Poutine originates from Québec, Canada. It's traditionally a dish of fries with a beef broth/gravy and cheese curds. Cheese curds are also known as "squeaky cheese" (because if it's fresh it squeaks against your teeth when you eat it) or also knows as "fromage en crotte". Really and truly, a poutine isn't a poutine without that kind of cheese. Restaurants use substitutes like mozzarella but it's just an imitation.
A fact that might interest you. Cheese curds were initially invented as a way to export dairy to Europe so that companies in Europe might make fine cheese out of it. Milk couldn't survive the trip so they made cheese curds.
