La Route des Saveurs de Charlevoix

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La Route des Saveurs de Charlevoix, or the Charlevoix Flavour Trail, crosses the Charlevoix region of Quebec and brings the traveller to the various food producers in the terroir.

When Tomiko and I plotted our Quebec Culinary Adventure, we based our route on how far we could get in the time we had. That meant we were going up to Tadoussac via Quebec City and Montreal, stopping briefly in Ottawa, and then back to Toronto. Little did we know that this route took us through the fertile Charlevoix region between the St. Lawrence River and the Laurentian Mountains, and which was brimming with bakeries, farms, fromageries, and breweries.

Charlevoix is one of Quebec’s most original regions for agrotourism.  The landscape includes green, rolling hills dotted with trees; fjords; headlands; and bays; hugs the St. Lawrence River and is a designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

Tomiko and I made stops at the farms and food stores that caught our attention from highway 138. We would see signs, and in one case a field of alpacas, along the road and quickly decide whether or not to pull over. Our car was full of bags of non-perishable foods that we purchased, while our cooler was packed with cheeses and even a whole pie! Although we missed the pheasant farm and the winemaker who makes a 16% tomato-based aperitif wine, we visited seven producers and now we want to share what we discovered!

Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

After leaving Quebec City, Tomiko and I stopped for tea and pastries at the Fairmont le Manoir Richelieu. We had planned to stop for a bite to eat at as many Fairmont hotels as we could. Tomiko and I strolled through the lobby of the Fairmont Château Frontenac in Quebec City, and later planned to stop at the Fairmont Château Montebello, and the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa.

 

Alpagas Charlevoix

Tomiko and I were driving along highway 362 along the St. Lawrence River when we saw a field of fluffy alpacas! We turned around and backtracked to Alpagas Charlevoix, where we passed dozens of cute alpacas in various fields on the property as we made our way into the barn shop. Here we found gorgeous and soft woven scarves, knitted hats, and skeins and skeins of luxurious wool. Being an avid crocheter (and wannabe knitter) I bought two skeins of soft grey wool. It was pricy but well worth it; I would much rather prefer to buy yarn straight from the grower and spinner than from any old yarn shop. You can see what’s for sale on their online store here.

 

Fromagerie St-Fidèle

Our next stop was the Fromagerie St-Fidèle, where we purchased butter, a beer-ripened Swiss cheese called La Belle Brune de Charlevoix, and chili-flavoured cheese curds for immediate snacking.

 

Amyco Champignons Sauvages

There was a small, hand-painted, mushroom-shaped wooden sign on the side of the road, so Tomiko and I pulled over and investigated. The shop was really just a curtained off room in the back of a family’s house where dried and fresh foraged mushrooms were for sale. Tomiko and I bought a bag of our favourite orange Pfefferlinge (chanterelles in French), as well as a small bag of fresh cèpes, two types of dried mushrooms, and a couple jars of dried mushroom powder. Absolutely delicious!

Boulangerie Meunerie la Rémy

Further along La Route des Saveurs de Charlevoix, we stopped at Boulangerie Meunerie la Rémy where we bought a loaf of bread, an almond pastry, and a whole tarte au sucre.

 

Maison Maurice Dufour

More cheese! After sampling six types of the Famille Migneron cheese, Tomiko and I each bought two different types. Le Secret de Maurice was extra special: it’s a kind of brie that was totally liquid inside – insane!

 

La Ferme Basque de Charleviox

Tomiko and I almost didn’t stop at La Ferme Basque de Charlevoix. Luckily, two roads lead past the farm, so we turned in at the second sign and backtracked a bit on La Route des Saveurs de Charlevoix, and I’m glad we did! The whole place smelled deliciously of duck, and I bought birthday and Christmas presents (and things to eat at once) for the family.

We really enjoyed our trip along La Route des Saveurs de Charlevoix, and if we had more time (and space in our stomachs) we would have stopped at more bakeries, farms, breweries, and chocolateries to sample the flavours of the region. If we ever make it back, I want to rent a place with a kitchen so we could safely store and then cook up all the treasures the terroir has to offer.