TASTY MEMORIES

CAN GEO TRAVELLERS WEIGH IN ON JOURNEYS MADE EVEN SWEETER BY UNFORGETTABLE TASTE EXPERIENCES

FONDUE IN MONT TREMBLANT, QUE.

Snow crunched under our snowshoes, the sound amplified by the stillness of the forest, as we hiked to our New Year’s refuge in Mont Tremblant National Park. It was cold, but our spirits were high. Our group’s motivation? Six baguettes baked in a Plateau-mont-royal bakery in Montreal that morning, bottles of craft beer and wine spread throughout our backpacks, and two bulging bags of Gruyère, Gouda and Swiss cheese, along with the other fondue ingredients listed in one of our party’s Québécois family recipe. Wine, a roaring fire, good company and melted cheese — more than enough to warm one of the park’s rustic huts. — Thomas Lundy, Canadian Geographic assistant editor

MUSSELS AND ALE IN NEW GLASGOW, P.E.I.

A steaming, nourishing bowl of Prince Edward Island blue mussels, washed down with a local ale, while pondering the view across the river Clyde, and the rolling hills around the village of New Glasgow, P.E.I.? Bliss. Happily off the beaten track, award-winning Chef Emily Wells’ Mill is warm and welcoming, with a mouth-watering menu that reflects her own deep Island roots and years lived overseas. And if you time it right, in early August you can catch the River Clyde Pageant, a lively annual outdoor performing arts festival next door founded by Wells and her siblings. — David Mcguffin, host of Canadian Geographic’s Explore podcast

A STOP ON NOVA SCOTIA’S LOBSTER TRAIL

Upon my family’s arrival at La Bloc Beach, N.S., we were met by an interpreter of Acadian descent. He showed us how to prepare lobster — such a sweet, satisfying delicacy — and then we devoured our main course alongside a crisp green salad and dinner roll. Toss in soothing ocean sounds, a buttery orange sunset and our host’s impromptu fiddle performance , where he sang heart-achingly beautiful songs in old French, and we were in lobster heaven. Bonus? Tea and homestyle “jam jam” cookies for dessert. — Kim Gray runs toqueandcanoe.com, a blog celebrating travel culture in Canada.

SALMON AT KING PACIFIC LODGE, B.C

“Hold on tight! Pull back!” Two grown men were holding on to me, while I was holding on to a rod, fighting a 25-pound chinook salmon off the coast of the Great Bear Rainforest. The boat’s captain had offered a prayer to the sea before we lowered our rods — he grew up in Bella Bella, and his ancestors have been stewards of this sea since time immemorial. We brought the salmon back to the lodge, where I learned to gut and fillet it, before handing it off to the head chef. Tonight, my salmon catch would feed our entire documentary film crew. In that moment, salmon was also providing for so many non-human inhabitants of the rainforest: the bear that ate the roe, the wolf that ate the brain, the eagles that picked at the remains, all while the oils and skin nourished the forest. It was a feast that reminded us of the interdependence of a fragile ecosystem and our place within it. — Aliya Jasmine, Canadian Geographic Adventures travel ambassador

MUKTUK IN THE FAR NORTH

In the North, it’s a great honour to be served a dish called muktuk: raw whale blubber and skin. The delicacy can be tough to swallow for those unaccustomed to eating sea mammals. I was strongly advised to chew less, and swallow more. Sliced into cubes, muktuk is rich in vitamin C and often served at special occasions with friends, family and lucky visitors. Accept the dish graciously and enjoy a unique taste of the Arctic. — Robin Esrock, Bucket Listed columnist for Can Geo Travel

SUSHI NEAR GWAII HAANAS, B.C.

The sun cast shadows on the forested mountains of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site as our ship, the Maple Leaf, a 110-year-old schooner, floated on Juan Perez Sound. No one thought of lunch. We paced in circles, watching as whales all around us swept the ocean for krill. Our chef, Chris Marks, realizing a sitdown lunch was off, appeared on deck with platters of sushi — briny nori, fatty salmon and sweet prawns, the bounty of the same waters that were feeding the spectacular creatures that so powerfully held our attention. It was food as communion but also sacrifice, leaving us with a profound sense of wonder and gratitude. — Wade Davis, Canadian Geographic Adventures travel ambassador

ASIAN BAR SNACKS IN BANFF, ALTA.

Last winter, I stopped in for dinner at Shoku Izakaya, Banff’s first Japanese pub. A combination of pub-tavernrestaurant, it serves an amazing variety of snacks — from skewers of chicken yakitori to tasty plates of tempura and calamari to beef tataki and steamed bao buns. Pair this menu with their great selection of sake, beer and Japanese-inspired cocktails, and you have a not-to-bemissed evening. — Javier Frutos, Canadian Geographic creative director

“NON FISH” IN ELLISTON, N.L.

When I visited Elliston for Roots, Rants and Roars, a local food and music festival, I was dreading Cod Wars, the first night where chefs compete to make the most original cod-inspired dish. At the first booth, I confessed that I had a seafood allergy and couldn’t eat fish. “What? Are you from away?” one person asked incredulously, as if my mainland accent didn’t already give that away. He laughed off my predicament and loaded me up with as many non-fish side dishes as I could carry, including the classic chips, stuffing and gravy. The festival’s food hike the next day further reminded me that there’s a lot more to Newfoundland’s culinary scene than seafood. — Mark Stachiew, travel writer

POTATO CHIPS IN WATERVILLE, N.B.

It was a rainy day on a family holiday in New Brunswick, and my two young kids were getting restless. A sign on the highway beckoned us to stop at the Covered Bridge potato chip factory. The whirring gears of the machinery were a welcome distraction from our weather woes and, even better, at the end of the tour there was a Willie Wonka-esque counter of 30-plus seasonings to shake over bags of warm, kettle-cooked chips, straight off the line. Where else can you choose between lobster- or apple pie-flavoured chips? — Sarah Brown, Canadian Geographic managing editor

SOURTOE COCKTAIL IN DAWSON CITY, YUKON

An unforgettable cocktail at the Sourdough Saloon at Dawson City’s Downtown Hotel. For the uninitiated, it’s a shot of liquor (often Yukon Jack) in which a dried-up human toe is placed. Yes, you read that correctly. The rules are simple: “You can drink it fast or slow, but your lips must touch the toe.” The origin is steeped in history, and many toes have been donated to the bar over the years. The liquor tastes a bit salty from the jar of salt the toe is stored in, but it is one of those experiences you’ll never forget. Pro tip: Don’t swallow the toe; there is a hefty fine. — George Kourounis, Canadian Geographic Adventures travel ambassador