MY FIRST TASTE of the Gaspé Peninsula was a mouthful of flowers: a spoon piled with petals was offered to me when I visited five years ago. Quebecers are surprised when I tell them about it. That's partly because the fertile eastern hunk of Canada, jutting out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence as if it were trying to visit Newfoundland, is where much of the population of Quebec went for their childhood holidays without being much disturbed by international tourists like me. It's also because, while the Gaspé is famous for a type of food, it isn't flowers. It's fish.
When I went back last September with my husband, Craig, to make a full circuit of the peninsula, I discovered that, even in our age of disappearing resources, that is still the case. There are 22 salmon rivers on the peninsula, their clear water fringed with trees. Fantastic fresh seafood is served everywhere, from small island shacks to stylish waterside restaurants. But the fish have always been more than just dinner. The history of the peninsula could be written in fins and scales.
The Indigenous people whose ancestral territory this is, the Mi'kmaq, probably migrated east up the St. Lawrence River, past what is now Montreal and Quebec City, then stayed because the food was so plentiful. Around the year 1000, the Vikings showed up to fish cod, then dry and salt it for transport across the Atlantic. In 1534, Jacques Cartier arrived, planted a large crucifix in what is now the town of Gaspé, and claimed the entire country for France. Gaspésie, the French name for the peninsula, comes from the Mi'kmaq name Gespeg, meaning "land's end." But given that the Atlantic was the medieval equivalent of a highway connecting North America to Europe, “land's beginning" might be just as appropriate.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2023-Ausgabe von Travel+Leisure US.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2023-Ausgabe von Travel+Leisure US.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Second Course - Noma chef René Redezpi found fame ingredient-focused with fine dining. His new TV show goes even further.
This summer, chef René Redezpi and Travel + Leisure contributor Matt Goulding released their Apple TV+ docuseries, Omnivore. Each episode follows a single ingredient on its global journey, from harvesting to processing to cooking. T+L spoke to the Danish chef about the making of the series, and what's on his travel radar.
GBASS BOTS
On a road trip deep into the culinary heart of France, Rosecrans Baldwin visits the village restaurants and country hotels updating the age-old French tradition of cooking local.
DRINKING IT ALL IN
The rich, volcanic soil of central Chile has nourished a food and wine legacy that bridges cultures, from Indigenous cooks to globe-trotting vintners.
APPETITE for LIFE
Dandelion roots and pea greens, truffles and wild mountain thyme: a meal in Slovenia is like a walk in a fairy-tale forest. Sierra Crane Murdoch falls under the country's spell.
RAPPY VALLEY
For more than two decades, wine expert Ray Isle has been visiting Napa to uncover the best of the region. Here's his short list.
How to Actually Enjoy Dining Out with Kids
A flexible mindset-and proper preparation can help parents and children make the most of a foodfocused trip.
Mealtime in Manila
Creative young chefs are making the Philippine capital Asia's new culinary hot spot.
Hands On
Single-malt whiskies and triple-cream cheeses are the stuff New York's Hudson Valley is made of.
ALL ASHORE
Juneau is one of Alaska's busiest cruise ports-and it has a booming food scene.
AMONG THE GROVES
Two Puerto Rican hoteliers have opened their latest spot in Tuscany― and put the country's famed olive oil front and center.