CULINARY TRIP TO FRANCE: DROME AND ARDECHE

Each French region offers countless possibilities for a visit. Today I focus on two regions that I have traveled: Drome and Ardeche, found in the Rhône-Alpes and Rhone-Alpes. Especially in how to organize a culinary trip to these two areas and titlate your gastronomic tastebuds. 

In my previou visits to Rhone-Alpes, every step encounter was a temptation, black olives from Nyons, truffles from La Drôme, etc. All this and the lovely restaurants and terraces staggered along the Rhone river.


At the time of my visit the Ardeche chestnut here is queen. We are in the department of the largest producer of chestnuts in France, it produces about 5000 tons annually, established in 2006. Here we find chestnut liqueurs, creams, breads, soups and scrumptious Lou Pisadou cake. 

Walking through the area, trying the goat cheese known as picodon (which combines perfectly with chestnut cream, for example), is a must! This cheese is small, tender, soft paste with a delicate flavor. You'll find it just warm by the side of ​traditional salads, sprinkled with a dash of walnut oil.

If you like cheese, then try this: Bleu de Vercors-Sassenage, a cheese with more than seven centuries of history. Today is a delicacy that you can find in as an aperitif or many French cheese boards at the end of a meal. It is cow's milk and blue-veined.

And another tip for cheese lovers (afterall we are in France!). Stop by Romans, and sit in one of its terraces to try the ravioli Romans. They are smaller than the Italians, and filled with Comté cheese, parsley, butter and salt. Above them, a dadito butter, you should let it melt slowly, before devouring.

Our next stop will be in Mézenc, and if you like meat, you'll thank me. This is the birthplace of tasty beef Fins Gras, a fine marbled meat that you'll find only in the months of January and June. The animals are reared in the traditional way: "a winter fattening hay from the Mézenc massif, where the famous Alpine fennel or cistre, a anise flavor plant is fed to cattle after drying in the middle of hay . "

We continue our gastronomic getaway Drome and Ardeche. Now looking for a dessert among the many specialties of these regions. We chose a nougat made with almonds, lavender honey, pistachio and vanilla. The famous nougat of Montelimar.

How do you organize a gastro trip to these places?

For any trip by French territory, I usually consult several sources. Leo blogs of art and gastronomy,  and always consulte experts on the subject. 



So do it! Organize your gastronomic, or cultural break, or weekend camping in the best French landscapes. Now over to you, your turn to choose and arrange your next trip.