Midi-Pyrenees - Taste of France

GASTRONOMY

In fact it’s so good that you might want to come and visit us just so that you can discover our regional produce. First of all there’s foie gras, truffles and Roquefort, which together make up a much-loved trilogy of the very finest products that enjoy worldwide fame. Then there is saffron, Bigorre Noir ham, Chasselas grapes and other delicacies that await you on the farms, at the markets and in the restaurants of a region where love of fine food and drink is a cardinal virtue.

FOIE GRAS

The Crème de la crème of duck dishes...The foie gras duck of the Southwest has held a Label Rouge quality mark since 1989.... Read more

QUERCY BLACK TRUFFLES

With a small production of around 3 times a year, Lot continues to be one of France’s main truffle-producing department. Quercy black truffles, the ultimate example of this noble species, are collected in winter in the area around Lalbenque...Read more

CHARCUTERIE - MEATS

- Quercy Farm-raised Lamb: If you travel round the countryside around Figeac or Rocamadour, you will find that the local sheep (which have black rings around their eyes) look like they’re wearing glasses!
- Allaiton D’Aveyon Suckling Lamb: It is the Lacaune breed’s ewe that gives birth to the Allaiton d’Aveyron lamb. This fine creature also provides the milk used to make Roquefort cheese.
- Aubrac Farm-Raised Beef: The quality of Aubrac Farm-reared Beef is acknowledged by leading connoisseurs, including Michel Bras.
- Gascon Beef: With its light-grey coat and black eyes, its powerful build and sturdy and robust hooves, the Gascon beef cattle breed roams free across the summer pastures of the Pyrenees.
- Gers Farm-reared Poultry demonstrates the commitment of an entire industry which from egg through to plate guarantees a product of the extremely reliable quality.
Get more detailed information about the meats of Midi-Pyrenees

LOCAL PRODUCE

- Haricots Tarbais: The legend says that the beans were brought back from America by Christopher Colombus and first planted by the Bishop of Tarbes in his garden around 1712
- Chasselas Grapes: The outstanding Chasselas de Moissac grape was the first fresh fruit in France to be awarded Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status.
- Greengages: This delicious fruit has a green skin tinged with gold and is shrouded in a protective veil (the ‘bloom’). Its flesh is firm and juicy, with a delicate, slightly acid taste.
- Périgord Walnuts: The walnut tree has also been a source of wealth since the 10th century, when peasant farmers used to pay their debts in bushels of walnuts.
- Toulouse Violets: The Toulouse violet (Viola tolosa) is not just a romantic symbol of the capital of Midi-Pyrénées. It is also the inspiration behind many gourmet and culinary creations.
Get more detailed information about the local produce of Midi-Pyrenees

CHEESES

- Roquefort: This cheese is almost a part of France’s history: a monument to taste that forms part of the nation’s heritage.
- Blue des Causses: One of Roquefort’s neighbors, evokes images of stony ground, heathland and cellars deep beneath the sun-baked causses.
- Laguiole: This is a product of the transhumance of the herds of Aubrac cattle that munch their way through the luscious grass of summer pastures as they wander around the uplands.
- Rocamadour: Rocamadour is an irresistible little cheese which has been made from unpasteurized goat’s milk on the causses du Quercy since the 15th century.
- Pyrenean Tomme: This is a mountain cheese produced at high-altitude that has been made in the heart of the Central Pyrenees since the 12th century.
Get more detailed information about the cheeses of Midi-Pyrenees

WINES & SPIRITS

- Armagnac: In the voluptuous countryside that befits the epicurean feel of Gascony you'll find the prestigious Armagnac region to regale your senses with the precious gold and copper-coloured liquid that hails from the area between Auch and Eauze. More information about Armagnac - Wines of Cahors: With sun-drenched vineyards, vast estates and big personalities, everything that is simple and alluring about the elegant countryside reaches its zenith in the Lot Valley among the vineyards of Cahors. More information about Wines of Cahors

MICHELIN-STARRED CHEFS

COOKING IN THE BIG LEAGUES: Their personality, vision and creativity have been recognized by 1, 2 or 3 stars. Midi-Pyrénées is proud of its 26 Michelin-starred chefs who have raised the region's gastronomy to new heights of gourmet achievement, flavor and elegance. So what are you waiting for? Treat yourself to a wonderful foray into their world; share their passion and experience their highly creative cuisine.

MICHEL SARRAN (3 Michelin starred chef):

Based in Toulouse, Michel Sarran is an exceptional, uncompromising and independent-minded chef who holds two Michelin stars. He champions a regional gastronomy that sits well at the dizzy heights of elegance and artistic creativity to which he brings it. More information about Michel Sarran

MICHEL BACH (2 Michelin starred chef):

At Le Puits Saint Jacques in the département of Gers we meet Bernard Bach. His two Michelin stars were awarded in recognition of his approach to cooking as a blend of the authentic and the innovative, the down to earth and the wildly imaginative. More information about Michel Bach

SCENIC CYCLING ROUTES

CANAL DE GARONNE

Location: From Lamagistère (66 km northwest of Montauban) to Toulouse. The Canal de Garonne Greenway (the canal is also known as the 'Canal des Deux Mers') continues in one direction as far as Bordeaux and in the other to Sète (the Thau Basin). More details about the itinerary of the Canal de Garonne cycling route here

CANAL DU MIDI

Location: From Toulouse to the Seuil de Naurouze (53 km northwest of Carcassonne). This route continues in one direction to Sète / Thau Basin (in the Languedoc-Roussillon region) and in the other direction, via the Canal des Deux Mers Greenway, as far as Bordeaux (Aquitaine region). More details about the Canal du Midi cycling route here

HIGHLIGHTS

Find out more about these cities of Midi-Pyrenees: Moissac, Rodez, Canal des Deux Mers, Vallée de la Dordogne, Sorèze - Saint-Ferréol, Auch, Conques, Flaran Baise Armagnac, Cordes-sur-ciel, Figeac, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Pont D'Espagne, Lourdes, Najac Villefranche de Rouergue, Cahors, Rocamadour, Marciac, Albi, Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, Le Viaduc de Millau, Toulouse, Collection Ariège, Luchon, Pic du Midi