Browsing through our office’s Office Snack selection (a little box in the kitchen with stale pre-baked treats and an honour box), I ran across a pastry called a “Pet’s de Soeur.” Misplaced apostrophe aside, I thought “that can’t be right” and — after double-checking my own understanding of “pet” in my French-English dictionary — checked with a co-worker.

And yes, here in Quebec (and also French, Belgium, and the rest of the Francophonie), you can sit down after a good meal and sink your teeth into a delightful sister’s fart.

A bit of poking around reveals that it is in fact not your sister’s farts, but the Sister’s farts, so it is in fact the delicious fart of a nun that you are gorging yourself on. Apparently, back in the ‘day, it used to be the “Pets du putain,” but whore’s farts just didn’t have that modern marketing cachet that helps a bakery stay afloat in this day and age.

I’m just as happy about it being a nun than “your sister,” though, as that’s kind of… weirdly incestuous. Ugh.

The etymology is fun to think about: I’d imagine these are light, airy, sweet little nothings, trifling baked treats that more or less melt in your mouth. Inconsequential and sweet and easily forgiven.

Here’s a picture: needless to say, I’d imagine the real deal is much tastier than what’s on offer in the mass-produced, bag-sealed thing in the kitchen box.

The picture, by the way, was found at One Whole Clove, a seemingly-sadly defunct food blog with a focus on Quebec traditional foods! Hooray for it!