Specialities and traditional dishes

Among our specialties, duck occupies pride of place: it's the king of Landes gastronomy. Label Rouge and Indication Géographique Protégée farm-raised ducks from the Landes are raised in the open air for 102 days on whole-grain corn feed. Producers adhere to rigorous specifications to live up to their reputation.
Whether in confit, aiguillettes, magret or foie gras, duck can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Foie gras is an unmissable gastronomic product, emblematic of the region. Made from fatty poultry, it is the result of exceptional know-how. It can be enjoyed plain, on a slice of bread or with fig compote. Some prefer it half-cooked or pan-fried.
Duck confit is one of the typical recipes of Landes cuisine, dating back several millennia. In ancient times, fattened ducks were raised and then cooked in fat. This practice has endured, particularly in the countryside, and even found a place on the tables of Henri IV's court. The technique is always the same: duck meat is cooked in hot fat for at least two hours, before being canned and covered in fat. It can then be preserved for several months. Ready to enjoy confit? Grill it for a few minutes on each side in a frying pan or oven in a little fat. The skin should be golden and crisp, and the flesh still tender.
The Landaise salad is a condensation of the region's specialties. Gourmet and hearty, it's a complete dish made with products from the Landes region: duck foie gras, slices of smoked duck breast, duck gizzards, Bayonne ham and some white asparagus, corn and pine nuts for freshness! Tomatoes and toasted garlic bread croutons are also sometimes added. Simple yet delicious. What more could you ask for?
To find foies gras, duck and goose, duck breast and confit, visit a local farmers' market. In winter, stalls abound throughout the department: Dax, Mont-de-Marsan, Saint-Sever, Peyrehorade, Villeneuve-de-Marsan...
Landes cuisine is not just about foie gras and duck confit. Garbure is a lesser-known dish in our culinary heritage. This traditional soup, which resembles a South-Western stew, is rich in starches, vegetables and meats. The recipe can be adapted to any taste and has its origins in the countryside. More than just a soup, garbure is a rustic dish traditionally featuring tarmac beans (white beans from the South-West), broad beans, kale, potatoes, celery, turnips, carrots and leeks. The choice of meat is equally varied: Landes duck, Bayonne ham, pork sausage or pork rind... A complete dish to be enjoyed piping hot on a cold winter's day!
Gourmets also appreciate the Landes IGP farmhouse poultry. Chickens, poulards, capons, turkeys and quails are also raised in the open air, in the heart of the Landes forest, for a minimum of 81 days. In 1965, the yellow Landes chicken, also known as the Saint-Sever chicken, was awarded the first Label Rouge for foodstuffs. Farm poultry rearing is inseparable from the marensines, small mobile huts integrated into the landscape, developed in the 1960s to respect the animals' natural environment.
A number of game dishes complete the menu of Landes specialties, including stews. And let's not forget Chalosse beef, raised in the pastures of the Landes region, which benefits from IGP certification. It is characterized by the tenderness of its flesh, due to a minimum 10-day maturation period.
Fancy a dessert? Landes pastis is a must! Nothing to do here with an aniseed-flavored drink, it's a compact brioche with a melt-in-the-mouth texture, flavored with vanilla, rum, orange blossom or aniseed. It can be eaten at any time of day, for breakfast or a snack, but above all as a dessert with a good custard!
Gourmets will also discover the tourtière landaise, a local speciality made with puff pastry and slightly tart apples flavoured with Armagnac. Clever tip: warm it up a few minutes before eating!
Finally, the famous Madeleines de Dax are another Landes speciality. This delicious and exceptional artisanal cookie is made and sold in one of the town's oldest shops!

A wealth of gastronomic delights at your fingertips

Duck, poultry, beef... but also a wide range of quality-labeled fruit and vegetables! The list of Landes specialities would not be complete without mentioning a few other quality gourmet products. These include early potatoes grown on the sandy moors. Recognizable by its thin skin and tender flesh, this potato is appreciated by connoisseurs for its unique taste.
Let's not forget the unmissable asparagus des sables, which benefits from a Protected Geographical Indication. Produced in the Landes region (the leading producer), this variety of asparagus can be found on market stalls from April to June. Gourmets enjoy them roasted with country ham or au gratin with dried duck breast.
Other specialties include the Adour kiwi. This is the only French kiwi with both IGP and Label Rouge certification, and is eaten between mid-December and April.
Last but not least, other emblematic products of the département include Adour salmon, Hossegor oysters, Landes de Gascogne honey and Soustons peanuts!
To fully immerse yourself in the real Landes gastronomy during your stay, look out for the "Réseau Gourmand" label! The "Réseau Gourmand" brings together Landes restaurateurs, producers, craftsmen, shopkeepers and accommodation providers committed to preserving the region's terroir and know-how. Through their work, they act as ambassadors for Landes gastronomy, guaranteeing product quality and the use of short distribution channels.

Landes vineyards

With three distinct terroirs - Tursan, Chalosse and Bas-Armagnac - the Landes vineyards cover more than 1,650 hectares. Tursan, located between Dax and Mont-de-Marsan, and thanks to its proximity to the Landes de Gascogne Regional Nature Park, enjoys a privileged climatic situation. The Tursan PDO includes red and rosé wines made from a variety of grape varieties: Cabernet franc, Tannat, Cabernet sauvignon, Fer-Servadou and Merlot. White wines are dominated by Baroque grapes, unique to the Landes region, Gros-Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc.

In the land of Chalosse, on the Côtes de l'Adour and on the sables de l'océan and sables fauves, where reds, rosés and whites are produced, the Landes PGI is marked by fruity aromas. To find out more about the vineyards of the South-West, take a look at www.vignobles-sudouest.fr.

Finally, Landes gastronomy also shines with its local aperitif. Bas-Armagnac is renowned for its brandy, known since the Middle Ages: Armagnac. AOC since 1936, Armagnac is produced according to a traditional recipe and the know-how of yesteryear. This spirit, distilled from a dry white wine, is produced in Mont-de-Marsan, Roquefort and Labastide-d'Armagnac. The same is true of Floc-de-Gascogne, an aperitif that subtly blends 2/3 grape juice and 1/3 Armagnac.

As you can see, thanks to its mild, favorable climate, the Landes region offers a wealth of wine to discover and enjoy - but, of course, in moderation!