Experience Cancale: An Oyster Enthusiast’s French Dream
Join Sydney-based designer and editor Sophie Lanigan as she explores the oyster capital of France, Cancale.
The trip to Cancale was part of a larger project for Sophie called ‘Oysters are Forever’ that celebrates the powerful filtration capability of these mollusc bivalves that work to cleanse the sea. AWOL was lucky enough to tag along.
An Oyster Enthusiast’s Dream
Cancale, in the Northwest of France, is known as the oyster capital of France. The bay has both seabed and raised oyster leases which have been used to farm the best oysters in the country for hundreds of years.
Eat Like A King
It is rumoured that Louis IVX had his oysters delivered to Versailles from Cancale for their delicious and distinct taste. The plethora of plankton in the Mont Saint-Michel Bay gives the flat oysters (Ostrea edulis) and rock oysters (Crassostrea gigas) their unique flavour.
An Incredible Pile
Once you’ve eaten a dozen or two, launch your used shells into the incredible pile next to the oyster farm slipway (and pop the lemon in the bin). It’s an encouraged way to dispose of the shells that go back into the sea and be fodder for the local (confident) sea birds.
Hike To Pointe De La Chaîne
Walk off your oysters, Chablis, and crisps with a 30-minute walk to
Pointe de la Chaîne. The coastal route has a wealth of historic houses, beautiful glimpses of St Malo bay and right across to Mont Saint-Michel
in the far distance.
Take A Ride Up The Hill In The Bigorneau (The Periwinkle)
At the end of a day of eating and walking, take the three-wheel Bigorneau back up the hill! Parfait!
Oysters Are Forever
The culmination of Sophie’s ‘Oysters Are Forever’ experience has been the creation of beautiful oyster-inspired bowls.
Manufactured in Sydney, her project seeks to address plastic waste in the ocean by using 100% post-consumer-plastic as the material for the shell.
Each oyster in the project is modelled on a real shell that has been 3D scanned and manipulated digitally using jewellers software and are available for purchase from her website and select stockists.
