Canadian diner rebrands 'poutine' because it sounds similar to Russian leader

A Canadian diner has renamed their poutine dish as it sounds a bit like Vladimir Putin.

Posting on social media, Quebec restaurant Le Roy Jucep - the diner that is widely considered the birthplace of poutine - said they were changing the name of the French-Canadian to “la frite fromage sauce" in protest of the war in Ukraine.

“Dear clients and friends, this evening, the Jucep team has chosen to temporarily remove the word ‘p**tine’ from its trademark in order to express, in its own way, its deep dismay at the situation in Ukraine," they said in a statement.

The post also revealed Le Roy Jucep would be changing their logo to the colours of the Ukraine flag under the new slogan, “the inventor of the fry cheese gravy.”

However, the post was taken down as the Quebec restaurant reportedly began receiving death threats over the phone shortly after the announcement, according to LadBible.

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Le Roy Jucep said on social media that didn’t want their acclaimed french-fry dish to be affiliated with the disgraced Russian leader; instead, they wish to bring ‘joy’ to their customers.“Our dish was born in Quebec in the 1950s. And the stories to tell its origin are numerous. But one thing is certain: poutine was created by passionate cooks who wanted to bring joy and comfort to their customers.

“The House of Poutine has worked since its first day to perpetuate these values and today brings its most sincere support to the Ukrainian people who are courageously fighting for their freedom against the tyrannical Russian regime.”

They are not the only brand to distance themselves from Russia. Sainsbury's changed the spelling of their chicken kiev dish to kyiv, while Co-op has removed Russian vodka from its shelves.

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