MIND, BODY & SOUL FOOD & DRINK
France boasts some 400 varieties of cheese, although some claim that the real figure is over 1,000 different fromages
around local seasonal fare and France’s gastronomy-obsessed society still enjoys centuries-old traditions of celebrating regional harvests. No matter when you plan to take your trip, it can be tailored around a culinary centrepiece. Springtime in France sees its fi elds and farms hold such celebratory festivals as the Fête de Printemps in St-Émilion, which welcomes another year of its region’s famous wine production. Meanwhile, the small commune of Beaulieu-sur- Dordogne in the Limousin bakes a strawberry tart eight metres in diameter, containing some 800 kilograms of the red fruit which abounds in the surrounding area. As the heat of summer descends on l’Hexagone, an
increasing number of fruit festivals saturate the country’s towns and villages with all manner of colourful hues – another tiny Limousin village, Concèze, throws a raspberry festival and a red fruit fête is held in Picardy. Summertime celebrations of seafood are also in full swing, with oysters showcased in Gujan-Mestras near Bordeaux and mussels in Boulogne. Meanwhile, Honfl eur hosts its Fête des Marins, a celebration of life by the sea that's taken place since 1861. The amber burnish of autumn brings Normandy’s annual apple fair and a chestnut festival in Mourjou, Auvergne. As France transitions into the bleaker winter months, it’s time to forage for mushrooms in the Rhône-Alps, and don’t miss the truffl e markets in Carpentras (Vaucluse), Le Rouret (Alpes-Maritime) and Lalbenque (Lot). In Paris at the end of October, chocoholics huddle
inside to feast their eyes and tastebuds at the Salon du Chocolat, and at Christmas, Licques holds a turkey festival to get everyone in the festive spirit.
126 FRENCH HOLIDAY Inspirations 2015
“The best French restaurants formulate their ever-changing menus according to local, seasonal fare…”
Even if you don’t want a solely food-based break, there
are regional gastronomic dishes across the country which simply shouldn't be missed. Bear in mind that you can't truly experience Brittany without munching on your fair share of crêpes and buckwheat galettes – try the classic 'galette complète', which is fi lled with ham, cheese and egg – plus some of the freshest fi sh and fruits de mer you could hope for. Similarly, Normandy just isn’t Norman without a steaming
bowl of moules marinières washed down with a crisp glass of cidre, and you can’t return satisfi ed from a trip to the Alps not having enjoyed a few servings of raclette and cheese fondue. In the south, fresh produce comes into its own. Marseille’s
famous bouillabaisse is a tomato-based stew containing whatever fresh fi sh and seafood is hauled onto the port's harbourside each morning, while a salade Niçoise fi lled with Mediterranean fl avours is hard to beat during a hot summer’s day on the Côte d’Azur.
AMAZING MARKETS Cooking for yourself is a real joy in France as even the smallest hamlets host their own weekly food markets, where local farmers, cheesemakers and butchers fl og their wares. For the most glorious
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Yummy moules-frites in Lille
IMAGES: © ATOUT FRANCE; OT LILLE; FOTOLIA/AUREMAR/ALAIN WACQUIER/DUSK; CRTB; BOIGONTIER; PARIS TOURIST OFFICE/MARC BERTRAND
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