A guide to Normandy Gastronomy: food and drink

Drinks

Normandy and apples go together as do cheese and crackers; Normandy is famous fotr it's cider made from locally grown apples, and of course for the mega famous Calvados which is an apple based brandy. Pommeau is another concoction of which they are proud and is made from two thirds apple juice and one third Calvados.

Way back in 1942 Calvados was awarded the AOC label, or Appellation d’Origine Controllé, which a quality assurance for the buyer. There are a great many cider and Calvados distilleries in central Normandy and visitors are welcomed to a tasting and a guided tour.

Alcoholic beverages seem to abound in Normandy and this is the true home of the Bénédictine liqueur which dates back to the Renaissance when a Venetian monk, Dom Bernardo Vincelli, brought together 27 plants and spices from around the world to create an elixir at the Abbey of Fécamp. Bénédictine has quite a history but this famous liqueur can be drunk with ice before a or after a meal as a digestive. Bénédictine is also often used as a base for numerous cocktails.

Food

Cheeses form part of the gastronomic delights of Normandy, and possibly the selection Normandy has to offer is as impressive as anywhere else in France. The most famous of course is Camembert which comes from the village of the same name near Vimoutiers, another two not so well known are Pont-L’Evêque and Livarot but there is also Neufchâtel which is well worth a try, and which is produced in various shapes and sizes.

Sea food

Normandy has an extensive coastline and so, as you would expect, it produces seafood in abundance both for export and for use in the local restaurants. Speciality seafood sishes range from shellfish, to lobster, clams, whelks, scallops, mussels and oysters from the Manche and Calvados. Oysters are classified, like cheeses and wines, with their own AOC (Controlled Origin Name).

Normandy is the chief oyster-cultivating and the largest scallop-exporting, region in France. The seaside towns offer plenty of seafood restaurants, as well as a variety of other food types, and in busy areas such as Deauville and Dieppe, restaurants line the streets, filled with delightful choices.

Main courses

Poultry which is often the very tasty Canard à la Rouennaise using local duck from the Seine valley, together with an offering of veal and pork dishes. Another speciality is Pré Salé lamb, given this name because the sheep are reared on the salt marshes surrounding Mont St Michel. Tripe is another Normandy speciality, traditionally from the Caen area.