The Crown Jewel of French Seafood - only in Season!!! La Coquille Saint-Jacques

Considered to be one of the most elegant shellfish in the world, scallops are truly the jewel in the crown of St-Brieuc bay in France. 

In France as in other European nations, food is only served in the time that it is in season, unlike America, where you can get any food you want at anytime, even thought its not the best outside of its season. Hurrah for the French!

Harvesting this delicious seafood is a veritable race against time, as not only is the scallop-fishing season only open from October to the end of April, but even during the season, fishing is restricted to 45 minutes twice a week, to protect the species. And so the fishing ports of Erquy, Saint-Quay-Portrieux, Loguivy-de-la-Mer and Paimpol take it in turns each year to organised the Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques, to mark the closing of this intense fishing season.