Destination guides

Gironde, Gascony & Mid Pyrenees Travel Guide

Typical food & drink for the regions:

Gironde: Specialities include oysters, Charentes butter, which has a distinctive, nutty flavour, and ‘Chabichou’, a small, firm goat cheese. Wine is used extensively in the preparation of the local dishes.

Gascony Delights to be sampled include ‘Jambon de Bayonne’ (cured uncooked ham) and ‘foie gras Landais’ (duck or goose-liver pâté). If you have a sweet tooth you should try the famous macaroons from St. Jean-de-Luz, chocolates from Bayonne and the mouth watering ‘gâteau Basque’.

Pyrénées: Dishes include ‘daube de porc’, pork, carrots and herbs braised slowly in red wine, ‘poule au pot’, a casseroled chicken dish and ‘magret’ of duck, slices of duck breast which is generally pink in colour and very rare. The Pyrénées boast some distinctive cheeses including ‘fromage de brebis’ (made from ewes’ milk). Desserts include ‘croustade’, a tart of apple and Armagnac, or ‘pruneaux à l’Armagnac’, prunes in Armagnac.

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