The products of the sea
Bordered by the ocean, the department is above all known for its seafood and especially the oysters of Marennes-Oleron. They benefit from ideal conditions for their development since they are matured in the oyster beds, which give them a unique color and taste. If the oyster farmer's job is demanding, their work is rewarded by obtaining a Label Rouge and a Protected Indication of Origin. Be careful when opening oysters! It is better to have a cloth and a small knife to avoid hurting yourself. Fines de Claire, Spéciales or Pousse en Claire, each one has a particular taste, but all of them can be appreciated with a dash of lemon, a mignonnette (shallot vinegar) or accompanied by a crépinette. Under this name hides sausage meat enclosed in crepines.
Many other treasures of the sea await you in Charente-Maritime! Starting with the mussels. Raised on bouchots, they are the stars of the summer. They can be found on every table, especially on the terrace, most often accompanied by French fries. Restaurants offer a variety of recipes, from the traditional mouclade to the most surprising éclade! We can also note the presence of imperial shrimps recognizable by their tiger coat and raised in the Seudre basin.
With such an ocean front and fishing ports, fish lovers are spoiled in Charente-Maritime. You can find on the stalls noble species such as sea bass, sole, sea bream and many others. On the island of Ré, we often fish for casserons while on Oléron we enjoy small soles called ceteaux. It is not uncommon to see on the menu of restaurants a dish called chaudrée, a thick fish soup that Maigret used to taste in the novels of Simenon.
What if you were to try the salicorne? Known as the "bean of the sea", this ancient vegetable with a seaweed-like appearance enjoys the salty air of the mudflats and salt marshes of the Ile de Ré or Oléron. The salicorne is eaten candied in vinegar or as a vegetable in a salad. It contains many minerals and vitamins.
Of course Charente-Maritime is famous for its salt! It is impossible not to bring back with you a bag of fleur de sel as its white crystals perfume the dishes, from the simple tomato to the caramels! A must!
Ground side
The department has some specialties that the whole world envies us! Starting with the famous potatoes of the Ile de Ré. Cultivated since the 18th century, they benefit from a Protected Designation of Origin. It is true that their taste is inimitable. With their fine and delicate skin, they can be cooked in water or browned and are a perfect accompaniment to fish, seafood or meat.
As an appetizer, make way for the Charentais grillon, a pâté that is eaten on a slice of bread with the inevitable Charentais melon. Cultivated throughout the south of France, particularly in the department, this fruit is eaten from June to October.
The other regular on tables, from breakfast to dinner, is the Charentes-Poitou butter. Since 2009, it benefits from an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée. In Surgères, you will find the oldest butter factory in activity producing a quality butter that contributes to the success of many dishes. On toast, in puff pastry, on potatoes, it makes all gourmets happy! We also like it on mouillettes to accompany the Marans egg, recognizable by its reddish-brown color.
For dessert, let yourself be tempted by a unique cheese: the jonchée. Known since the Middle Ages, this specialty of the Rochefort region is unique. Only a few producers still follow the true recipe, surrounding this cow's milk cheese with natural rushes harvested in the marshes. The jonchée is eaten with sugar, honey or jam. Numerous goat cheeses can be found on the market stalls, appearing in all their forms! You will find in particular the Mothais on leaf or the Chabichou.
Some delicacies
I can already feel the gourmands wondering what the Charente-Maritime has in the way of sweets. Don't worry, there's plenty to choose from! The shopping bag is quickly transformed into a mound of sweets. We'll start with the Charente galette, which despite its rustic appearance will seduce the whole family. It is true that the beautiful blonde does not miss assets, made with a good dose of butter, flavored with angelica, it is ideally consumed with a coffee. You will not leave without having tasted the broken wood. Funny name for this small cooked sugar candy which is as fine as sweet. We also appreciate the candies and chocolates! Tender caramels at Maya, chocolate pavés at Criollos, madeleines at Maison Colibri and millas, a typical cake of the two Charentes. This cornmeal-based pastry, which resembles a flan, is obviously flavored with cognac.
We need a drink!
If the Charente-Maritime is close to the coast, it also has vineyards that produce exceptional alcohols: cognac and pineau. The former is the local star, the one that unites the two Charentes. An export product, it is synonymous with quality and the French art of living. It is drunk at the end of a meal, in a "balloon" glass, but also in a cocktail with sparkling water or tonic during an aperitif. The second one is born from an alliance between grape juice and cognac. The winemakers must be patient! It takes an average of 12 months for the red pineau to take on its special color. The pineau appellation is based on a specificity, it is made with grapes from the same vineyard, part of which has been transformed into cognac. Consumed locally, this alcohol is mainly drunk as an aperitif, chilled and in a tulip glass. It goes wonderfully well with goat's cheese, or even - for the older ones - foie gras.
The Charente-Maritime region has many breweries that produce quality beers: the beer of Ré, the Science Infuse, the Bercloise, the beer of the Naufrageurs..
