THE MONT SAINT MICHEL BAY TERROIR

The bay expands outwards from the Mont-Saint-Michel, from Carolles to Cancale. It is the largest Bay in Europe that is a UNESCO World Heritage site, covering an area of some 500km². It is also the bay with the widest tidal range: during the highest tides, there may be up to 15m between high and low tide. It is these geological characteristics that make the Bay so spectacular and define its terroir.

Vivier-sur-Mer AOP Bouchot Mussels:

The mussels in Mont-Saint-Michel Bay are farmed on “bouchots”: huge wooden stakes driven into the sand. The mussels spend 12-18 months on the stake, growing with the tides. The alternating 12 hours in seawater and 12 hours in the fresh air are what gives the Bay’s mussels their unique quality: orange in colour, with a tender meat that has a slightly sweet flavour. Rich in calcium, iron, and sodium, they are produced from July to February.

Cancale oysters:

The Mont-Saint-Michel Bay oysters farmed using traditional methods in Cancale are particularly well-known. The Bay’s shallow depth, big tides, and temperate climate provide favourable conditions for producing high-quality oysters.

Cancale oysters are firm and can be enjoyed both raw and cooked. They have a unique flavour of hazelnut and salt.

Fish (bass, mackerel, and sea bream) and seafood from the Bay:

Fish and seafood can be found everywhere in our cuisine. Fisheries, sea fishing, and picking shellfish: fishing is one of our great coastal traditions.

Cherrueix vegetables:

To garnish their seafood and meat dishes, a variety of vegetables are grown on the hillside and along the polders. The Bay is particularly well-known for its garlic, onion, and shallots. But farmers also grow sand carrots, leeks, potatoes, and cauliflower. Pitch sand, a grey sediment from the sea, is extracted from the bay to fertilize the soil. Its texture means that it draws water upwards, so no irrigation systems are needed for the polders. The soil’s very loose makeup and lack of irrigation gives the Bay’s carrots their unique strong and sweet flavour.

AOP Salt-Meadow Lamb:

The pastures around Mont-Saint-Michel are regularly submerged beneath the tide, explaining their name of “salt-meadows”. The vegetation that grows there, able to withstand the salt, provides an original meal for herbivores. It is among these grasses that the salt-meadow lambs are born and raised in complete freedom. And it is from the Bay that they draw their unparalleled taste: a tender, scented meat.

Dol-de-Bretagne eggs and poultry:

Great fans of eggs and poultry, the people of the Bay still use traditional methods to raise their own hens. A number of producers are also found around the Bay.

Guérande Sea Salt:

Born of the sea, the sun, and the wind, Guérande Sea Salt is harvested by hand by paludiers who use age-old traditional techniques.