Tourtière

Tourtière () is a French Canadian meat pie dish originating from the province of Quebec, made with minced pork, veal or beef and potatoes. Wild game meat such as bear or venison is sometimes used. It is a traditional part of the Christmas réveillon and New Year's Eve meal in Quebec. It is also popular in New Brunswick, and is sold in grocery stores across the rest of Canada all year long. Contrary to popular belief, the name "tourtière" is not derived from its filling, which is erroneously believed to originally have been the "tourte"—the French name for the passenger pigeon now extinct in North America. This can be proven in many ways, including the fact that dishes of the same name are known in certain parts of France since the 17th century, the fact that a simple metonymy explains why the pie dish has become the pie itself (not unlike casserole, which etymologically means saucepan) and the fact that language specialists disagree with the bird name etymology.

Tourtière is not exclusive to Quebec. It is a traditional French-Canadian dish served throughout Canada and the bordering areas of the United States. In the New England region of the U.S., especially in Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts (e.g., Chicopee and Attleboro), late 19th and early 20th century, immigrants from Quebec introduced the dish.