Local specialities
Touraine specialities
Touraine is a region packed full of high-quality local produce.
From the sweet to the savoury, there’s something to satisfy all taste buds …
Touraine AOP
Star of Touraine cuisine, the Sainte-Maure de Touraine appellation is the most famous goat’s cheese in the region. It is presented in the form of a truncated cone-shaped log, with a cereal straw in its heart, engraved with its producer’s name. Authentically made within its protected geographical area, it’s sure to delight with its classic goat’s-cheese aromas and lightly hazelnut flavour. To be enjoyed with a little glass of Touraine white wine.
The rillette and rillons
Our charcuterie is the pride of the people of Touraine. Our rillette and rillons, in particular, are not to be missed. It was in the 15th century that the rillette first appeared in Touraine. This is a meat, most often pork, cooked slowly in its own fat. Then, it is crushed by hand and seasoned with salt and pepper. Similar in appearance to a stringy ‘páté’, rillette is often enjoyed on toasts. It can be found in a jar with a fine layer of fat on top, or sliced as a deli meat.
Rillons, on the other hand, are cubes of streaky pork belly, browned and candied whole in their cooking fat.
La Balzacienne
Cheesemaker Thierry Cartereau and baker Joël Legendre have created an original tart in tribute to Balzac. It is made up of roast nuts (hazelnuts, almond, walnuts, pistachio) and slices of Sainte-Maure de Touraine AOP on a fine layer of citrus marmalade and a few gourmet secrets …
A second recipe has been created with Touraine rillons, replacing the citrus marmalade with a quince jelly! In the purest tradition of ‘travel tarts’, a new Touraine speciality is born: La Balzacienne!
The andouillette
The andouillette resembles a very thick sausage, made from pork intestine. It is generally enjoyed cooked, with some very rare exceptions. It contains herbs, spices, condiments, wine or alcohol, measured out according to individual recipes.
Tours nougat
Don’t confuse Tours nougat with its Provençal namesake. This is not a sweet, but a cake made from shortcrust pastry topped with compote or marmalade (apple, pear or apricot), candied fruits and almonds. This traditional treat keeps very well and is often used as a ‘travel cake’. Now back in the spotlight, Tours nougat can be found in most bakeries in Indre et Loire.
Poires tapées
In the Renaissance, a new way of conserving pairs was developed: the poire tapée. In the early years of the 20th century, poire-tapée production was huge and renowned across the Tours region.
The poire tapée is an artisanal production which consists of a long and painstaking dehydration process. Scalded and peeled, the pears are cooked in a very hot oven for a week, before being tapped with a ‘platissoire’ to knock out any air inside.
These can be eaten in various ways: as they are, of course, but also rehydrated in water or wine. They can be used as a central theme connecting an entire meal.
The fouées
Wood-fired fouées
This is a little bread roll whose name and recipe varies across regions. In the past, everyone would come together by the fire as a family once a week for the ‘Fouées evening’. While they waited for the oven to heat up enough to cook, they would prepare fouées with the remaining bread dough. These would be eaten straight away, topped with rillettes and mogettes.
The Géline de Touraine
Once queen of the barnyard, the Géline de Touraine was almost wiped out by industrial chicken farming. However, this poultry with very fine, white flesh has made its return to the markets of Touraine. Soon protected by a red label, this traditional product measures up to its quality reputation.
