To live on love and fresh water… and quenelles. Here’s what could be a very Lyon-style version of the saying. Yes, but to enjoy both the cool water and the flavor of the quenelles, head north toward Nantua and its lake. With its sapphire blue and emerald green hues, this lake is a true treasure of nature, right down to our plates. It’s simple: it offers its visitors (and food lovers) the very best.
Lake Nantua, a 141-hectare glacial gem
“The pretty little sapphire-blue lake, nestled like a jewel, which nature would fear to lose.” Alexandre Dumas described it this way in 1834 in *Impressions de voyage*. Two centuries later, nothing has changed: Lake Nantua seems to be a diamond set in its crown of mountains. For the lake is not merely a body of water; it is the central feature of a unique natural environment. As such, the lake has been classified as a protected natural site since 1936 and is the largest natural lake in the Ain department.
Less crowded than Lake Annecy or Lake Bourget, Lake Nantua nonetheless offers the same delights. Supervised swimming, bike rides, sailing, fishing, developed recreational areas, and numerous hiking trails in the surrounding area… there’s something for everyone. Like all other natural areas such as the Valserine Gorges or the Lac Bleu d’Ambérieu, these places are true treasures that must be preserved. We’re counting on you to respect these sites.
The famous quenelle with Nantua sauce
And seen from the sky, the lake looks like… a quenelle! As if a giant spoon had scooped out the earth to create a gaping hole, just like the one you get when you dig right into a tub of vanilla ice cream…
In every good cookbook, Nantua is associated with its famous sauce made from crayfish butter. This same sauce has been accompanying our beloved quenelles for ages. Before appearing on the menus of all the best Lyon bouchons, the quenelle was all the rage from Versailles to Buckingham. At the time, chefs went to great lengths to satisfy the court’s demands. The quenelle was then elevated by the addition of pike, a fish abundant in the lakes of Nantua and Sylans, and “its house sauce” made with crayfish butter—which would give the town of Nantua its name in culinary history…
