On the Emerald Coast, throughout the curved bay of Mont Saint-Michel, east of St-Malo, magnificent oyster beds stretch for miles across the shoreline and picturesque fishing port of Cancale in Brittany. It’s among the best locations in France to take pleasure in oysters says Jeremy Flint.
How the French fell in love with oysters
2000 years in the past the Romans who got here to France have been keen on French oysters and small fishing communities started on the shores of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel to fish the wild oyster beds. King Louis XIV had oysters from Cancale delivered to Versailles – it’s mentioned he would repeatedly eat six dozen earlier than his fundamental meal and a few declare he would eat as much as 300 in a single sitting.
Immediately, cultivated beds cowl 400 hectares of the Bay of Cancale, shielded from the prevailing westerly winds and rocked by a few of the largest and strongest tides on the planet. 50 oyster farms and round 500 everlasting employees farm a whopping 25,000 tons of oysters per 12 months.
Farming oysters in France
The household run La Ferme Marine oyster farm has been cultivating the delights of the ocean for many years alongside Cancale’s fascinating shoreline. They concentrate on producing two varieties of oysters, Japanese and flat. Flat oysters have been historically harvested by hand at sea and are actually dredged earlier than being cultivated. Japanese oysters are extra cupped in form. Straight from the Pacific, they adapt to any kind of surroundings.
The richness and variety of the marine fauna and flora ecosystem play a vital function within the breeding of the oyster within the Bay of Cancale. The standard of the ocean water and plankton are a very powerful components in making the style of oysters stand out. Rearing an oyster is difficult work and requires a singular know-how and a major period of time. It takes about three years for an oyster to develop and able to eat.
Sacks of oysters are positioned on raised racks 80cm above the seabed and repeatedly turned over at low tide in the course of the three to 4 years of development. This reshuffling prevents them from sticking to one another. Oyster farmers, kitted out in waders, work with the tides as they work the oyster beds and watch over these small marine pearls. At their prime, the oysters are harvested in rhythm with the tides. When the baggage are indifferent and delivered instantly from the seabed to the workshop they’re separated, washed, and sorted by measurement. The grade varies from 0-5 for the hole ones, so the smaller the quantity, the larger the oyster.
The breeding experience of the oyster farmers of Cancale have earned this space a UNESCO award for Intangible Cultural Heritage and lots of contemplate it to be the capital of oyster fishing in France. You’ll discover that each restaurant in Cancale serves these succulent molluscs, and there’s an oyster market by the lighthouse the place you should purchase shucked oysters and sit on the ocean wall slurping them.
Traditionally, oysters have been cooked however are actually largely consumed uncooked, and are famend for his or her supposed aphrodisiac properties. Legend has it that the well-known lover, Casanova ate 50 uncooked oysters for breakfast every day! The French are the largest shoppers of oysters in Europe gobbling virtually 150 tons per 12 months.
Easy methods to eat oysters
Oysters are historically served with slices of lemon, a mignonette sauce (see recipe under), and loads of bread and butter (salted is greatest).
The coastal route from Cancale is an excellent place for a stroll, go to the character reserve of Pointe du Grouin and soak within the unbelievable ocean views earlier than feasting your eyes on the magnificent Mont Saint-Michel jutting out of the ocean.
To search out out extra about La Ferme Marine oyster farm and prepare a tour, go to: www.ferme-marine.com
Recipe for Mignonette Sauce
2 tbsps finely chopped shallots
2 tbsps purple wine vinegar
1 tbsp water
Pinch of salt
Stir all collectively, depart for 30 minutes. Retains for 2-3 days.
Jeremy Flint is an award-winning skilled photographer and author specialising in journey, panorama and site images. His work is revealed extensively in The Good Life France Journal, Nationwide Geographic Traveller Lonely Planet and Nation Life amongst others. He’s a five-time finalist in Journey Photographer of the 12 months, Affiliation of Photographers Discovery Award Winner and Nationwide Geographic Traveller Grand Prize Winner.
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