What is in season in Vancouver. and what to order when the market changes.

Spring

  • Spot prawns: BC spot prawn season runs about six weeks from mid-May into early summer, the calendar event for Vancouver seafood eaters.
  • Halibut: Pacific halibut season opens in March with the spring run, served live at the Granville Island Public Market through May.
  • Stinging nettles: Foraged from coastal BC forests through April and May, the spring greens on BC chef tasting menus including Burdock & Co.
  • BC asparagus: Fraser Valley asparagus stalks from late April through June, sold direct at Trout Lake and Kitsilano farmers markets.

Summer

  • Sockeye salmon: BC sockeye runs the Fraser River from late June through August, the peak fishing window for the city's iconic salmon plate.
  • BC peaches: Okanagan stone fruit through July and August, sold at the city's farmers markets and Granville Island.
  • Blueberries: Fraser Valley blueberries from mid-July through September, the city's reference summer pie filling and farmers market staple.
  • Saskatoon berries: Native BC interior berry through July, used in pies and conserves at Edible Canada and the farmers markets.

Autumn

  • Dungeness crab: Fall is Vancouver's peak Dungeness crab season, served whole at Joe Fortes, Boulevard Oyster Bar and the Cantonese Chinatown belt.
  • Chanterelle mushrooms: Foraged from Vancouver Island and the BC interior September through November, the city's tasting-menu autumn staple.
  • Pacific oysters: Fanny Bay and Read Island oysters peak in cool months, raw bar service runs all year but autumn is the strongest.
  • BC apples: Okanagan apple harvest from September, Ambrosia and Gala on Granville Island and the farmers markets.

Winter

  • Pacific oysters: Winter is the strongest BC oyster season, with Fanny Bay, Read Island and Kushi the calendar pours.
  • Dungeness crab: Live Dungeness crab year-round at Granville Island and the Chinese seafood counters in Richmond, peak weight in winter.
  • BC matsutake mushrooms: BC matsutake season runs through November and December, foraged on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, plus the kaiseki menus.
  • Citrus: Imported BC and California citrus at Granville Island through winter; the Yuzu marmalade at Beaucoup Bakery is the calendar event.
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