A rough guide to the Charentes gastronomy: Food and drink 

Although the region is not famous for anything gastronomically special, it is proud of its rustic, honest and simple fare based on top-quality ingredients.

Drinks

Pineau des Charentes

Pineau des Charentes is made from a blend of three-quarters fresh grape juice and grape must, along with one quarter of cognac that is at least 60 proof. As the alcohol prevents the must from fermenting, the blend retains its high sugar content. After energetic blending, it is stored in oak barrels and left to age.

Pineau should be served well-chilled, as an aperitif, a dessert wine or with melon or other fruit. Pineau blanc is drier and is derived from a grape variety known as Saint-Emilion des Charentes or Folle blanche. Pineau rosé has a fruitier taste; it is made with red Cabernet and Merlot grapes. The quality varies according to the cognac used in the blending.

Cognac
The vineyards of Cognac cover 200,000 acres, making it the second largest area of production in France, Bordeaux being the largest, and over 90% of the production is exported from the region. Cognac is a distillation of white wine produced by vineyards that radiate out from the city of Cognac. The different categories of label indicate the length of time they have spent maturing in oak casks which ranges from five to forty years, or more for very special bottles.

Cognac, never a single alcohol but always a blend is sold as three-star Vieilles Réserves, XO and Napoléon - the names indicate the differences. Cognacs made mainly with Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne and containing at least 50% Grande Champagne are classed as Fine Champagne. All the leading cognac houses are open to visitors and are happy to show them around and give a tasting.

Food

Oysters, oysters and er, oysters. The Charentes region of western France has been a "producer" of oysters ever since Roman times - up to 40,000 tonnes of them these days, so they should know what they're talking about! The oysters derive their distinctive flavour from the small basins in which they are allowed to mature and acquire their geographically specific tastes and green colouring by virtue of of boat-shaped micro-organisms, the blue navicula.

Mussels, clams, scallops and soft-shelled crabs make tasty appetizers while sole, turbot, eel, cuttlefish and carp are served as main courses, stuffed or cooked in wine-based sauces.  Around La Rochelle, mouclade s a favourite - mussels cooked in white wine and served in a cream sauce

Cheese

History tells us that Chabichou du Poitou - a goats cheese - was first produced in the 7th century by Saracens who had stayed on in the area following the battle of Poitiers. It has a thin white rind tinged with grey/blue and white, a firm but creamy interior and is very popular indeed. It is a salted cheese and the flavour depends to a great extent on the expertise of the manufacturer.Maturing lasts from 10 days to several months and is increasingly flavourful as time goes on. This cheese has been awarded AOC status.

Other Poitou cheeses include Caillebotte, the creamy Mothe-Saint-Héray variety shaped like a camembert, specialties from Couhé-Vérac and La Crèche, and cylindrical goat cheeses such as Sainte-Maure.

Tourteau fromager, or cheese cake.
This old recipe dates back to the times when salt which was a rare and costly commodity in those days, was used quite sparingly and when, instead of being added to cheese, it was used fresh in cooking, as curds, or in a soft cake served as a dessert on special occasions. Spongy but firmly shaped in a crisp, fresh pastry crust, the cake is prepared with fresh goat cheese, eggs, flour and sugar. It has a rounded top which is always burnt and black looking.