What Am I? Round 17 Reveal

Even without getting the last 2 clues (Teacher and Ville-Neuve) momof3 was able to guess it (eve if she did use the English name). The item of course is TIRE (pronounced like tears that you cry, not the things you put on cars). It literally translates from French to English as "pull".

Tire is a wonderful molasses and butter based taffy that French Canadians make every year to celebrate Ste-Catherine's day on November 25th, 1658. Ste-Catherine is the patron saint of unmarried women. The taffy came into play when a teacher in Ville-Neuve (now called Montreal) started making the taffy to attract Aborignal children to her school that she started on November 25th. She continued to make it every year and thus a new tradition was born. The 2 parts of Ste Catherine's day became entwined when unmarried women would make the taffy to give to the eligible bachelors in an attempt to woo them. Ste Catherine was canonized in 1982 and become the first Canadian woman saint.

I grew up in a French Canadian family and attended French schools. Every year we would make tire in the classroom. It was so much fun! Desks were pushed back, sleeves rolled up and hands buttered. The key to making good tire is to pull it! 2 people work a warm chunk of taffy between them, pulling it, folding it over and pulling it again. Until it is smooth and light in colour and then you cut it into small pieces and wrap them in wax paper.

Imagine my surprise when Hilary came home with an authentic bag of French Canadian Tire! Halloween Candy kisses are cheap knock-offs and don't have anywhere near the same flavour. These ones are scrumptious! And now the second bag will be leaving the homeland for parts far away. Enjoy Momof3, and let me know if you like them.