A ploye () is a

Brayon Brayons (; ), also called Madawaskayens, are a Francophone people inhabiting the area in and around Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada, and some parts of northern Maine. In French, Brayons are referred to by the masculine or the feminine ...

flatbread type mix of

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum'') or common buckwheat is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Buckwheat originated around the 6th millennium BCE in the region of what ...

flour, wheat flour, baking powder and water which is extremely popular in the Madawaska region in

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

and

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. First invented in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, they later spread to the St. John Valley and

. Much like

grits Grits (stylized as GRITS) is an American Christian hip hop group from Nashville, Tennessee. Their name is an acronym, which stands for "Grammatical Revolution In the Spirit". GRITS is made up of Stacey "Coffee" Jones and Teron "Bonafide" Carter ...

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, brown sugar or

cretons In Quebec cuisine, (sometimes gorton or corton, especially among New Englanders of French-Canadian origin) is a forcemeat-style pork spread containing onions and spices. Its fatty texture and taste make it resemble French ''rillettes''. Creto ...

, 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, Maine, the ployes have a yellow color due to the type of buckwheat used in the mixture. Recipes sometimes include a little vinegar to keep the cakes from turning red. A ploye is only cooked on one side. Once cooked, it is buttered and covered in maple syrup, brown sugar,

molasses Molasses () is a viscous byproduct, principally obtained from the refining of sugarcane or sugar beet juice into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, the method of extraction, and the age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is usuall ...

, or

. 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 (also called sliders). Ployes are often served at local events and fairs, such as the Ployes Festival and Foire Brayonne. Ployes are popular with

vegans Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a vega ...

because they are made without milk or eggs. In 2016, food columnist

Avery Yale Kamila Avery Yale Kamila is an American journalist/ food writer and community organizer in the state of Maine. Kamila is ranked by polling firm YouGov as one of The Most Popular Columnists in America, Biography Kamila was born in Westminster, Massach ...

wrote in the

Portland Press Herald The ''Portland Press Herald'' (abbreviated as ''PPH''; Sunday edition ''Maine Sunday Telegram'') is a daily newspaper based in South Portland, Maine, with a statewide readership. The ''Press Herald'' mainly serves southern Maine and is focused ...

: "Made from buckwheat flour, wheat flour, salt, and a leavening agent, ployes are a griddle bread associated with the French Acadian communities of eastern Canada and northern Maine (Brayons). Though traditionally eaten with chicken stew, hot dogs, and other meat-based meals, ployes have been embraced by Maine’s vegan community."

References

{{portal bar, Food Cuisine of New Brunswick Pancakes Buckwheat dishes Vegan cuisine New England cuisine

See also

References