Domaine St-Simon: Diane Chamberland prepping Christ's ears photo: Maeve Haldane

Some dressed in their finest sugar shack chic: plaid shirts and jeans. Just the duds to feel at home at Domaine St-Simon, owned by Diane and Claude Chamberland. This isn't a fancy touristy joint with ye olde maple gifte shoppe to lighten your wallet while expanding your girth. Instead, St-Simon offers basic, traditional food at cheap prices and a glimpse of what life was like for those who worked off the land years ago.

The concept is simple. Buy a ticket, enter a room with long tables, sit and be served by comely wenches until you're full. The Australian remembered her first visit a few years ago, just three days after arriving in Canada: "It was lots of sugar and pig. Then lots of fried pig in sugar." Just about sums it up.

The room is a kitschy mix of old farm tools, stuffed wildlife and religious icons. An accordion player squeezed out Valderi Valdera and other hokey goldies. The table is set with maple syrup, buns, Diane's own homemade ketchups and relish and really good crétons made from a Gaspésie recipe. Creamy, not grainy - you won't find this pale porky spread in Montreal, Claude said.

First to arrive is pea soup, Diane's father's own recipe. The hearty yet subtly flavourful concoction is made atop a wood stove.

Then came the rest: puffy baked egg, smokey slabs of ham, stewy baked beans, tender red-skinned potatoes, and wieners. There was no bacon, but there were oreilles de crisse, the very top strip of a pig's fat, deep fried and curly and crunchy. The Québécoise of the group said they're called Christ's ears as a joke, since sugaring-off season occurs during Lent when all good Christians abstain from sweets. I guess this way they heed the Lord while passing the syrup.

And the syrup is to be poured on everything. I don't have a sweeter tooth than most, but I adore good dark maple syrup, not the super sweet light kind. Maybe because I was born in Quebec, maple runs through my veins like sap through the trees.

The meal finishes with hot grand-pères, which are flour dumplings poached in maple syrup, with a buttery maple sauce. I was a grandpa virgin, but these won't be my last.

"This is a big thing on Saturday night for young adults," La Québécoise told me. "Instead of going to the disco, they go to the sugar shack." You can bring your own wine too, and there's a big room for dancing.

During the day, however, you can ride a sleigh hooked up to shaggy horses. They're a local breed - Canadian Horses - the oldest in North America. Originally sent over from France, harsh weather and sparse feed turned them into sturdy animals nicknamed "Little Iron Horse." Strong smelling, too. Sitting right behind them is pretty whiffy, but the ride was a lovely short tour through the woods. The breed was down from 150,000 in the 1800s to only 400 a few decades ago, but concerned breeders brought up the numbers. The UN workers (all specialists in biodiversity) were pleased. Animal, cultural or culinary, they're all for maintaining variety and observing tradition.

Next week I'll look at another mode of old-style Quebec cuisine, right in downtown Montreal.

Domaine St-Simon
925 4th Concession, St-Simon, St-Hyacinthe county;
(450) 798-2334 or (514) 953-0673
www.domaine-st-simon.qc.ca
Reservations necessary
Price per adult, tax included: $17-$19, kids half price.

For more cabanes à sucre:
www.arcsq.ca, www.cabaneasucre.org, and www.toile.com

 
 

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Sugar House     "Sugar House", that's what my bf said when he tried to explain to me where we were going with his family 5 years ago. Can't remember if it was for Easter or Xmas, but I do remembered the feeling when I step into the "sugar house". The place was warm and filled with the smell of sweetness and lots of Quebecois Families. It was a strong contrast with the COLD weather (oh, come to think of it, it was during Christmas). Anyway, I always had a great time there. These are some reasons why I love it... 1. People at "sugar house" are always so nice, they are always eager to show me how they make syrup. 2. Its like a buffet, u can eat as much as you want. Its heaven.... 3. Its always nice to see families gathered together.
Andrew Chen	{12 votes}	April 5th, 2005
On United rashings     Here comes my Nationalistic rant of the day: there is nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, better than sugar shack foods! So we've all being living through, as usual, one hellish winter season; the days seem super-short, a fact that depressed everyone to no end; our foods start to lost their flavors, for some reasons, and we can't really do anything about it. So we all need some kind of nutritional 'pick-me up', something that will make all of us happy to still be alive, even though we're currently living in a white nightmare; and, for once, fat content can go to hell, as long as the food tastes good! Where can people find such a heavenly place? Well, residents of La Belle Province knew the answer of that question centuries ago: at the good ol' sugar shack, where old-school gastronomy never die! If you've never went to that magical place, you should at least know the basics: - Don't eat for at least 12 hours before going to the sugar shack - if you do, you will just hate yourself at the end of the day! You'll be doing plenty of eating right there at the shack, so restrain yourself! - Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, can be eat and taste better with syrup! At the sugar shack, it becomes some kind of WATER OF THE GODS that can be drink straight-up or put with every dishes that they serve you. So you have pork in your plate? Put some syrup on it! Got some sausages and eggs? Bring on the syrup! Got some baked beans and red-skinned potatoes over there, buddy? Bet you that they will taste great with syrup! No joke, if you didn't drink and/or eat at least a gallon of this sugary sweet, you've wasted a good trip to the shack! - After dining, you better dance, dance, dance! 'Cause, if you don't, your stomach will totally rebel against you! And make no mistake: this advice goes to the kids as well as to the older folks. Yes, too much of a good thing can hurt you, at the shack! Man, a sugar shack is the best place to be around this time of the year... Get there, NOW!!!
Joseph Belizaire	{12 votes}	April 5th, 2005
Hooray for sugar shacking     Ask anybody what is a typical Canadian meal and have a hard time coming up with something traditionally Canadian. Anybody have an answer? Luckily, the Québécois come to save the day to claim that there actually is something worth bragging about with regards to food: la Cabane à sucre! You cannot go wrong in showing our true colours by bringing non-Quebecers to these places. It's tough to beat sugar shacking for a total culinary experience. Sitting in a wood log cabin, having greasy food thrown at you by waitresses in tradional garb until your heart's content, and the taffee (la tire) on snow for all to pick at. It's one of those sinfully delightful treats that are too hard to pass by. It's so good (or bad for you) that you can only go once a year so that your arteries get back into shape. It's not the healthiest food but it cannot be worse than the weekly poutine, doughnuts or gallons of soda we consume yearly. Domaine St-Simon sounds really good. I really like Sucrerie de la Montagne but this place feels a little less commercial which is always an added bonus. The more authentic the better! Bonne sucre...
Ronny Pangia	{76 votes}	March 31st, 2005
My Heritage     This year I am celebrating xmas with friends in the west. I thought it would be fun if everyone had a story of their heritage. I chose your information for a story of "La cabane a sucre". You have marvelous information that wormed my heart as I read the history of La cabane a sucre and I will read to my friends your story. Merci on a besoin de notre heritage dans l'ouest pour rechaufer notre coeur qui est si loin. merci Gisele
Gisele Vezina		December 17th, 2006
Made my mouth water     I was just looking for somethink exactly like this old fashioned, no frills sugar shack to recommend to a foreign student living with me. I think it is a wonderful tradition and once a year to enjoy the outdoors and support the local farmers is a tradition everyone should try to do. I would have liked to have the price quoted, since it seemed to be reasonable, but I will just give a call. It's great to be able to bring your own wine as long as you remember it is probably a bit of a ride back to the city, so be responsible.
Joyce Stemkowsky	{3 votes}	April 5th, 2005
One of the things to do in Quebec     Forshame if you have lived here and have not gone sugar shacking. Forshame to your friends for not bringing you there. Forshame if you have not indulged in this little sin of sweetness and fat. For one day it's okay to eat as much as you can, of fatty foods like beans, eggs, fried breadly goodness for all and of course the Maple syrup in vats. Then there's la tire, I forget what is was in English, but who cares? It dripped on snow and tasted like sugar. It's our sugar cane of the north, a delightful treat! I'm so glad many people came to the shack, especially in April when the Maple just right. It is the closest thing I can call to Quebec cuisine, otherwise it would be only poutine. When I first went to the shack the memory remained with me well. Maple syrup, the food, the dancing, the horses, the smell. When I grew up I was asked to go again, and my god to relive my past I was so happy my good man. So I hope to all the visitors who come down to the shack, that there visit was so great that they want to come back.
Alexander Yu	{4 votes}	April 5th, 2005
Tradition     Although tradition is nice , we still have to make changes and I definitly can no longer tolorate alot of sugar or fat. Fried bacon and pork grind or pork sausages and pancakes soaked in siroup is hard to digest today when everybody is so desperately trying to take off some weight. Even if it was free I would not eat it even though I like the idea of tradition and I loved the idea of the yearly trip to the sugar shack. They will have to come up with fat free maple sugar and I bet they will too!
Maria Cecillia Silva	{2 votes}	April 4th, 2005
Sweet Surrender!     It's a sure-fire sign that spring has arrived when a person's thoughts turn to the sort of culinary excess that only a cabane a sucre can offer! A uniquely Quebecois experience - does it really get any better than wolfing down baked beans, smoked ham, back bacon, taters, and tourtiere all drizzled in copious amounts of maple syrup? Hell, throw in some Acadian jigs and reels for good measure and a horse-drawn sleigh ride to seal the deal, and you have yourself one of the prototypical rites of spring here in La Belle Province, not to mention a damn good time!!!
Mark St Pierre	{8 votes}	April 4th, 2005
Maple Syrup Everywhere     It's Sugar Shack time and I can't wait to go. I had gone last year with my family and it was the first time for my kids. They absolutely loved it. Why not, there is syrup pretty much on everything. But this place, Domain St. Simon sounds even better than the place we went. I just love their authentic clothing and can't wait to eat just about everthing they offer. And I make sure I always buy some syrup to bring home so I can serve it to my family on pancakes...
Rita Reale	{11 votes}	March 31st, 2005
Mmmmm sugar !     This is one of the greatest thing of being a Quebecer, and I would even say THE greatest ! To be able to experience that every year is just simply amazing ! I never miss it either it is at a cabane à sucre or simply at home. It is without no question my favorite time of year ! It gives us a chance to get together with friends and family and have lots of fun and, of course, eat like pigs (!). This tradition will go on for years and years and is what makes us who we are. The ambiance in the cabane, the nature outside, the animals, the sugar just make it all worthwhile !
Danielle Bernard	{17 votes}	March 31st, 2005
Traditional Quebecois cuisine...sounds tasty!     The columnist seems to have had a good ole time at the sugar shack. However, judging by her description of Domaine St-Simon, it is much more than that. It kind of reminded me when I was in elementary school and my class had taken a field trip to a sugar shack. The people who worked there wore the clothing of a time long since gone and so were the farm houses and methods they used to make clothing and cinnamon sugar (which I believe was made with maple sugar). This sounds like an excellent place to visit and that's exactly what I'll do.
Basil James	{9 votes}	March 31st, 2005
Sugar Shack time !     This is one of my favorite time of the year: the sugar shack time ! Every spring since as long as I can remember, we set off one sunday to spend the whole day down there. We go there not only to eat but to ride horses, for the sleigh ride and the 'tire d'érable' on ice. It's a time for the whole family to come together, to just relax and have fun ! The menu is always the same but hey, it's good ! Why change a winning situation ?! Usually the pea soups is served first, then comes the eggs, the bacon, the ham, the potatoes, beans, 'oreilles-de-criss', cretons which are usually covered in delicious maple syrup. Just amazinggg ! I haven't been to St-Simon's shack but I am looking foward to go and try this old-fashion place, because to me, they're the real places. Plus there's a disco after supper ! So everyone put on your plade shirts and jeans, and come and have fun !!
Julie Korzeniewski	{7 votes}	March 31st, 2005
Traditionally ours     The best thing about the pure french culture of Quebec has to be this yearly ritual. I still remember going as a child with my classmates and with my family. Lucky me going twice a year. We should all go and celebrate the joys of winter with this tradition of maple sirup and ham and all those non-healthy things that we love to indulge in. Maybe the traditional "cabana a sucre" just needs to modernize just a bit to get more people to come back to it, but still has to keep its roots in firmly. Thank god they took out those buckets on the trees at least. If you think leaving a bucket lying aound and making 10 year old kidding walk right by it and nothing abnormal will go into that bucket, think again.
Marco Facchin	{5 votes}	March 31st, 2005
Enfin, le culinaire quebecois à l'honneur!     I have to say that I am happy that there is an article about something Quebecois here. Usually, it talks about any kind of cuisine except ours. It seems that Domaine St-Simon is going to have some more guest. But I am very concern about the quality of the syrup. The production of maple syrup has beenway over the demand in the last 3 years and apparently, the syrup used in those Cabane à sucre and sold on the shelves are from old stocks. So the new syrup of this year is going to be sold for exportation and only the old one will be for us.
Jean Goulet	{7 votes}	March 31st, 2005
More Sugar     Who is this world does not like sugar and maple syrup? I have been a sugar and maple syrup fan all my life and I always can't get enough of it. Reading this article made me want to go to this restaurants and fill up on sugar and maple syrup. It is a Quebec tradition to have maple syrup because everyone love this sweet taste that make you knees buckle. I love this time of year because its sugar shack time and every kid love it.
Gerry Samson	{3 votes}	April 5th, 2005
Sweet!     I think my arteries clogged up just by reading the article. Actually I have been sugaring off a few times and it is a lot of fun and the food is usually delicious. As long as we don't eat these kinds of foods on a regular basis, it'll be okay. So choose a beautiful sunny day and go out to discover this wonderful experience with your loved ones.
Heath Abram	{10 votes}	March 31st, 2005

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