Why Do Americans Always Get Poutine Wrong?

After a previous trip to Quebec, I developed a taste for poutine. Since then, I keep running across people claiming to sell it in the US. Vermont, Minnesota, Colorado, I see it from time to time and keep ordering it because I’ve got a weird taste for it. However, everywhere I get it in the US they keep getting it wrong.

They melt the cheese.

As I see it, the cheese in poutine should be cheese curds. It may be served hot enough that some of the cheese curds start to melt, but poutine is not just gravy fries with melted cheese. This is the way I’ve seen it served everywhere I’ve ordered it in Quebec…but everywhere I’ve seen people try to serve it in the US the cheese is entirely melted. I don’t think the cheese was cheese curds at all. Minneapolis was served so hot that even the gravy was darn near boiled off.

This is wrong.

If they want to serve the cheese melted, why even claim it’s poutine at all? Why not just call it gravy cheese fries? Calling it poutine raises expectations, expectations America appears unable to fulfill.

Heck, even McDonald’s in Montreal can get this right. America: get your act together.