This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
Here as elsewhere, to produce quality oils, we use grains, seeds or fruits that we clean and press, or from which we extract the oil cold. This is then filtered and then simply bottled. In Quebec, various cold-pressed oils are produced from local grains. So why is it so rare to see them alongside olive oil in our kitchens?
“Using olive oil has become a real reflex, no matter what you’re cooking! says Daniel Dubé, owner of Pré Rieur, who cold presses organic sunflower oil in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. The farmer has nothing against this imported oil, but he regrets that it is perceived as THE most versatile and THE good oil to choose for your health. “The tastes are not discussed, of course, but we have analyzes which prove that our oleic sunflower oil, with a higher content of monounsaturated fat, has nothing to envy to olive oil. For this enthusiast, the idea is not to banish olive oil from our counters, but rather to ensure that it no longer sits there alone.
In addition to sunflower oil, there are hemp, flax, camelina and canola oils produced in Quebec. The Tournevent farm, in Hébertville, Lac-Saint-Jean, produces cold-pressed organic oils from these four plants, grown in the region. The owners, Guillaume Dallaire and Audrey Bouchard, wanted to enhance the grain they grow on their land and thus deepened their knowledge on this subject in 2013 at the Institute of fatty substances and related products in Bordeaux.
Since 2019, they sell not only their grains, but also organic oils. “We want our oils to end up on the plates of people from Lac-Saint-Jean, but also from other regions of Quebec, even the United States and elsewhere,” explains Audrey Bouchard.
A well-rooted gem
These comments suggest that production capacity is not an issue. “We have a large production and pressing capacity,” says Audrey Bouchard. The product is there. Now it’s about stimulating demand. »
The rise of local oils makes me think of the cases of Quebec cheeses and wines. It took time, but these products are on the menu today. We will get there for the oil too.
Like the Bouchard-Dallaires, Chantal Van Winden, who produces Olimega camelina oil under the Signé Caméline brand in Saint-Édouard, Montérégie, is convinced that Quebec can be self-sufficient in cold-pressed oils. Over the next five years, it expects to produce tens of thousands of tons of this tiny seed from an oilseed plant in the cruciferous family.
Will the land available for cultivation not run out for such a large volume? The one who won the title of Agricultrice entrepreneure 2019, awarded by the Agricultrices du Québec, explains that this is not a real problem since camelina is a plant used in crop rotation.
The Olimega team establishes agreements with farmers in Montérégie, Témiscamingue and Lac-Saint-Jean: the latter include Olimega’s camelina seed in their rotations, then Olimega buys their harvest. A farmer therefore does not dedicate a permanent space to camelina, but sows it in his fields alternately with other crops over the years.
In short, the territory of Quebec is conducive to the reasoned or organic cultivation of seeds that many producers are eager to transform into quality local oils. Enough for local oils to be found on the counters of all Quebec kitchens? Without a shadow of a doubt, respond in unison the three producers interviewed. The raw material is there and the offer has immense potential. It is the demand that must be developed.
Generate demand
The challenge is therefore to reach consumers, despite a small budget for promotion. Sure, there are the markets, the farm shops, the festivals, etc., but more needs to be done to enjoy a comfortable place in the pantries here. Chantal Van Winden appeals to chefs, creators and recipe distributors to avoid almost systematically using olive oil in their recipes. “These people could be important ambassadors for us,” she says.
According to Daniel Dubé, you have to make yourself known, but also carve out a place for yourself in stores. “Over the years, we feel that people want more and more to buy our product, but they still have to find it! Distribution, access to the consumer, is central. Good products exist, but we have to improve access, multiply points of sale, and that takes incredible patience. »
The length of the process also tests the patience of Audrey Bouchard, who wants the oils here to be more than “a fine little product”. “We can use them every day! Their uses are numerous, and the choice is vast. Look for them, ask for them, adopt them daily, talk about them and be proud of them! »
In addition, the many advantages of buying local (including the reduction in mileage related to food transportation and job creation) encourage consumers to open up to the different uses of Quebec oils.
This text originally appeared in special issue 2 of Caribou, Eat 100% localpublished in 2020.