2024-01-13 00:30:00
CABARETE | A couple from Quebec launched into the production of cheese curds and smoked meat in the Dominican Republic, to the delight of snowbirds, fond of these typical tastes of our country.
Illustration Journal de Montréal
Having long cherished the dream of living their retirement under the Dominican sun, Sylvain Croteau and Carole Larichellière launched a business on this Caribbean island two years ago, working there half the year, with the aim of eventually to be able to “live from it” and never leave once more, they say.
For the past year, their company, Quebec Smoked Meat, has enjoyed growing success, as they already supply around twenty restaurants, from the north to the south of the island, in addition to five large supermarkets, where the cheese curds are delivered. three times per week.
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Sylvain Croteau prepares the cheese curds using the same steps as those made in Quebec, while his partner Carole Larichellière and Johanne Boisjoli concoct Quebec cooked dishes.
Elisa Cloutier
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The Quebec Smoked Meat company imports Angus beef directly from the United States to make its smoked meat in Cabarete.
Elisa Cloutier
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Carole Larichelière cooks various prepared meals and Quebec desserts, such as sugar tarts, egg tarts and baked beans.
Elisa Cloutier
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Sylvain Croteau and Carole Larichelière, from Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, founded the company Québec Smoked Meat in Cabarete.
Elisa Cloutier
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Sylvain Croteau prepares his “smoked meat”, requiring several hours of cooking.
Elisa Cloutier
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Sylvain Croteau prepares the cheese curds using the same steps as those made in Quebec, while his partner Carole Larichellière and Johanne Boisjoli concoct Quebec cooked dishes.
Elisa Cloutier
-
The Quebec Smoked Meat company imports Angus beef directly from the United States to make its smoked meat in Cabarete.
Elisa Cloutier
-
Carole Larichelière cooks various prepared meals and Quebec desserts, such as sugar tarts, egg tarts and baked beans.
Elisa Cloutier
-
Sylvain Croteau and Carole Larichelière, from Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, founded the company Québec Smoked Meat in Cabarete.
Elisa Cloutier
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Sylvain Croteau prepares his “smoked meat”, requiring several hours of cooking.
Elisa Cloutier
A constantly evolving market, which Mr. Croteau continues to develop, by knocking on doors himself.
“At the beginning, we were going to have our products tasted in restaurants, the world was going crazy! For me, here, there are just doors to cross,” he says, all smiles, despite his work days of almost 12 hours.
In total, the couple invested more than $40,000 in their “dream” of bringing a little bit of Quebec to the Caribbean.
- Listen to the interview with Elisa Cloutier, journalist at Journal de Québec and one of the recipients of the QMI Scholarship on Alexandre Dubé’s show via QUB radio :
Poutine, please!
It is therefore not surprising to see poutine or smoked meat sandwiches on several restaurant menus, both in Punta Cana and Puerto Plata.
Very popular, the poutine served at the restaurant Le Petit François attracts many Quebecers, looking for a taste of home. To find the “winning recipe” for his sauce, the owner, Jean-François Baulne, claims to have made several trials and errors. Elisa Cloutier
To meet demand this winter, Mr. Croteau hired three drivers to ensure the smooth running of his increasingly popular deliveries to the four corners of the Republic.
Sugar tart and baked beans
The couple, a pioneer to say the least, also concocts several cooked dishes that snowbirds are fond of.
“When they arrive here to buy our products, they are extremely happy, they would like us to stay here all year round!” says Ms. Larichellière, resident of Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures.
Responsible for preparing ready meals, Carole Larichellière fills her commercial fridge with spaghetti sauces, lasagna, baked beans and sugar tarts, to name just these dishes. Snowbirds then come in large numbers to stock up there. Elisa Cloutier
When entering the brand new production plant located in Cabarete, one cannot help but be enveloped by the smells of baked beans, meat pies, sugar tarts and spaghetti sauce that hover there.
Cheese like at home
A huge stainless steel vat – custom-made in Quebec – sits in the center of the premises, where more than 30 kilos of cheese curds are made per day, following the same steps as the good old “squick squick cheese”, says Mr. Croteau.
To achieve this, the latter says he cut his teeth by working for almost a year in a cheese factory in Quebec, in order to learn the basics of the trade.
“Often, Quebecers who buy it ask us how we managed to bring it here!” says Mr. Croteau, laughing.
Back in Quebec in the summer, they work as food attendants in a residence for the elderly.
- This report was produced thanks to the International Reporting Grant from the QMI Agency
See also:
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