Skeptics may consider poutine, a messy mix of French fries topped with brown gravy and melted cheese, some sort of strange April Fool’s joke.

Mas if you’ve learned to love this classic Quebecois concoction, você sabe you’ve become a real Canadian.

While poutine is native to Quebec, you can now find it around the country. For a classic version, dirigir-se O Ice em Montreal. For a more basic dish, try the version at Fries belga em Vancouver. And if it’s a more chic incarnation you want, grab a seat at Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar em Toronto.

Photo by Joe Shlabotnik (Flickr)