Where Flavour Comes From The Land

Travel through the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast for a flavourful trail steeped in history, immersed in local culture and Indigenous influence, and guided by the offerings sustained by the rich and fertile soils, waters teeming with fish and seafood, and forests full of edible plants, berries, and animal life. Every bite and sip is rooted in history, place, and culture.

Harvested with Heart

From rivers and forests to fields and gardens, the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast offers a wealth of ingredients shaped by nature. Indigenous knowledge, ranching traditions, and modern innovation all play a role in what’s grown, gathered, and prepared here.

Take in a wine tour at Fort Berens Estate Winery in Lillooet, BC, where the vines dig deep into soil enriched by 150 years of melon, tomato and alfalfa production – a factor, perhaps, in why the winery continues to make the headlines. Since 2012 the BC vineyard has won numerous medals at international competitions, including gold medals at the prestigious Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition.

The Lillooet area has also evolved into an emerging region for hop growing, contributing to BC’s evolving craft beer landscape, where the availability of local hop farms enables BC brewers to craft new, trend-setting products such as “fresh-hopped” beer, made by adding hops to brews within 24 hours of harvest.

First Nations rodeos and powwows such as the Tillicum Society’s in Quesnel are a chance to nibble fresh bannock and sip hooshum, a traditional aboriginal “ice-cream” made from Soopolallie berries. Also in the North Cariboo, organic producers entice with the uniquely sweet taste of birch syrup tapped fresh from the tree, including a novel birch syrup BBQ sauce, and the historic town of Barkerville serves dishes re-created from the 1800s.

The central Cariboo is known for seasonal highlights as the Marguerite and Soda Creek areas’ sweet corn on the cob. From July through October, don’t miss the unique experience of the Cariboo Corn Maze at the Australian Ranch on Hwy. 97. At Quesnel’s Fall Fair take in friendly foodie competition while tasting chili and beer-can chicken, or attend the South Cariboo Garlic Festival in Lac la Hache each August for garlic poutine, panini and gyoza while watching the Master Garlic Chef Cook-Off.

Local restaurants and eateries are similarly diverse, offering a mix of familiar stops and local eateries along the Gold Rush Trail to sophisticated dining options scattered throughout the region. Travellers will find meals made with care, featuring fresh ingredients rooted in local traditions.

Fresh fare is close at hand in Bella Coola where travellers can stock up on fresh produce and sample regional specialties including fruits, jams, jellies, preserves, and fresh-baked goods as well as browsing garden plants, handmade jewellery, artwork, soaps, ointments, handmade fabric products, wood crafts and more. Gourmands touring the area are encouraged to keep their eyes peeled for farm-gate offerings of sweet Walla Walla onions, Russian red garlic and sun-loving Kentucky wonder yellow beans. Across the region, food and drink reflect the richness of the land and its people.

Savour With Intention

Whether you’re discovering a forest-foraged tea, sharing a meal at a roadside diner, or browsing the carefully crafted goods at a farmers market, food and drink in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast is part of something larger. It’s part of a lifestyle that values stewardship, self-reliance, and community.

During a visit, take your time. Ask a grower about their harvest. Taste something new. This is a culinary adventure with a story, and you are invited to be part of it.