この美味しい島は消え去ろうとしている！🦞 カナダ最高のシーフード

この美味しい島は消え去ろうとしている！🦞 カナダ最高のシーフード

Maritimers have a famous saying
if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes, because
it’s going to change, and you definitely see the weather
changing here. But it’s worth it for these views. Welcome to Îles de la Madeleine
also known as the Magdalen Islands, for us anglos. Now,
this is a small archipelago of eight islands in the Gulf of St
Lawrence. And I want to say this before we even start. I gave you
two names, but the original name is from the unceded territory of
our Mi’kmaw Nation. Going to put it right there, so I don’t screw
that up. But this is a remote area in Canada that most people,
even Canadians, never have the opportunity to visit. And it has
an interesting history with Basque sailors, Scottish
fishermen, Irish, English, French, the Acadians who were
deported from Nova Scotia. A lot happening here. And so these
eight small islands have developed, although they’re
small, each are kind of unique, almost like the Galapagos
Islands, but the one thing they all have in common is fishing.
This has some of the best seafood in Canada. So I’m here
to explore the landscapes and eat as much seafood as possible
Lighthouse here amazing beach there. I can’t get them both in
the same frame, but also, I’m staying here for a week, and I
won’t be able to get everything into this video. So right here,
I’m going to put a QR code, and I’ll put a link in the
description below to a free guide that I’ve written about
the Magdalen Islands, everything that I’ve loved and did here
this place is so special. With just over 2000 residents
Have Aubert is one of the first settlements for the Acadians who
were expulsed from Nova Scotia in 1762 today, this area, known
as La Grave, is a very important historical spot, but also great
for local shops, cafes, restaurants. It has a fantastic
museum. And this island is also so picturesque. Every summer
they have a huge sandcastle competition. Unfortunately, I’m
going to miss that one. One of the things I love about
traveling in off season is you kind of miss the best weather,
but it also means you miss the crowds. You can go to the beach,
have them to yourselves, the trails, it’s just really nice,
and you get access to the best restaurants. Now this is June
1st so I did make a reservation because we are heading into high
season, and Cafe de la Grave is definitely one of the most
popular on Îles de la Madeleine. They try to squeeze as many
tables in here as they can, because it’s very popular. And
this place is so cozy. It’s just all wooden. Has a lot of
antiques, books. They also have a lot of products. They sell
coffee, T shirts, all of that kind of thing. Like for me it’s
just one of those places that if you like kind of the smell of
old books and libraries and bookstores and history, I guess
then this is kind of the place to be. They also have live
music. When I came in, someone was playing the piano and a
local was singing a song with them. So it’s pretty cool,
definitely like a slice of local culture. Speaking of local
culture, they have many things on the menu, from nachos to cod
cakes. But for me, there was only one thing to get, and I
think it’s the number one thing you should get when you get
here, and that is pot en pot. And so basically, it is an
Acadian dish, but very different from Acadian food that you will
get in Nova Scotia, in that it is similar to a seafood chowder,
where it has vegetables, seafood, and then it has a flaky
pie crust on top. So it often has and in the case here, it has
lobster, shrimp, scallop, I have to say, I cannot believe how
much is in here for the seafood. I feel like the theme of Îles de
la Madeleine is that if you come here, you’re going to get very
generous portions of seafood. That was a fantastic meal. The
sun came out, which is great, although it’s still windy, but I
will say this, I want someone to steal this idea from me, because
I would love to see this. I think that a story about the
Acadians would make for an amazing series on Netflix.
Things that happened were so fascinating and scandalous, and
tons of secrets and betrayal. And I just think it is a story
that needs to be told. And this, these islands are part of it. It
just kind of adds more and more to the story Nova Scotia. It’s
so fascinating. And here too, also really good food. With a population just over 2500
Cap Aux Meules is the largest populated island here, and also
most tourists arrive on this island by sea. Now it’s home to
so many great restaurants, cafes. It’s also the central hub
for government and administration. But once you get
outside the core businesses, it is so beautiful here with so
much to see. So we did a little bit of a bakery run for lunch so
that we could try a bunch of different places. Stopped at
Cafe L’Illot for coffee and a chai latte. And that place is so
cute inside. It also has a instead of an Americano, it has
a Canadiano. If you’re Canadian, you know what we’re talking
about here. And then we went to Boulangerie Madelon which is one
of the most popular, I think, in the area, just for traditional
food. I got there at 11:30 and it was already packed and I got
clam chowder, but I can already see it’s thick. It’s got some
potato, and then also it looks clam in it. Okay, this is good chowder. It’s
very simple, you know, I can see, I think they’ve got some
onion, potato, carrot. Looks like they might have snuck a
little bit of lobster in here, actually, and then the clam, but
it’s very very tasty full of flavor. Wow. Now they give you
some bread, but I had to pick up their sourdough. It just looks
so good. In fact I would pick up even more if I thought we could
eat it, because one of the things that I love about chowder
is actually just dipping your bread in. this is I think a date
sourdough. it’s very tasty. And this is just like a classic
chowder that is really good. and then to take a little sneak of
dessert, because we went to Mon P’tit Bonheur aux Îles it’s a
little spot. There are so many cute little stops that you know,
when you pass by what looks like a tiny bakery, make sure you go
in, because I really feel like that’s where you have such great
interactions. They have all of the products, all of the
producers, the artisans. So you’ve got, you know, the wine
and the mead and the honey and just so many things that you can
buy there. And I could not resist this choux pastry powder
on top. Look at that cream in the middle. oh, that cream this
place is delicious. Do a bakery tour in a place that’s when you
really meet people who have time to talk to you and you just like
taste the island. It’s interesting that these
islands actually remind me of the Galapagos in some ways, in
that you know you have all of these islands they’re very
close, but each is just a little bit different. The landscape is
a little bit different. They’re all beautiful in very different
ways. And so many people who come to Îles de la Madeleine
they only go to the west islands. So the East Islands, a
lot of people don’t visit which we are going to and I’m really
looking forward to it, because everything is very close to go
from the one side to the other. I think it’s 85 kilometers, so
less than an hour to drive. And the traffic here, well, traffic
at least right now does not exist. For dinner, you have fantastic
options. Au P’tit Capitane is a greasy spoon kind of joint. Just
be prepared for lines as locals love it. I had amazing seafood
at Quai 360. You must try local oysters raw, but do not miss
these flash fried oysters in a parmesan cream and also scallops
carbonara. I still dream of this dish. My last meal was at Restaurant
Eva and wow, what a way to leave the island. It has a gorgeous
view of the fishing boats in Site de la Cote. I recommend
sunset here with beautiful light and gorgeous local dishes, like
the seal tataki I was driving so my server, Vanessa, made me this
beautiful mint mocktail. It is not on the menu, but it
definitely should be. Everything at this restaurant is
made from scratch, and it’s using local ingredients, so
there is no set menu for the season. It changes with what is
available, except for the occasional glitches like when
the oyster boat doesn’t go out for the day, but it’s very
exciting and they also have a new pastry chef, so I chose two
entrees and then saved room for dessert. Havre aux Maisons has just over
2000 residents, and it’s known for these rolling green hills,
red sandstone cliffs and colorful houses. I like to think
of it as a foodie paradise, because there are so many really
great producers here. Also it’s home to the airport, which means
some of the most beautiful places I cannot fly my drone,
but that is a really great excuse for you to come here. Now, if you’re a foodie and you
like to cook, you like ingredients. You like to see the
producers. This is the island for you Havre Aux Maisons, and
it is because there are so many great specialty producers here.
Now you can find them all over the islands, but I feel like
here, if you want them, a lot of interesting, different things to
be concentrated into a small area. This is the island. So
this morning, we started off with Alcyon. It is a family run
company. Just since 2022 they really wanted to have salt to
cook with that was local, and so they started making it
themselves. They make fine sea salt, flaked sea salt, but then
they also have these really cool flavors, like spicy maple. I
think that is going to be fantastic. You can just use it
as a finishing salt. Then we went to Le Fumoir d’Antan and
that is a traditional smokehouse. They’re doing lots
of really great things. I did have the sealed pepperettes
while I was out another time, but this time I got dried
herring fillet. I’m not really entirely sure. I don’t think
actually, I’ve ever had something like this. This isn’t
something typically you would see in Nova Scotia, but I’ll
tell you something, it smells fantastic, like smoke. oh good.
It’s like a smoky fish taste. It tastes like what it says it is.
And actually it’s really pretty tasty. You can get a couple to
try only $3 really fantastic. And then I also got the smoked
herring. Now it is marinated so well, why don’t we get into it
and try Well, this is actually really good. So it’s like the
smoked herring, but it’s in different flavors. It’s a little
bit pickley. It has vegetable oil, vinegar, lemon, carrots,
onions, spices. I think you could probably mix it with some
things. Maybe even mix it with pasta or potatoes. One of the
most famous producers on the island has to be Fromagerie Pied
de Vent. They make local cheese a variety of different kinds,
and you can find it all over. I think it’s interesting. Most of
the restaurants and people, really cafes, really try to
include it in their products, which is fantastic. So this is
not our first time trying it. However, I do think it is fun to
go there, and that’s because they not only treat it, treat it
as a cheese shop, but also, actually it’s like an you can
it’s like a museum. I think they call it like a working museum or
workshop type thing, where you can actually see them making it.
And then there’s lots of information about Canadian dairy
cows, what they’re eating here. How you know, these cows are the
things that they eat, where they graze. There are no pesticides,
and just really shares the quality of them, just using
local product as much as possible. There are a number of
things to try, and we got the most popular one, but I think
it’s going to be very tasty, if I remember it well. So orange
rind, soft cheese inside, and it’s so good, I’ll tell you
something. French community, they really know their cheese.
So if you have an opportunity to go to a cheese producer, do not
skip out on it, because it’s always so delicious. But I am
here for the most exciting part, because it is lobster season
right now in Îles de la Madeleine and the lobster here
is supposed to be fantastic. A lot of it is exported
internationally because it’s supposed to be such high
quality. And we came to Fruits de Mer which is actually a fish
shop, but they do have food on the side. Right now, they have a
lobster roll, so they said that they would give it to us, and
from the look of it, it is exactly what I like. Now I grew
up with lobster I’ve eaten many lobster rolls in many provinces,
and you know what simple is best. My mother told me this is
the best lobster roll she’s ever had. It’s not just mayo. Is there
something in the mayo that it’s a little bit sweet, a little bit tangy? My mother
might be right. Definitely top five lobster
rolls. You know, lobster rolls, everybody has their own kind of
style, but I like this one a lot. This is really, really good. And also, because we are here, I
have to try their other products. I got seal rillette.
Now there were a lot of I got, I think, what is the
original when I look at the first two ingredients, seal,
pork, foie gras, yeah, I really like that. These are all things
that I think are delicious. Oh, it’s nice and thick. It has like a beefy flavor,
probably from the seal. You do get a lot of richness from the
duck and the fattiness from the pork, which I think you need
because both seal and depending on duck, can be quite lean. This
is actually really tasty. I was so full from all of that
food, but Cindy Hook Cafe was just around the corner, so we
popped in for a coffee and had the energy to explore South dune
beach. So we made it to South dune
beach. Now I don’t have my hat on because it’s cold out. It
isn’t at all. The sun is out. It’s beautiful, but it is very
windy. Now this area does suffer from problems with erosion, and
it has kind of this unique coastal landscape. The sand here
is so soft and white and actually really good to walk on
if you have mobility issues, it’s packed quite densely. But
the reason why people come is for these red sandstone cliffs.
They are beautiful. Now you need to check the tide times, because
tide, low tide, high tide today was 9:30am it’s 12:30 and it
still is quite the water is really in here. So we’re not
going to be able to walk around here to get to see, kind of some
of the caves and things. But if you do come at low tide and you
just have to Google it, you can figure it out. Lots of people
have kind of put their names in the cliff. Thankfully, it’s just
their names, no dirty messages. But you can see here in a couple
of hours, you can just walk around. We might have to come
back another day. Pointe Aux Loups is the tiniest
inhabited island with only 50 homes and some of the most
beautiful white sand dune beaches. They are glorious, but
you do need to be careful, as many are too dangerous to swim. With fewer than 500 residents
Grosse Île is home to Quebec’s only salt mine. It’s also where
you’ll find Pointe de l’Est National Wildlife Area, which is
very popular with bird watchers now. It has some fantastic
beaches, but it’s mostly only locals who come here. And if you
want to learn about the first English settlers, this is a
really good place to do it. We are headed to Harry’s, what is
called Old Harry Beach. It is one of the most popular with
locals to swim. It’s supposed to be calm, although they have some
recommendations there how to swim out of a rip tide, but not
somewhere a lot of tourists, probably because it’s so far
north and we are not swimming today. It’s supposed to be a
nice beach. They’re actually putting down planks right now,
and it makes walking to the beach so much better. Look at this beach. It’s so
beautiful. Is this one all new? You just put it down. It’s so nice. You think so? Not for you, you had to put it
down, but it makes it so much easier. Oh, it’s built by something
else, but we have to put it down So we just met Kevin, who is
putting down the wood to get out oh my goodness. here. But also he just shared so
much information with us. Such a nice man. He was actually saying
that all of this once did not exist, that the wind is blowing
in all of the sand. So previous to, up until almost the road, it
was actually ocean. And also that’s how much this whole
island, and you know this coast is being affected, is that it’s
totally changing the landscape. And also he was saying, of
course, we know about global warming and the warming of our
oceans, and they see that here, because there are places that
were previously in the winter, it would freeze, and you could
drive your truck over the water, but they can’t do that anymore
so they don’t risk it because if there’s ice, it’s definitely not
strong enough. So he has seen kind of the effects of what the
environment is doing here. But wow, just another really
beautiful spot. I wish we could go swimming. So obviously this
is not swimming weather, but it was great walking weather. That
was really quite nice, because as we were talking to Kevin, you
could see sandpipers around his feet. So just another really
great quiet spot here on the islands. We took a trip to the historic
Little Red School House, which is the heart of the English
speaking community on the islands, with a historical
exhibit and Grandma’s Bakery, which serves amazing treats made
from heritage recipes. Quebec’s official lobster
capital Grande Entrée has just over 600 people. Now, if you
want to wake up very early in the morning, you will see 100
lobster boats leaving this wharf to head out for their daily
catch. If you can’t wake up early, you can come back mid
morning, and you’ll see them bringing in their haul because
we are on the east islands, which are lesser visited. This
is a really great place if you want to find secluded beaches or
nature trails, where you won’t find a lot of people. So on the marina, there is a new
restaurant called Buvette de la Sirène this spot, what makes it
very interesting was once a previous restaurant that was
mostly full of tourists, but now with new ownership, new name,
it’s actually kind of half tourist, half local, and if you
come at night, it’s almost all local. We’re going to have some
fantastic seafood, just from the marina. Now, when this fish and chips
came out, I could smell it before I could see it. It was
that good. And not like a fried smell, but just a fresh fish
smell. And I could smell the tartar sauce, so when they put
it on the table, oh, it was perfection. Now, I’ve had many
fish and chips. The number one thing for fish and chips, the
fish has to be fresh, and we caught it over there. So I think this is going to be a
good one little bit of tartar sauce. Ooh this is delicious. Fish is
so flavorful. We’ve got cod here. You actually don’t even need this tartar sauce. It is that
good. I am so glad that we got this one For dessert we decided to stay
here. You can get espresso, or you can also get drip coffee. I
need some caffeine, so I got that. And they have all of these
new they had carrot cake, they had coconut cream pie, they had
a bunch of other peanut butter chocolate or something, kind of
pie. They were all freshly made, but I saw this coconut pineapple
cake, and I knew I had to have it. I always say that I don’t
like desserts, but this just feels like the right kind of
thing to do. This is good. This is definitely one of the best
things that I’ve had on the islands. Even if you’re not
hungry drive out here, it’s worth trying the desserts. We made it to La Salicorne,
which means sea asparagus in French, and it’s actually
something that’s available locally. But this place is
really special because it’s community based tourism. So this
is accommodation, or an Auberge, an inn where you can stay, but
also they have activities every day, and they also have a
restaurant, and so it’s kind of like an all inclusive package.
What’s really cool about this place two things. One, it’s
located in the east, and they’re really dedicated to promoting
the local culture people and the islands things to do here in the
East, because most people stay in the West, but also it employs
160 people, so it gives back to the community, gives people
something to do if they’re not involved in other main
industries in these islands. And so it’s also home to the seal
interpretation center, and that’s what we’re going to check
out first. Here you not only learn about
seals but also their importance to the community. They don’t shy
away from the controversy and history over the years of seal
hunting and share with you what it’s like today. So this
interpretation center has been around for 30 years. In the
first part of it, you see the different seals that you can
find here in the islands. Although it’s changed quite a
bit with the waters getting warmer, they’re seeing fewer of
some of the species. And then also, you can see lots of
different exhibits here from local artists and then also
photographers, If you speak French there is an
animated video for you, and then just really beautiful
photography here that outlines the seal hunt and what it was
like. Apparently, these are, I believe, the first color
photographs of the sea hunt, the seal hunt, documenting it, which
were actually gifted here because the photographer did not
publish them, because it was such a controversial issue. And
then also, there’s more information about the actual
people who participate, the fishermen, the local community,
and how fishing really affects If you’ve ever wondered what it
would be like to be in a them. community on a small, remote
island, you should come to La Salicorne so it’s an interesting
spot to be and tonight, one of Eating seal may seem shocking,
but people in Canada have been doing it for generations.
Beginning with our Indigenous Peoples and today, the
commercial seal hunt is one of the special dinners they are
offering is seal, and so that’s the most controlled and
regulated in the world for very good reason. In the 1970s there
were 10,000 gray seals in the what I’m going to try North Atlantic, but they didn’t
have any real natural predators, no polar bears, very few sharks,
and so today there is an And here we go. I think this is
very typical of the region, overpopulation of 400,000 gray
seals. Now obviously that throws off the balance of the entire
ecosystem. And so there are a because we have these smoked
pepperettes, which I think are lot of fish species like cod,
which are suffering because of this overgrowth. So when you
choose to eat seal in the very common to eat in a local
cranberry sauce. And then what Magdalen Islands, not only are
you supporting the local economy, but you’re also helping
with the overgrowth of the seal population. they’ve also done is they’ve
given it as a burger, which is also really common because they
mix it with pork. And so I think that it’s really good for a
beginner. That’s what I’ve heard in that it doesn’t have a strong
seal taste. I’m going to go with to be good. the pepperette first, because I feel It’s definitely tasty I think if
you are worried about eating seal, definitely try it in a
burger. The flavors here are so good by
all the condiments and everything that they’ve made
that you get a bit of the meat. But it’s good anyway, I would
say seal dish number one, this is really good. One week just flew by. When I
first arrived, everything felt familiar and similar to other
areas in the Maritimes, but let me tell you, that feeling soon
faded because the culture here so different, so unique. Each
island has just its own little aspect that makes it special. I
definitely think I’d love to come back, and I can’t believe
I’m saying this, but I’ve heard it’s fantastic here in winter.

Canada’s best seafood on tiny islands but a local secret. Easy to reach if you know where to go.
The Magdalen Islands, known as Îles de la Madeleine in French and Munagesunok (islands beat by the waves) in Mi’kmaq, form a remote archipelago of eight islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

This secret spot offers amazing seafood, stunning landscapes and rich Acadian culture just 85 kilometers from end to end.

PLANNING A TRIP? Get all the details, including a downloadable PDF at https://www.baconismagic.ca/canada/magdalen-islands-food/

This was a dream come true for me. I have been speaking with the amazing crew at Quebec maritime Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine for YEARS to work together and we finally made it happen. They did not tell me where to go but suggested spots they knew I would love. You can find them at:
https://www.quebecmaritime.ca/en/discover-our-regions/iles-de-la-madeleine
https://www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com/en/

The gorgeous background image from this thumbnail is credited to Mathieu Dupuis/Le Québec maritime.

HAVRE AUBERT
Start your journey at La Grave, the historic settlement area where Acadians expelled from Nova Scotia in 1755 first landed. The island hosts an annual sandcastle competition each summer.
Café de la Grave – The island’s most popular restaurant featuring live music, antique décor, and the must-try pot en pot (Acadian seafood chowder with flaky pastry crust). Reservations recommended during high season.

CAP AUX MEULES
The largest populated island (2,500+ residents) serves as the main arrival point by ferry and administrative hub. Despite its size, stunning landscapes await beyond the town center.
– Café L’Illot – Cozy café serving specialty drinks including the “Canadiano”
– Boulangerie Madelon – Popular bakery known for exceptional clam chowder and fresh sourdough bread
– Mon P’tit Bonheur aux Îles – Artisan bakery and local products shop featuring choux pastries and regional specialties

Dinner Recommendations:
– Au P’tit Capitane – Local greasy spoon favorite (expect lineups that move quickly)
– Quai 360 – Upscale seafood including flash-fried oysters in parmesan cream and scallops carbonara
– Restaurant Eva – Fine dining with harbor views at Site de la Côte, featuring seasonal menus and seal tataki

HAVRE AUX MAISONS
A foodie paradise with rolling green hills, red sandstone cliffs, and colorful houses. Home to the airport and numerous specialty food producers.
– Alcyon – Family-run sea salt company (since 2022) producing fine and flaked sea salts, including spicy maple variety
– Le Fumoir d’Antan – Traditional smokehouse offering dried herring fillets, smoked herring, and seal pepperettes
– Fromagerie Pied de Vent – Famous local cheese producer with working museum showcasing traditional cheesemaking
– Fruits de Mer – Fish shop and eatery serving exceptional lobster rolls and seal rillettes
– Cindy Hook Café – Coffee shop near South Dune Beach
– South Dune Beach – Features dramatic red sandstone cliffs and soft white sand. Check tide times for optimal cave exploration.

POINTE AUX LOUPS
The smallest inhabited island with only 50 homes, offering pristine white sand dune beaches. Swimming can be dangerous due to strong currents.

GROSSE ÎLE
Home to fewer than 500 residents and Quebec’s only salt mine. Features Pointe de l’Est National Wildlife Area, popular with birdwatchers.
– Old Harry Beach – Local swimming favorite with calm waters and seasonal wooden walkway access
– Little Red School House – Historic site with English community exhibit
– Grandma’s Bakery – Heritage recipe treats and baked goods

GRAND ENTREE
Quebec’s official lobster capital with 600+ residents. Witness 100 lobster boats departing at dawn from the wharf during lobster season.

Buvette de la Sirène – Marina restaurant popular with locals and tourists, serving exceptional fish and chips with fresh-caught cod, plus house-made desserts including coconut pineapple cake

La Salicorne – Community-based tourism inn offering accommodations, daily activities, restaurant, and the Seal Interpretation Center. Employs 160 locals and promotes East Island culture. Features educational exhibits on seal hunting history and serves traditional seal dishes.

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