans to exit Russia.
