On the table : Traditional French Cuisine and Cooking

A symbol of sharing and conviviality, its diversity appeals to young and not so young alike.
To stock up on recipe ideas or prepare a gourmet getaway, the Vallée de la Gastronomie - France® offers you a brief overview of emblematic recipes of French cuisine. Fasten your seatbelts for an original and exotic culinary journey.

Burgundy-Franche-Comté: authentic and refined French cuisine

Burgundy Franche-Comté is a region of bountiful natural environment with towns and cities of character. It is therefore not surprising to find this signature in its gastronomy.

Not to be missed and iconic, the Burgundy truffle is a brown mushroom harvested with the help of a dog generally from the end of November (sometimes, but rarely, in October) to the end of February. Highly prized for its subtle aromas, it is widely used in French and regional gastronomy, in an aperitif or a starter, in main dishes, in salads, with cheese and even in desserts.

Simply grated on an omelette, a pasta dish, a risotto, eggs in a casserole or mashed potatoes, the truffle sublimates the dish without ever overdoing it.

Eggs meurette are also amongst the recipes to discover during a stay in the region. The eggs are poached in red wine (from Burgundy of course!) and served with a sauce made from onions, bacon bits, shallots, and red wine of course. They are served with garlic toasts and occasionally sliced mushrooms.

Another must, the famous Burgundy snails (a dish so often associated with la French cuisine!) prepared with butter, garlic, parsley, and shallots. A dish you enjoy as a starter or main course with a glass of white wine.

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: attachment to traditional French food

This is a region with a land rich of flavours that make for unforgettable culinary experiences. Discover the Drôme with its rivers, its lavender, its forests, its perched villages and… its famous Raviole du Dauphiné.

Made from a dough of wheat flour, eggs, and water, they are filled with a stuffing of Comté or Emmental cheese, fresh cow's milk cheese and parsley. They are cooked poached in boiling water, grilled in a pan or in a gratin and can even make for delicious salads.

Feeling peckish after a walk through a superb and preserved nature? Treat yourself to a gourmet break with the famous Montélimar nougat. The basic recipe, a classic of French cuisine, is made from almonds, honey, sugar and beaten egg whites. There are flavoured versions with candied fruits, lavender, chocolate… the confectioner's imagination is the only limit!

The Bresse chicken comes from a land of 100 km by 40 km at the confluence of the departments of Ain, Saône-et-Loire, and Jura. Fed with good natural products, local corn, earthworms and grass, its meat is not only healthy but tasty and soft. It can be eaten roasted, poached, or steamed and drizzled with its cooking juices.

Bouches-du-Rhône: generous gastronomy

In Bouches-du-Rhône, gastronomy is colourful and full of flavours, as if echoing the singing accent of the region's inhabitants.

If we had to keep only one dish of traditional French cuisine from the region, it would be this one: Marseille’s famous bouillabaisse has won the hearts of generations of gourmets. This simple family dish that generations of cooks have transformed over the years is a broth with at least 4 species of fish or seafood. Garlic, onions, fennel, parsley, potatoes, tomatoes are added and seasoned with salt, pepper, saffron and olive oil.

This typical preparation of traditional French food is served with fish on one side and broth on the other, accompanied by croutons with or without garlic and rouille or aioli sauces, made with garlic, spices and olive oil.

French cuisine gives pride of place to cheeses... and France deserves to be called the country of 1000 cheeses! Do not miss the brousse, a protected designation of origin appreciated for its sweetness exhaling rosemary, broom, or oak on which the goats feed.

Gard: the terroir in the spotlight

A department with picturesque landscapes, the Gard is the preferred destination for those who want to reconnect with nature. Its gastronomy is in its image, friendly, warm, and varied.

We start our exploration with the French cuisine of the Camargue who takes advantage of the resources of the sea and the land for a cuisine of character.

The gardiane de taureau, the local bull stew, is a sauced dish simmered with red wine. Bull meat is known for its low-fat, firm texture, which gives an intense taste to this rich in flavours speciality of authentic, rustic traditional French food. The meat is marinated the day before in wine and seasonings and cooked for 3 or 4 hours the next day. It is traditionally served with the famous Camargue rice.

Close to the sea and gateway of the Cévennes, Nîmes exhales the scents of garrigue, olive trees, vines, and chestnut trees. Among its many culinary offerings, cod brandade is one of the most emblematic. The cod meat is poached in milk and then emulsified with olive oil to give a creamy white purée, eaten hot or cold, and on occasions with a few slices of black truffles!

Discover the treasures of French cuisine with La Vallée de la Gastronomie - France®

Rich, subtle and varied, la French cuisine honours the richness of the terroirs. Treat yourself to a getaway to discover the pleasures of the mouth with the unique experiences proposed by La Vallée de la Gastronomie - France®. Find a variety of original offers that go off the beaten path.

Customise your stay based on its duration, the participants and your own desires for French gastronomy discoveries: tastings of wines or local farm cheeses, participation in family gourmet itineraries, unforgettable experiences at Michelin-starred tables, gourmet and romantic weekends, etc.