Markets & Food & Drink | N for Normandy

Normandy Food and Drink

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Normandy is a haute-cuisine delight for food lovers and visitors wanting to experience fabulous authentic ingredients. Whether from the sea or land Normandy has it all.

Dairy

cheese Camembert – From an 18th Century recipe, attributed to Marie Harel, Camembert is a rich creamy cheese, lightly salted, and best served when runny. The very best earns the letters, VCN, standing for veritable Camembert de Normandie, and ensures a top quality cheese.

Livarot – This firm cheese, is round in shape and banded in stripes, which have given rise to its nickname of “the colonel”. Produced in the Auge region, its origins derive from the 17th century, and it is one of the stronger soft cheeses, with a tawny rind.

Neufchatel – A cream cheese, with a mild flavour and a white coating, is packaged in square, cylindrical, or heart shaped blocks. It has the honour of being the oldest cheese in Normandy, dating back to the 11th century, and unlike other cheeses of the region, can be eaten after twelve days after production, but allowing for maturity improves the taste.

Pont-l’Eveque – First produced in the 17th century, and made with fresh warm milk, Pont-l’Eveque is a delicately flavoured soft but non runny cheese, with a washed crust, sold in squares.

Alcoholic drinks

wine-and-grapes-0005315165t-1024x1280 Benedictine – A strong liqueur originally made by the monks of the Abbey of Fecamp from a blending of angelica, saffron and arnica plus 24 other herbs and spices.

Calvados – Distilled from apples, calvados is a delicious brandy, which true Normans sip between courses or after the meal to assist with digestion. If left to mature for 10 or so years it becomes exceptionally potent, in fact some 40% proof.

Cider – A lovely sparkling drink, produced by fermenting apple juice. It can suit all pallets, with a sweet version (doux) or dry (brut), and is 4% by volume.

Poire – A delicate sparkling aperitif, the speciality of the Domfrontais. Fresh pears are fermented and result in this delicious drink, 4% by volume.

Pommeau – Produced from cider, a rich apple tasting aperitif.

Seafood

seafood Being surrounded by the larder that is the sea, Normandy is a seafood heaven, with its harbour restaurants, cafes and hotels, serving the freshest and best seafood dishes for which you could ask. Why not try Marmite Dieppoise, a spicy fish stew, with mussels, shrimp and white fish, cooked in white wine. Or perhaps the famous scallops of Port en Bessin

Meat

meat Normandy is a meat eaters paradise, with many of its main courses predominantly meat based. As a result of this the region has a number of signature dishes that will be on offer in the local restaurants.

Boudin noir aux pommes- A black pudding, enhanced with apple, a speciality of Mortagne-au-Perche.

Andouille – A pork sausage, made including offal, from the Vire area.

Canard au sang a la rouennaise – A speciality of Rouen, and not for the squeamish, a dish of chicken wings, cooked in a rich sauce, made from blood and herbs.

Poulet Vallee d’Auge – A chicken, flambéed with delicious calvados, and left to simmer in a cream and mushroom sauce.

Tripes a la mode de Caen – A dish of calf’s tripe, simmered in a pan of carrots and calvados for believe it or not 15 hours!

Sweets

dessert With its acres of apple a pear orchards, many of the rich Norman deserts and sweets are fruit based. Try walking past the beautifully displayed tarts displayed so artistically in the patisserie, without being tempted. Freshly made ice cream, crème fresh, buttery toffees from Isigny, a sweet tooth will not be denied in Normandy.

Daily Markets

fruit-market-stall-good There are markets througout the week in Normandy. Here you will find a great selection of fresh food from home grown vegetables to bread, cheeses, sea food and ciders. For a list of daily markets click the department that you require.