Craving Oysters Inwards Cancale, France

“We must convey oysters inwards Cancale” our French friend exclaimed fifty-fifty though he doesn’t similar these bounding main critters himself.

But lift Cancale to a Frenchman as well as the minute answer volition live ‘oysters,’ which convey been cultivated inwards this quaint angling hamlet along the Northern Brittany coast inwards France for hundreds of years. I knew null virtually Cancale, but trusted our friend as well as thence that’s how nosotros ended upward having a lovely tiffin hither this summer.

  

Ever since I had a bad oyster eating sense when nosotros lived inwards Warsaw, I’ve been skeptical of these molluscs. However, I figured nosotros were going to live at the straight source of oysters as well as thence they had to gustatory modality good. 

In the middle of summer, Cancale is fairly packed amongst tourists as well as thence nosotros had to walk along the harbour a fleck until nosotros finally constitute a eatery that could serve our political party of six. For tiffin at La Houle, nosotros ordered some local oysters, 2 orders of moules frites as well as our friends had 1 of the laid bill of fare specials summation some Brittany cider. The oysters tasted fresh as well as salty – only similar the sea! Yum! Our full pecker was 114 euros which seemed reasonable considering the coastal location.

I wishing British cider tasted similar this materials inwards Brittany - kinda similar a champagne-tasting cider.

 Oyster Farming inwards Cancale

Cancale is known every bit Brittany’s oyster capital, a championship nosotros learned that is earned thank y'all to the high-quality plankton that grows inwards the bay, feeding the oysters as well as aiding inwards their reproduction. Apparently, oysters convey been farmed hither since Roman times; as well as fifty-fifty King Louis XIV had supplies of Cancale oysters regularly sent to his house inwards Versailles.

I was non prepared to run across hundreds of oyster beds inwards the Baie de St Michel every bit our see coincided amongst depression tide. We saw tractors hauling long apartment beds inwards areas ordinarily covered amongst the bounding main as well as thence that the farmers could harvest the oysters. This whole new-to-me phenomena was absolutely amazing to watch. I wishing I had my British wellies as well as thence I could convey walked on the squishy seabed betwixt the oyster beds. That didn’t halt our friends’ 2 immature children from wanting to play along the exposed sand.

Apparently, Cancale’s oyster beds create to a greater extent than than 15,000 tons each year! Wow!

For some of the freshest oysters, caput to the nearby marché aux huîtres which is located correct yesteryear the harbour. Here, the oysters are served on a plastic plate amongst one-half a lemon as well as toll around v euros for an entire dozen. In London, we’ve paid £3 (or iii euros) per oyster (Fact: Oysters used to live served gratis amongst a pint of beer at pubs dorsum inwards Victorian times)! Grab a spot along the harbour as well as spotter the oyster farmers at work.

Across the bay, nosotros too saw the faint outline of Mont Saint-Michel – 1 of France’s most recognizable landmarks, visited yesteryear to a greater extent than than iii meg people each year. This historic abbey is listed on the UNESCO listing of World Heritage Sites, but nosotros decided nosotros must see some other fourth dimension NOT during peak tourist season.

Walking dorsum to our rental car, nosotros stopped at 1 of the many glace shops as well as ordered a scoop of salted caramel H2O ice cream. Perfection!

Visiting the Brittany coast for the get-go fourth dimension made me desire to explore it more. I’ve ever heard virtually Brittany as well as its foodie options from our French friends, but this trip was the get-go fourth dimension – as well as sure as shooting non the finally – to explore all the tasty goodness firsthand.

When inwards Cancale, purchase anything amongst bounding main tabular array salt added or only a scoopful of bounding main salt.

Love these sometime stone, French houses!