Bean Pots at La Binerie, Kazabazua
One wonderful Sunday, I went driving through Quebec near Ottawa with Gerry O and his wife, specifically to go to La Binerie (beanery) in Kazabazua.
La Binerie has been making sand-baked beans in the same way for generations. Recently with a new Haitian-twist courtesy of marriage.
The bean pots are filled with beans to be baked, topped with parchment paper, lidded and buried in hot sand and fire for hours.
The result was, by far, the best-baked beans I have ever had. And don’t forget, I grew up in New Brunswick where family recipes for baked beans are a source of pride and an important cultural asset. Much like they are in Quebec.
At La Binerie, the beans are beautiful. Complex flavours, perfectly cooked, not too sweet, not too thick. And then there is just that perfect amount of smokiness. Occasionally there was a tough bean, and there was certainly some fat at the bottom of the plate, but YUM!!!! YUM! Burp! (Yes, that is professional food critic terminology!)
A plate filled with beans for $4.75 with bread and butter – she handed us a whole pony-tail loaf – gherkin pickles, vinegared onions (so good with the beans), extra brown sugar to sprinkle on if we wanted and mustard, (for those who want to ruin their beans). No-nonsense just good food.
Boy oh boy. YUM! Burp!
The entire experience was right on the edge of that patronizing version of “charming”.
Luckily, we all were so interested in the process, the food and the story that we didn’t walk away feeling like we were cultural tourists in our own country.
If you have the chance to drive up to Kazabazua, do no hesitate to go to La Binerie and get yourself some sand-baked beans. You will not regret it!
