Pâté Chinois which translates to “Chinese Pie” is the French Canadian spin on British Shepard’s Pie. It’s so popular in Quebec that Le Devoir named Pâté chinois the unofficial national dish in 2007. It’s a layered casserole made with ground beef, corn and mashed potatoes. In this vegan version, we swap out the beef for a lentil, textured vegetable protein and walnut mix which ups the fibre.
Growing up in Montreal, I ate Pâté Chinois and never considered why it was called Chinese. It only occurred to me in my adult years that this dish has nothing to do with Chinese cuisine.
When pondering how this franco spin on a British dish got its name, I was told what most Quebecers believe to be true: Pâté Chinois was given to the Chinese railway workers, and that’s how it got that name.
In the late 1800s, over 17,000 Chinese men came to Canada to work as labourers on the construction of the western section of the transcontinental railroad and it’s thought that history contributed to the naming of this dish.
One of the problems with this theory is that there is really no record of it and many Chinese workers were more commonly stationed on the west coast, not where Pâté Chinois originated.
The truth is that nobody knows the origin. Even sociology professor and gastronomy expert Jean-Pierre Lemasson, who wrote a book about it, Le Mystère insondable du pâté chinois (The Inscrutable Mystery of Pâté Chinois), has not found a definitive answer. He continues to wonder about the birth of the dish.
Despite the uncertainty, there is one theory that I find the most fascinating. Massachusetts Jounalist Amanda Beland proposes a new and mostly unknown theory for why the dish was named Pâté Chinois in her podcast titled The Truth about Quebec’s Most Famous and Mysterious Pie.
Beland is a Franco-American whose family came to the United States from Quebec. In the 1870s, about 10 per cent of Quebec’s population moved to the northeastern United States to escape the economic depression in Canada.
Many northeastern towns had a sizeable French-speaking population who worked in the textile mills. “The Quebec workers were treated poorly by the American factory owners. They were nicknamed “Chinese of the East” for their willingness to work hard for low wages at gruelling mills.”
Like Beland, my grandmother was part of these French-Canadian communities in the US. Born in Rhode Island, she eventually returned to Quebec as an adult where she met my grandfather in Montreal. She travelled back and forth between the two nations as a dual citizen. This is a testament to the cultural exchange between Franco-American and Franco-Canadian communities.
Beland’s family, on the other hand, stayed in the US and gradually became more American, much like my grandmother’s nieces and nephews. However, both Beland and I share the tradition of Pâté Chinois.
Beland hypothesizes that because Franco-Americans were sometimes called the “Chinese of the East” to denigrate them, they opted to reappropriate the title. Hence the birth of the name: Pâté Chinois. In this theory, the name would eventually travel back to Quebec, where its name and popularity would live in the infamy.
I have to admit, of all the theories, this one check out for me. It’s born of racist and despicable rhetoric yet it gives me a weird kind of solace.
I’m not Chinese, but I am half-Asian. My mother is a Sri Lankan immigrant who came to Canada in 1974. She experienced racism, as many immigrants do. Quebec culture, in particular, felt especially xenophobic when politicians positioned immigrants as an imminent threat to Quebec’s language and culture.
When I consider that Quebecers were themselves were served the same racist vitriol as Asian immigrants, I find it ironic and comforting.
Comforting, huh? Why? For me, it’s a reminder that all people, regardless of race or religion, can be subject to oppression and discrimination on the very thin basis of difference. It’s arbitrary and transcends race or religion. French Canadians have been oppressed as minorities in North America but have also adopted oppressive and discriminatory rhetoric and policies. Case in point: Bill 21 which ban of religious symbols and disproportionately impacts women of colour. The end goal: assimilate immigrants into the dominate culture. Not so different from how Franco-Americans were coerced to assimilate to mainstream English America.
It reminds me that the struggle for dignity and equality is universal. If we remember this, it can be a tool to unite us.
Perhaps it also gives me comfort as a half-French Canadian, half-South Asian Canadian who sees the theory of the naming of Pâté Chinois as a weird melding of my two worlds.
I’ve often wondered if it was racist or inappropriate to call Pâté Chinois by its name, “Chinese Pie.” I asked my Chinese-Canadian friend, and she said, “Yeah, kinda.” I agree but much like the legacy of any racist piece of history, could we also make the case that the name itself is an opportunity to engage in a conversation about race, discrimination, and the common struggle of any people who have been othered?
What do you think?
Regardless of how you feel about Pâté Chinois, I hope you enjoy this vegan version. Much like me, it’s a melding of different worlds.
Veganizing this dish makes it heart-healthy and better for the planet and now, after you listen to Amanda Beland’s podcast, you’ll even have dinner table talking points! So what are you waiting for? Make it tonight.
Pâté Chinois Quebec Shepherd’s Pie [Vegan & Gluten-Free]
Ingredients
Meatless filling
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup brown lentils
- 1 cup textured vegetable protein
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mashed potatoes
- For the Mashed Potato Topping:
- 4 cups of potatoes russet or Yukon Gold, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk or any plant-based milk
- ¼ tasse vegan butter or half vegan butter, half extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Other ingredients
- 2 cans corn (341 ml)
- sprinkle paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- For the meatless filling:
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions and garlic, and sauté until softened. Add all remaining meatless filling except for the walnuts. Bring the mixture to a simmer, lower the heat, and cover it to cook for about 15 minutes until all the broth is absorbed. It's ready when lentils are soft. If it runs too dry, add a little water. Add in the walnuts and remove from heat.
- For the Mashed Potato Topping:
- Boil the diced potatoes in a large pot of salted water until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes.
- In a bowl, mash the potatoes with soy milk, vegan butter, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the pate chinois:
- Transfer the meatless filling to a large baking dish, spreading it evenly.
- Then, add the layer of the drained canned corn before spooning on the mashed potatoes to cover the pie completely. Sprinkle top with paprika.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. For an extra crispy potato topping, broil the top to finish. Watch closely to avoid burning.
