Pineau
Le pineau des Charentes or how a muted wine was inadvertently born
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Official Charente Tourist BoardFood and wine of the Charente
» Cuisine and Country » Food and wine of the CharenteCognac
Le cognac the liqueur of the gods, the wine grower, a matter of the heart, the nose, the angels, paradise...
La cave de Saint-Sornin
In the valley of the Tardoire, close to the boundary with the Dordogne, winegrowers have been cultivating and raising Saint-Sornin for 30 years.
Saint-Sornin comes in three colours :
- red ( Sornin Erectus ) : a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, red fruits with hints of spices, tannins supple in the mouth.
- white ( Sornin Pointe de Silex blanc) : made with Sauvignon with aroma of spring broom.
- rosé ( Sornin Pointe de Silex rosé) : a blend of Gamay and Cabernet with a slightly acidic taste.
Visit the cave : +33 5 45 23 92 22.
Beef from the Limousin
This is the locally produced beef. It grazes in the hedged fields of the Charente Limousine. It likes open spaces and we adore its fine, tender and tasty meat. Look for a butcher who sells Limousin beef .
Veal from Chalais
Calves from Chalais are reared with their mother and fed exclusively on their mother's milk. This gives a light-coloured meat of great taste and tenderness which is the gourmets' delight.
Capon from Barbezieux
The la poule noire de Barbezieux , has been caponised here since the Middle Ages. It is a large breed of chicken with black plumage and white ear coverts. The imposing cockerel struts around proudly and has a simple straight comb. Its large size makes it suitable castration. In the 19th century, the gourmet Brillat Savarin praised the fine taste of the Barbezieux capon. Its meat is light-coloured, delicate, moist and slightly marbled. Yet this splendid breed almost disappeared. It has been revived today under the impetus, among others, of the Aspoulba preservation association and once again has a place of honour on the dinner table for special occasions.
Cagouilles
The Charentais people are very fond of snails, and they have invented original ways to cook them. They enjoy the "les petits gris" (a small grey variety) which abound in the vines and ditches after it has rained. Sunset and sunrise are often a good time to look for them and for a snail to be collected, it must be adult (the outside of the shell has hardened).
Les châtaignes et les marrons
Chestnuts are a source of food for farm workers notably in the Charente Limousine. They are usually eaten borsadas [boiled], echauvets [blanched] but can also be los bralets [roasted].
Local varieties include : châtaigne Nouzillarde, Marron de Chevanceaux...
Les cornuelles
These triangular shortbread biscuits sprinkled with aniseed are the cakes of the Trinity... At Villebois-Lavalette, a fair is devoted to them on Palm Sunday. At the same moment in Barbezieux, the confectioners produce another type of cornuelle ; in the shape of pine cones, they are made of choux pastry flavoured with orange blossom.
Les kroumirs
Since 1895, kroumirs have been a sweet speciality from Confolens in the Charente Limousine. Auguste Redon, an apprentice pastry cook, left to do his military service in Tunisia. He had to campaign against a local tribe : the kroumirs. On his return to the Charente, he drew upon his observation of Eastern confectioneries to create a sweetmeat of marzipan dipped in barley sugar and chocolate.
Le manslois
This is a fresh cheese made with cow's or goat milk. It takes its name from the town of Mansle in the Charente where it was created. The Manslois is made by hand "au torchon" (strained through a gauze) and can be eaten either sweet or savoury.
Le grillon
This is a pork delicacy of meat browned and conserved in its own fat. In the 16th century, Rabelais spoke of "rillé". Grillon charentais is made exclusively with pork : lean meat [shoulder, ham...], diced fat. The meat must cook for a long time, some butchers cook is slowly all night over a low heat.
Grillon is produced all year but it is customary in the Charente to taste it on 1st May with aillet (fresh young garlic shoots).
Les noix et les noisettes
Walnuts and hazelnuts are nibbled on their own and used to decorate salads. When pressed by the mill stone they give smooth and fragrant traditionally-made oils.
La noix Saint-Martial
From St-Martial de Montmoreau, La noix de Saint-Martial is a late variety of small grade. The kernel is of good quality and easy to extract. La noix de Brie [from de Brie-sous-Chalais] is rather early. In the Charente, it is sold fresh.
Truffles
« The best truffles come from the Angoumois ». These were the words of Bruyerin Champin, the doctor of François 1er in the 15th century. La Charente remained a renowned production area until the 19th century. Truffle growers carry on this tradition today.
Syndicat des producteurs de truffes de Charente : +33 5 45 21 61 88
Charente truffles website
