Les Bluets

A fellow blogger wrote about picking her own blueberries and making a pie. I jogged my jiggly joggily brain to recall what my friend, Nick, recently told me about his experience with blueberries. 

I love blueberry pie.

As a boy, Nick lived pretty far north in the province of Quebec. It’s an area noted for its wild blueberries, but I never knew just how abundant they are until he told me about his experience.

His father would make a big deal about picking blueberries to supplement family income, and Nick was conscripted to labour in the natural and untended fields. The blueberries grew wild, but Nick's dad knew where to find them, and he actually bought his first car for the purpose of collecting and hauling blueberries. If I recall correctly, Nick said they paid a thousand dollars for the car.

It was Nick’s description of the picking that impressed me most. He reported that the blueberries were so abundant in season that he could walk through the blueberry fields with buckets and his side, and the pails would simply fill up with blueberries as they brushed against the plants.

On my own, I recalled that people from that general region of Quebec are sometimes nicknamed, Les Bluets, or at least that was my memory told me, so I googled to be sure: 

In Quebec, "les bluets" refers to wild blueberries, which are a significant part of the province's agricultural landscape, particularly in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. While "bleuet" can also refer to a cornflower in standard French, in Quebec, it's strongly associated with the wild blueberry. (Google AI)

Beyond the AI descriptor, Google provided more detail.

Wild Blueberries: Quebec is a major producer of wild blueberries, with the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region being the heart of this industry, accounting for 77% of wild blueberry production. The term "les bluets" is often used to refer to these blueberries, both in a literal sense and as a symbol of the region. 

People of Quebec:

The term "les bluets" can also refer to the people of Quebec, particularly those who identify strongly with their French-Canadian heritage and the province's unique culture. This usage is often associated with a sense of pride and belonging to the Québécois nation. 

Cultural Significance:

The wild blueberry is a symbol of Quebec's natural resources and the connection of its people to the land. The term "les bluets" evokes a sense of place and cultural identity, particularly in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. 

Linguistic Context:

While "les bluets" is a French term, it is also used within the context of Quebec French (often referred to as "joual"), which has its own unique vocabulary and pronunciation.