Global Eats: The Best Kept Food Secrets Of South-West France
Global Eats: The Best Kept Food Secrets Of South-West France
Global Eats is a new series in which we shine a spotlight on regional food from across the world. We go beyond the obvious to find the foods and produce that are as much a part of the history and fabric of the region as their famous counterparts.
France is known for its food and its distinct regional menus. Think of the south west and you immediately think of armagnac, duck, and Toulouse sausages — all of which are delicious.
But when diving into the food scene of the region you start to realise that there are other less well known but equally delicious and well deserving of recognition drinks and dishes.
Here you have the beginnings of a rather good evening apéro…
Agen Prunes
Prunes don’t exactly have a very exciting image.
At best they seem to be a pudding your granny ate with custard back in the olden days, and at the other end of the scale they have a reputation for being a very effective laxative.
But that’s not the case, as everyone is missing out on what is actually a delicious delicacy, something that the people in the South-West of France have known for a long time.
In their non-dried form, prunes are actually plums and they have been grown in the region since the Roman period. One particular variety is the prune d’Ente which was created when Benedictine monks grafted Damascus prunes brought back by returning Crusaders in the 12th century.
This variety had become synonymous with the city of Agen from where they were traded. The Pruneau d’Agen and their quality are so important to the region to this day that they are covered by a Protected Geographical Indication.
Take a walk in almost any supermarket, gift shop, market, or confectioners in the south west of France and you will see at least one product that has been created with prunes. But the way to enjoy these morsels at their best is by buying a tin of Pruneau d’Agen and enjoying them in their natural form.
Floc de Gascogne
Everyone has heard of cognac’s cousin armagnac but they might not have heard of armagnac’s friend floc de gascogne.
Floc, as it's generally known, is an alcoholic aperitif that is an AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) which means it can only be legally called floc de gascogne if it has been produced to strict specification in the Gers, Lot et Garonne, and Landes regions of France.
The fortified wine is made to a recipe created in the 16th century and is a mixture of the region's potent Armagnac and grape juice from vines grown in the same vineyard. It is then stored for ten months before bottling.
The syrupy and rich, yet juicy aperitif is available in white and red varieties and is best served ice cold at your next l’heure de l’apéro. It is stronger than a normal wine but wont blow your head off at between 16 to 18% vol.
If you’re in the region then almost every vineyard offers their own variety and you will be able to try it if you pop in for a dégustation. You can also pick it up in almost every supermarket or order it online if outside of the region.
Rillettes de Canard
When you think of this area of France and its duck products, your mind flits to foie gras or maybe deliciously crisp and falling apart confit de canard, but have you ever heard of rillettes de canard?
Originally made with pork, rillettes originate in the 14th century, a time when it was necessary to preserve meat before it went bad and different variations can be found all over France. The south west of France is known for its duck rillettes that are a delicious by-product of foie gras production.
The duck is cooked low and slow with selected spices, herbs, and its own fat for between five and ten hours, when it naturally falls apart. It is then placed in jars and topped with fat to keep the air out, making it naturally shelf stable for months.
Rillettes de canard are often served as starters in some restaurants that will usually have their own special house recipe. They are served like a pâte with beautiful french bread or small round toasted crisp breads.
If you feel a bit queasy about the idea of foie gras then this is the delicious alternative for you.
Blanquette de Limoux
Champagne is almost everyone’s idea of a fancy celebration drink — who doesn't love a bit of fizz?
It’s expensive and only comes from one area of France that’s packed with huge producer names. Möet et Chandon anyone?
But did you know that a mere 25 km from the mighty citadel of Carcassonne in the south west of France is the region where a sparkling wine called blanquette de limoux, another AOC, is produced?
It was first produced in the 16th century by the monks of St Hilaire and is the oldest sparkling wine in the world. The grapes are hand picked before being processed and fermented in a vat, they are then put through a second fermentation in bottles, which is where the fizzy magic happens.
The bottles are stored at an angle so that the bubble-producing sediment can gather in the neck of the bottle. This makes for easy removal before the cork and cage is added prior to sale.
Wines made in this way outside of Champagne are known as crémants, but are essentially the same. This means that blanquette de limoux or crémant de limoux are the original sparkling wines.
So why not celebrate your next birthday with a bottle of Limoux’s finest at a third of the price.
You won't be disappointed.
Sources:
https://www.pruneau.fr/le-pruneau-et-agen/
https://agriculture.gouv.fr/de-la-prune-dente-au-pruneau-dagen-igp
https://floc-de-gascogne.fr/en/frequently-asked-questions-floc-de-gascogne/
https://www.foiegood.com/blog-en/do-you-know-what-rillettes-are/
https://www.suddefrancewinehub.com/en/terroirs/aoc-limoux-blanquette-de-limoux-2/