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East Point, Îles de la Madeleine
Kam Vachon/Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine
Discover the Culinary Identity of the Islands as You Savour the Flavours of Fall!
The air is crisper. The light has changed. The clouds look denser, and the sea has turned a deeper blue. Everything seems more real, as if our eyes are seeing better. Fall has arrived in the Îles de la Madeleine!
Our colours are not as flamboyant as those found in the leafy forests on the mainland. They’re also lower to the ground: beach grass that’s turned golden, bushes reddened by berries and wild rosehips, the dark green of resinous junipers…
Fall on the Islands is a season of fierce winds and deep breaths. Of fresh breezes and time for quiet introspection as the pace finally slows. It’s calmer. There’s more time, it seems, and that’s good. It’s a more intimate season, which we like to share with those who take the time to come here.
Throughout this blog post, you’ll come across terms and expressions typical of the Islands that will immerse you even further in our culture. These words (in italics in the text) are listed in the glossary at the end of this post.
Harvest time
The fishing season is over, so we’re now feeding off the land. At this time of year, the gardens are overflowing with produce. Those who work the land know they must be resilient and inventive, but the harvests are now here, and they’ve been worth the effort. In fields and vegetable gardens, we’re pulling up carrots, turnips, beets and onions. We love these humble vegetables, which we use in our bouillis, chiards, soups and chow chow.
It’s also the time for late-season berry picking. The berries are so abundant that the most seasoned pickers fill huge buckets in a single morning. This is the one time of year when it doesn’t matter than we won’t reveal our best picking spots because there are berries everywhere!
Canning and baking season
Fall is also when we head back into our kitchens. We dig out family recipes and start transforming everything we’ve accumulated over the spring and summer. Our classics include meat pies, pot-en-pot, berry jams, baking soda biscuits and fesse rolls. Our homes fill with delicious aromas at this time of year…
We’re also busy filling mason jars with mackerel, clams, pickled vegetables, spaghetti sauce, soups… In some people’s freezers, you’ll find freshly slaughtered local meat. We prepare for the winter by stocking up. We’re getting ready to gather, entertain and celebrate.
Friendly gatherings
To everything there is a season. And every food item has a season too. We’ve enjoyed every last berry we picked and every last bite of the dishes we shared in the great outdoors. Now, many restaurants are closing for the season and those that stay open are revamping their menus. And that’s fine. It’s part of the cycle. We accept the fact that summer is fading to make way for the comforts of fall.
Cafés are becoming places where we meet each other spontaneously, and we now recognize nearly all the faces in the shops that are still open. Fall is a bridge: between what we’ve sown and what we’re going to share. And it’s often at this time of year that we remember that the taste of simple things is the one we prefer.
If you’d like to learn more, we invite you to consult the “Bouilli d’histoires salées” alphabet primer (in French only), which offers a modern and vibrant dive into the heart of the archipelago and its food traditions throughout the seasons.
Glossary
Baking soda biscuit: Thick, soft biscuit resembling a scone made with baking powder as a leavening agent and usually served plain or with jam.
Bouilli: Traditional dish of salted meat (usually beef) simmered slowly with root and other vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, turnip, beans and cabbage; this comfort food is often enjoyed in the fall at harvest time and is traditionally served with dumplings made with flour, baking powder, salt and water.
Chiard: Traditional dish of Acadian origin made with chopped potatoes, carrots, onions and salted meat (or salted bacon) simmered together; unlike bouilli, which uses large chunks of meat and a wider variety of vegetables, chiard is more like a stew, with a smoother texture.
Chow chow: Marinated, slightly sweet relish made with diced vegetables such as cabbage, cucumbers or peppers in vinegar.
Clam: Species of edible marine bivalve mollusc, which can be harvested in shallow waters at low tide.
Fesse rolls: Round, slightly sweet rolls baked side by side in a mould; their shape gives them their colourful name (fesse means buttock).
Mackerel: Pelagic fish that’s abundant in the waters off the Islands, often caught by line fishing and enjoyed grilled, marinated or smoked.
Meat pie: A savoury, oven-baked dish with a meat filling wrapped in pastry.
Pot-en-pot: Popular traditional pot pie dish from the Îles de la Madeleine that’s made with seafood (usually whatever is available at the time) in a béchamel sauce.
Rosehips: The fruit of wild roses, which grow naturally in open, sandy environments like those found on the Islands; rosehips are used to make jellies, butters and syrups.
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Author Le Bon goût frais des Îles de la Madeleine
A community’s culinary identity reflects its history and environment as well as the traditions handed down from generation to generation. Le Bon Goût Frais des Îles de la Madeleine (website in French only) invites you to discover the culinary culture of the Islands, season by season, through a series of blog posts.
As a local foods association, Le Bon Goût Frais des Îles (which literally means “A Fresh Taste of the Islands”) promotes and nurtures the Islands’ vital strengths, embodying community commitment, the uniqueness of local food artisans and their products, constant innovation and the distinctive character of the Îles de la Madeleine.
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