Poitou-Charentes

Paté de Pâques is a traditional dish originating from the Poitou area. The dish is a combination of ground pork, ground veal, and hard-boiled eggs encased in pastry. It's traditionally eaten as a first course for Easter dinner. What distinguishes this dish from other patés en ... Read more

Mouclade is a traditional dish originating from La Rochelle in south west France. In order to prepare it, mussels are cooked with cream, saffron, white wine, and herbs. The key is in using the freshest mussels – preferably small, black, and glistening. After the dish has been eaten, it's re... Read more

Cornuelle is a traditional cookie originating from Villebois-Lavalette in Charente. The cookies are usually made with a combination of flour, sugar, butter, salt, eggs, baking powder, and anise seeds. The dough is shaped into triangles with ribbed edges, and a hole is made in the center of the co... Read more

Éclade de moules is a traditional dish of mussels cooked under pine needles. It originated in the Charente-Maritime department on the western coast of France. There, the local mussel fishermen used dry needles from the surrounding pine forests to cook their daily haul. The most traditional... Read more

Tourteau fromagé is a traditional pastry from the Poitou region in France, made with fresh goat cheese. Originating from the Pays Mellois, its name derives from "tourterie," meaning "cake" in the Poitevin dialect. Historically baked in rounded earthenware dishes, it features a distinctive ... Read more

Buche de Chevre is a French cheese originating from the Poitou-Charentes region. Made from goat's milk, this soft cheese has a white color, bloomy rind, and a creamy, flaky texture. The flavors are tangy, earthy, and slightly sweet. The cheese is shaped into a log and it must mature for ... Read more

Coeur de Chevre is a French cheese made from raw milk of the poitevine goat breed. It's easily recognizable by its heart shape, which is left to ripen in cellars for 7 days after it's been molded by hand. The aromas are fresh and milky, the texture is creamy and smooth, melting ... Read more

Beurre Charentes-Poitou is a traditionally made, solid, pale butter that has a unique aroma. It is produced using pasteurized cream and easily spreads on toast or bread. Its unique taste and soft texture are due to the traditional process of barrel churning. After the cream is churned, t... Read more

Chabichou du Poitou is a soft cheese made from full-fat goat's milk, with a characteristic appearance - it is shaped like a small cone called bonde, and it has a thin, wrinkled, white-grayish rind. It usually matures for 10-14 days before it's ready to be sold, but it can also m... Read more

Mothais-sur-Feuille is a traditional cheese hailing from the Poitou-Charentes region. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk since the 19th century, and it's usually left to age for 2 weeks before consumption. Underneath its bloomy rind, the texture is supple, creamy, and dense. The aromas are l... Read more

Sel de l’Île de Ré, and its premium counterpart, fleur de sel de l’Île de Ré', is salt harvested using traditional, centuries-old techniques. These salts are known for their unique coloration, from grey to white with possible yellow to red hues, and for their... Read more

Huîtres Marennes Oléron are oysters from the Bassin de Marennes Oléron area in France, where shellfish farming is a principal activity. The oysters are matured and fattened on oyster beds after which they are sold fresh, live and unprocessed. There are quite a few var... Read more

Bougon is a French cheese produced in the Poitou-Charentes region. The cheese is made with goat's milk and has a bloomy rind. Its texture is firm and creamy, the aroma is fresh, while the flavor is acidic, piquant, and herbal. Raw milk is usually used for the production of this cheese, w... Read more

Cendré de Niort is a French cheese hailing from the region of Poitou-Charentes. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk and it's usually left to age for 6 weeks before consumption. Underneath its ash-coated rind, the texture is delicate and smooth when young, but it becomes more d... Read more

Clochette is a French cheese hailing from the region of Poitou-Charentes. The cheese is made from goat's milk and it's usually left to age for 2 to 3 weeks in cellars before consumption. The name of the cheese means little bell, referring to its conical shape. Underneath its dry... Read more

Carré du Poitou is a traditional cheese originating from Villemain. This square-shaped cheese is made from raw goat’s milk, and it’s left to age for at least 4 weeks before consumption. Underneath its bloomy and ashy rind, the texture is soft, dense, smooth, creamy, and slightl... Read more

La Taupiniere or Taupinette is a French cheese hailing from Poitou-Charentes. It was created by Gilles Jousseaume in 1973. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk and ages for 3 weeks in cellars. It's shaped into a dome, and the wrinkly rind has a natural blue-grey mold. The tex... Read more

This classic French brandy is distilled from grapes in order to produce eau-de-vie, which is then aged and blended to make cognac. The drink originated when it was revealed that eau-de-vie brandy of the Charente region develops different and more sophisticated flavors when aged ... Read more

Extra old Cognac label is the one with a blend that has been aged the longest. Although the previous legislation stated that XO needs to be at least six years old, new categorization, which will be fully implemented by March 31, 2019, will indicate that to be labeled as an XO, the blend ... Read more

Very superior old pale is a Cognac category whose blend is aged for at least four years—which means that the youngest brandy mixed in the blend is four years old, while the others can be aged for longer. VSOP is both lively and serious, and it can be enjoyed on its own, preferably ... Read more

Very special Cognac is the youngest that is allowed on the market. It must be aged for at least three years, with the reference date being October 1. The fresh and lively character of these labels makes them an excellent option for cocktails and mixed drinks. ... Read more

This French vin de liqueur—fortified wine—is made by adding unfermented grape must to Cognac. The most common version is the amber (white) Pineau, made from traditional Cognac grapes such as Ugni Blanc, Colombard, or Folle Blanche. The drink is characterized by its w... Read more