Mussel Bond

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A hot, dry wind whistles over the cobbled streets of La Rochelle, capital of the Charente-Maritime département in western France, when I arrive on the first day of my mussel-hunting trip. I plan to follow the 45-kilometre Charron Mussel Route, which stretches northwards from nearby Marsilly and around Aiguillon Bay.

La Rochelle was once France’s most famous seaport and the pioneers who founded Montréal set sail from here in the 1600s. Framed by three medieval towers that once defended the harbour, the old port is lined with restaurants and bars. I get a table at La Moule Rieuse, one of the city’s best shellfish restaurants, and order the region’s signature dish, mouclade, steamed mussels served in a succulent cream and curry sauce.

Next stop is the hamlet of Aytré, 15 minutes inland from La Rochelle, which is home to the Moule-shop. The food stand serves fresh mussel dishes ranging from classic moules marinière (marinated in herbs and white wine) to more innovative dishes such as the sumptuous moules Roquefort, where the mussels are soaked in a rich sauce made with the pungent sheep’s cheese and garlic. After lunch on a park bench in the pretty market square, I head for Marsilly, next stop on the Mussel Route.

Like oysters from Marennes, brandy from Cognac and champagne from you-know-where, mussels cultivated along this stretch of the Atlantic coast are considered to be the best in France and only these shellfish can claim the prestigious Charron appellation contrôlée status.