The gastronomy, food and drink, of south west France is alien to what the medical profession say is good for us and yet some of France's oldest living people are in the south west. 

Time and again the medical profession tries to drill into us that fatty foods are bad, very bad for us - similarly, a large intake of alcohol is supposedly bad for us too, but the South West of France is famed for its fat duck and geese and red wine is drunk on a daily basis. With that in mind the people of south west France should enjoy a shorter life span than in other parts of France, but in fact the opposite is true as some of the oldest living people in the whole country have lived their lives in this region of France. This inconvenient fact annoys doctors who know what is best for us and is known as the French Paradox.

The South West is a land of fat duck and geese which feed on the maize that is the main crop of the region. As you travel round you see fields upon fields filled with contented fat duck and geese. They are being fattened for the foie gras, the great delicacy of the area, but the by-products are just as good: the duck breast, or magret, as succulent a piece of meat as you could ask for, just grilled or served with a light sauce; and the legs and wings (manchons) served as confit.

Pigs are an important part of the countryside culture. Killing a pig is an important time in the family culture when friends come round to help make the sausages and the boudin - is that friends of the pig or the guy who killed it? The legs will be cured and hung to make the local ham (Jambon de Bayonne) and the loin (and sausages) will be preserved in its own fat as confit.

Fishing and hunting have always been an integral part of the culture too, though the wild salmon is no longer so plentiful and the real local fish is difficult to find in restaurants these days, but trout is plentiful. Shad is a local delicacy and on the coast the arrival of fresh tuna season is a major event. Oysters are plentiful also, coming down from the beds of Arcachon just up the coast and are an obligatory part of Christmas celebrations. Eels and especially the young elvers when in season are also considered to be a delicacy.

In the autumn the migratory wood pigeon, venison and wild boar are served in their traditional stews. That most fragrant of the mushrooms, the cèpe, is competitively gathered from the woods to make omelette au cèpes.

The Basque country though, has its own rather different specialities: The Basque cooking is spicier, owing much to a hottish red pepper, the piment d'Espelette. Combined with tomatos and peppers it is the basis of piperade which can be served with scrambled eggs and the local ham, or with chicken to become poulet Basquaise.