La Tourtière – a French Canadian tradition at Christmas

​When it's time for “le réveillon” (a special French Canadian feast and family gathering on ChristmasEve), the famed double-crusted meat pie loaded to the brim with subtly seasoned meat filling and baked in a super-flaky, buttery crust,is the pie that welcomes everyone to the table. 

Indulging in a savoury slice of this delicious pie has deep roots in an old Christmas
tradition dating back centuries. Back in the 1600s when French settlers attended
midnight mass on Christmas Eve, they celebrated afterwards with le réveillon.

Le réveillon is a tradition borrowed from France and practiced in other French
speaking countries as well as in New Orleans and in every province of Canada
where the French settled. The name of this Christmas Eve dinner is based on the
word réveil (waking) because it involves staying awake beyond midnight to enjoy
a decadent meal with family.

La tourtière is a vital part of the luxurious and exceptional menu consumed at
réveillons. That is one reason why this amazing pie is difficult to find at any other
time of the year. It is also an expensive and time consuming pie to make.

Four centuries later, la tourtière remains a staple dish in French Canadian
households on Christmas Eve. Back in 17 th century Quebec, the pie was stuffed
with wild game like rabbit, pheasant and moose meat. Today, the pie is made
mostly with pork and beef. The herbs and spices used in the meat mixture has
changed but the tradition lives on.
It’s part of our heritage and Forest Cove Farm is committed to keeping the
tradition alive. Every year in December our delicious homemade tourtières will be
available in our Country Market.​