Ploye
Encyclopedia
A ploye is a pancake type mix of buckwheat
flour, wheat flour, baking powder and water which is extremely popular in the Madawaska
region (New Brunswick
), Canada
and northern Maine
, United States
.
Much like grits
, or potatoes, the ploye was originally a simple carbohydrate filler food for the local population. It was very cheap, easy to make, and with local toppings, such as maple syrup or cretons
, could vary in taste. This staple is often eaten with baked beans. Over time however it simply became a traditional dish.
The recipe varies from family to family and is handed down through the generations. The batter itself is very thin and runny so as to ensure it does not get too "thick" while cooking. The "ploye" resembles a crêpe in thickness when cooking. In Madawaska county N.B. the ploye have a yellow color due to the type of buckwheat used in the mixture. It sometimes includes a little vinegar to keep the resulting cakes from turning red.
A ploye, contrary to a pancake, is only cooked on one side (but some turn it over after for a few seconds). Once cooked, it is buttered, and covered in maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses
or cretons
. It is then rolled or folded up and eaten. It is also served with the local traditional chicken stew called fricot, which more closely resembles chicken soup with homemade flour dumplings.
Ployes are often served at local events and fairs, such as Foire Brayonne
and the Acadian Festival.
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
flour, wheat flour, baking powder and water which is extremely popular in the Madawaska
Madawaska
Madawaska may refer to several places:in Canada*Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada*The Republic of Madawaska*Madawaska River *Madawaska River , in Quebec and New Brunswick*Madawaska, Ontario*Madawaska Valley, Ontario...
region (New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
), Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and northern Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Much like grits
Grits
Grits are a food of American Indian origin common in the Southern United States and mainly eaten at breakfast. They consist of coarsely ground corn, or sometimes alkali-treated corn . They are also sometimes called sofkee or sofkey from the Muskogee language word...
, or potatoes, the ploye was originally a simple carbohydrate filler food for the local population. It was very cheap, easy to make, and with local toppings, such as maple syrup or cretons
Cretons
In Quebec cuisine, cretons is a pork spread containing onions and spices. Due to its fatty texture and taste, it resembles French rillettes. Cretons are usually served on toast as part of a traditional Quebec breakfast...
, could vary in taste. This staple is often eaten with baked beans. Over time however it simply became a traditional dish.
The recipe varies from family to family and is handed down through the generations. The batter itself is very thin and runny so as to ensure it does not get too "thick" while cooking. The "ploye" resembles a crêpe in thickness when cooking. In Madawaska county N.B. the ploye have a yellow color due to the type of buckwheat used in the mixture. It sometimes includes a little vinegar to keep the resulting cakes from turning red.
A ploye, contrary to a pancake, is only cooked on one side (but some turn it over after for a few seconds). Once cooked, it is buttered, and covered in maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses
Molasses
Molasses is a viscous by-product of the processing of sugar cane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet,...
or cretons
Cretons
In Quebec cuisine, cretons is a pork spread containing onions and spices. Due to its fatty texture and taste, it resembles French rillettes. Cretons are usually served on toast as part of a traditional Quebec breakfast...
. It is then rolled or folded up and eaten. It is also served with the local traditional chicken stew called fricot, which more closely resembles chicken soup with homemade flour dumplings.
Ployes are often served at local events and fairs, such as Foire Brayonne
Foire Brayonne
The Foire Brayonne is a music and cultural festival held each summer in Edmundston, New Brunswick since 1979. The Foire is often considered the biggest French festival held in Canada outside the province of Quebec. Next year's festival will be held at the end of July of 2011-History:The first...
and the Acadian Festival.