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A rough guide to the Gastronomy, food and drink, of the Dordogne, Perigord region
Drinks
Wine: since 1996 a small group of producers have been reviving a wine that had been prevalent before the phylloxera outbreak. Domme wine is now flowing again in the glasses of the Perigourdians accompanying their cuisine beautifully. Not only that but, on the St Cyprien side of the Dordogne river, the Voie Blanche estate produces an old merlot which is a keeping wine, casked in oak barrels. Its fruity aroma of raspberries, blackberries and preserved fruits makes it an ideal accompaniment to the traditional Périgord dishes.
Food
The Dordogne region supplies almost half of France's fine produce: wines, cèpes, truffles, and duck and goose, from which come many specialities from foie gras to the Demoiselle - the whole bird grilled over a wood fire.
Foie Gras: Like it or not, foie gras is the result of breeding and force-feeding of geese and ducks, an old tradition in the Dordogne/Périgord. To make you feel better about this the birds are all free-range and are often to be found eating grass at the foot of walnut trees on Dordogne farmland. Goose Foie Gras tastes recognisably sweet and creamy, whilst fans of duck Foie Gras appreciate its stronger flavour.
Walnuts: the Dordogne is the second largest producer of walnuts in France and more than half of its production is from the Périgord Noir. The walnut is a delicious and nutritious nut, containing essential fatty acids and minerals and is eaten dried or made into oil.
Truffles: the Périgord Noir produces white truffles from May to October and black and and morning mist truffles from December to the end of February which delicately flavour Foie Gras, pâtés, sauces and omelettes among other things.
Cèpes / porcinis: with its red or black cap and its bulbous foot, the cèpe is one of the treasures of the forests. They are found under mounds of leaves and in the shadow of chestnut or oak trees at the end of the summer, but only if the weather has been good.
Chestnuts: for several centuries the chestnut was the staple diet of the region, and now it takes its place at the gourmet's table throughout the year - mini chestnuts with an aperatif, and larger ones prepared as an accompaniment to meat or used as a dessert.
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