Pies and politics
As I’ve mentioned, I’m a regular customer of Lufa, and was just sorting out this week’s order, when I noticed that the Portuguese bakery that offers pastéis de nata on the site is listing a new variation made with maple syrup. This might be gilding the lily, I thought, so I skimmed the comments.
Reviews are positive, then I found this one:
Merci M. & Mme Moreira d’avoir intégré une petite touche de chez nous à vos douceurs portugaises, c’est un grand signe de respect et une preuve de bonne intégration parmi nous.
Were the bakers really using maple syrup as a sign of respect? Does it mean they have been more fully integrated chez nous? Or is it, you know, simply the kind of idea that an inventive cook might try out, with no political angle involved?
Bob R 18:20 on 2025-12-05 Permalink
Yeah, I would say that “comment” es no bueno.
Meezly 18:48 on 2025-12-05 Permalink
Cringey.
JP 18:57 on 2025-12-05 Permalink
Very cringe.
JP 20:00 on 2025-12-05 Permalink
I’d even say it’s micro-aggresive and very othering. Probably the same type of person who asks where you’re really from and comments that someone has an impeccable accent.
Ian 20:56 on 2025-12-05 Permalink
We use maple syrup instead of sugar for pastries because as a liquid you get an even distribution and it doesn’t add dryness. But then again we might be sneaky foreigners trying to ingratiate ourselves with the “vous” crowd as a sign of respect for their condescending othering, which they are very good at.
Kevin 22:10 on 2025-12-05 Permalink
The dessert was delicious.
The insecurity is just another sign that Parizeau should have sent people to a therapist instead of the dentist.
Blork 22:19 on 2025-12-05 Permalink
It’s amazing how choice of words can change the perception of a comment. If it had just said something like “pastéis de nata with a local touch” nobody would blink. It’s a completely un-loaded statement. But phrased that way….?
Uatu 01:00 on 2025-12-06 Permalink
Sometimes maple syrup is just maple syrup…
MarcG 08:39 on 2025-12-06 Permalink
Wow condescending!?
They threw some of those badboys in my basket as a freebie last order and I gotta say they were fucking delicious, if a bit too sweet. Almost wanted some pork in there to make it a full cabane-à-sucre experience.
dhomas 09:29 on 2025-12-06 Permalink
Just as an aside, “no bueno” is Spanish. In Portuguese, you might say “nāo é bom”.
But yes, the review was quite condescending.
DavidH 14:53 on 2025-12-06 Permalink
If it’s from patisserie du Rosaire (formerly on the Plateau, now on Plaza St-Hubert), they’ve been making maple syrup and chocolate natas alongside the classic ones for a long time.
That phrasing is weird and ick but such are the times.
CE 17:37 on 2025-12-06 Permalink
The comment is stupid and cringey and all the other adjectives used here but it’s one comment. Why so much focus on a single comment that might represent a small proportion of people and how they might look at an “ethnic” food that uses local ingredients?
Kate 19:24 on 2025-12-06 Permalink
CE, it struck me as echoing some of the political tendencies that insist on having newcomers integrate with traditional Quebec society. That is all.
Ian 20:03 on 2025-12-06 Permalink
Regardless it was First Nations who taught settlers how to make maple syrup so it ain’t “une petite touche de chez nous ” or “un grand signe de respect et une preuve de bonne intégration” unless they meant respect for Natives which I sincerely doubt.
@CE it’s the passive-aggressive version of othering more recent newcomers. It’s not as obvious as yelling “speak white” to congratulate someone for speaking white so prettily for a foreigner.
Uatu 22:07 on 2025-12-06 Permalink
And if they’re like the Portuguese I work with they’ve been here for generations, are perfectly fluent in French and some have married into francophone families. So the comment assumes that they’re recent immigrants because of their name and sounds really condescending.