Rigaud, Québec
Sucrerie de la Montagne
This shack nestled in a 120-acre forest of maple trees in Mont-Rigaud is a wonderland of sugary syrup.
Translated “Sugar shack of the Mountain,” the Sucrerie is an authentic Quebec-style sugar-shack that’s opened year-round.
Founded by Pierre Faucher and his son Stefan, the sugar shack has operated for over 30 years. The Fauchers work hard to preserve the method of the Quebec and Canadian pioneers—to collect and produce the syrup, they tap the tree the old-fashioned way. Using a spout in the tree, the sap from the maple is collected in a bucket and brought to a wood-fired evaporator and made into the famous and tasty maple syrup.
The process is called “sugaring off,” and every day from February 15th until the end of April, the Sucrerie serves the traditional sugar shack meal throughout the day in its banquet halls. The entry fee is around 40 dollars, depending on what day and time you go. It includes the full course sugar shack meal in a well decorated wood cabin with musical accompaniment, a visit to the fieldstone bakery, the general store, unlimited amounts of freshly made maple taffy served on snow, not to mention a sleigh ride in a horse-drawn carriage from the entrance of the sugar shack to the banquet hall.
The meal consists of crusty bread, pea soup, maple-smoked ham, wood-fired baked beans, omelette souffle, sausage, meatball stew, crispy-fried pork rinds, mashed potatoes, tourtiere and homemade fruit ketchup and pickles. Jugs of maple syrup are constantly filled for patrons to cover every part of their meal with this sweet Quebecois delicacy. There’s also sugar pie AND pancakes (with maple syrup, obviously) served with coffee and tea. When you’re filled with maple syrup, and then more maple syrup, there’s still unlimited amounts of maple taffy to be savored. At stations set-up outside the banquet ball, syrup is poured directly onto fresh snow and in a minute or two its ready to be turned with a popsicle stick and ready to be eaten.
The sugar shack meal is available throughout the year upon request. Rent out their three banquet halls for celebrations; weddings are a popular event for a rustic country-style wedding. The Sucrerie hosts a New Years party, and on Christmas Eve they serve the traditional Quebec meat pie “tourtiere”. Three log cabins are available to rent for a weekend getaway, and tours of the bakery are available year-long on request.
Contributed by
Jennifer Richardson
Rachel
