The father-daughter duo, Gérald Le Gal and Ariane Paré-Le Gal, has just launched a second book on wild harvesting!
A true pioneer, Gourmet sauvage is a company that specializes in the harvesting and transformation of wild edible products. When it was founded in 1993 in Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré in the Laurentians, Gérald Le Gal’s company offered four artisanal products made from wild products picked by hand in the Quebec forests. In its 25-year history, the family business has grown to offer more than 100 products, including gourmet and body care products, as well as equipment and books on responsible harvesting. In 2015, Ariane Le Gal, the founder’s daughter, and her spouse Pascal Benaksas-Couture (HEC 2000) took over the reins of the family business, perpetuating the knowledge of its founder who is still active in the company. Recently, Ariane Paré-Le Gal and her father Gérald Le Gal launched the book Cueillir la forêt – Guide d’identification des plantes sauvages. This book is a complementary tool to their first opus entitled La Forêt, which has sold over 50,000 copies. In their books, the father-daughter duo emphasizes the philosophy of Gourmet sauvage which wants to stimulate a respectful connection between people and the forest. In addition to their books and products, the family business also offers harvesting workshops as part of its educational program. These activities allow the apprentice gatherers to reconnect with the forest and to reappropriate the ancestral knowledge surrounding responsible harvesting and cooking of wild products.
Read the article: ‘Gourmet Sauvage: Finding success in the wild’
