Discover this resource created by Aliments du Québec au menu and the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ).
A must-have resource for institutional food services!
The Local Inspiration – 120 Recipes for Seasonal Québec Menus collection, created by Aliments du Québec au menu in collaboration with the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), offers standardized recipes designed for 25 portions, organized according to the four seasons. This tool helps food service providers address two major challenges related to local cooking: product availability and seasonality. In addition to ensuring consistent flavour, better control over quantities and costs, and reduced food waste, these recipes support efficient production while showcasing seasonal local products.
The full collection is available free of charge to all institutions in digital format (French Only).
The collaboration between Aliments du Québec and the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) was born from a shared commitment to significantly increase the proportion of locally sourced foods offered in Québec’s institutional food services.
The research project on sourcing local products in public institutional food services consists of three distinct parts:
The first part focuses on research involving key players in the food distribution sector and managers of institutional food services, as well as the broader development context.
The second part provides an analysis of the results related to local purchasing performance from two food service operations participating in the project.
The third part involves the development of 120 standardized recipes.
To create the 120 recipes and accompanying items—while prioritizing local products as much as possible—the starting point was to assess the seasonal availability of vegetables. Research then focused on Québec-sourced proteins: from meats to fish, depending on availability, as well as plant-based proteins. From there, connections were made between the vegetables and proteins to create delicious and practical recipes suitable for institutional settings.
By choosing ingredients verified under Aliments du Québec, Aliments préparés au Québec, and their organic variations, you gain access to 120 standardized recipes that are also recognized by the Aliments du Québec au menu program—meaning each of them contains more than 50% local ingredients. And that’s something to savor!
