Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Aquitaine, Limousin, Poitou-Charentes)

Clafoutis , sometimes spelled clafouti in Anglophone countries, is a French dish of fruit, traditionally unpitted black cherries, arranged in a buttered dish, covered with a thick but pourable batter, then baked to create a crustless tart. The clafoutis is traditionally dusted with powdered sugar and served lukewarm, sometimes with cream, as a dessert. It can also be served as a breakfast or brunch main or side dish. It originates in the Limousin region. One proposed derivation of the dish's name is from the Occitan clafotís, from the verb clafir, meaning "to fill" (implied: "the batter with cherries"). Another is that clafir comes from the old French claufir, meaning "to fix with nails," explained as the cherries having the appearance of nail heads. A traditional Limousin clafoutis contains both the flesh of the cherries and the nut-like kernels. Cherry kernels contain benzaldehyde, the compound responsible for the dominant flavour in almond extract. They also contain a small amount of amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside - a compound potentially capable of releasing cyanide if consumed, but non-toxic in small quantities.

Flaugnarde also known as flagnarde, flognarde or flougnarde, is a baked French dessert with fruit arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. Similar to a clafoutis, which is made with black cherries, a flaugnarde is made with apples, peaches, pears, plums, prunes or other fruits. Resembling a sweet batter pudding or large pancake, the dish is dusted with confectioner's sugar and can be served either warm or cold. The name is derived from the Occitan words fleunhe and flaunhard, which both translate as "soft" or "downy". The dish is common in the Auvergne, Limousin and Périgord regions of France.

Pastry with vanilla or almond cream

Corn flour egg custard (flan)

A Jésuite is a triangular, flaky pastry filled with frangipane cream and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar. The pastry originated in France and the name refers to the triangular shape of a Jesuit's hat. A similarly-named sweet pastry known in Portugal and Spain, the jesuíta, consists of puff pastry filled with custard. In Germany, Jesuitermützen are a custard-filled pastry traditionally cut into triangles. A similarly-named Uruguayan dish is the jesuita, a baked ham and cheese sandwich with a puff pastry crust commonly eaten in parts of South America and considered a classic of Argentinian cuisine, where it is known as a fosforito. In Argentina, jesuita is a very popular dish in many provinces. Rectangular in shape, it is made from puff pastry stuffed with ham and cheese, and is covered with a sweet crust.

A cold caramel flan

A sweet brioche

Plum cake refers to a wide range of cakes usually made with dried fruits such as currants, raisins, sultanas, or prunes, and also sometimes with fresh fruits. There is a wide range of popular plum cakes and puddings. Since the meaning of the word "plum" has changed over time, many items referred to as plum cakes and popular in England since at least the eighteenth century have now become known as fruitcake. The English variety of plum cake also exists on the European mainland, but may vary in ingredients and consistency. British colonists and missionaries brought the dried fruit variety of cake with them, for example, in British India where it was served around the time of the Christmas holiday season. In America's Thirteen Colonies, where it became associated with elections, one version came to be called election cake. Plum cakes made with fresh plums came with other migrants elsewhere, in which plum cake is prepared using plum as a primary ingredient. In some versions, the plums may become jam-like inside the cake after cooking, or the cake may be prepared using plum jam. Plum cake prepared with plums is also a part of Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, and is referred to as Pflaumenkuchen or Zwetschgenkuchen. Other plum-based cakes are found in French, Italian and Polish cooking. The term "plum cake" and "fruit cake" have become interchangeable. Since dried fruit is used as a sweetening agent and any dried fruit used to be described as "plums", many plum cakes and plum puddings do not contain the plum fruit now known by that name. The term "plum" originally referred to prunes, raisins or grapes. Thus the so-called plums from which English plum puddings are made "were always raisins, not the plump juicy fruits that the name suggests today."

Apple and Armagnac phyllo pie

Armagnac is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally using column stills. This is in contrast to the pot stills used in the production of cognac, which is made predominantly from ugni blanc grapes. The resulting spirit is aged in oak barrels before release. Production is overseen by the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) and the Bureau National Interprofessionel de l'Armagnac (BNIA). Armagnac was one of the first areas in France to begin distilling spirits. Because the overall volume of production is far smaller than cognac production, the brandy is less known outside Europe. In addition, for the most part it is made and sold by small producers, whereas cognac production is dominated by big-name brands, especially Courvoisier (owned by Campari Group), Hennessy (LVMH), Martell (Pernod Ricard), and Rémy Martin (Rémy Cointreau). Armagnac is the oldest brandy (and liquor) recorded to be still distilled in the world. In 1310, Prior Vital du Four, a cardinal, wrote of its 40 virtues. Vital du Four was born in Bazas, in the centre of Armagnac. He was known as the prior of Eauze, today the location of the Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac (BNIA). But historians have not found evidence that he ever visited Eauze, much less that he was writing specifically about distilled eau de vie from Armagnac. In the past it was consumed for its therapeutic benefits, as were other liquors.

Basque cider is an apple cider from the Basque region of Europe served at sagardotegi . Known as Sagardoa, the cider in Basque cuisine is produced at cider houses in areas such as Astigarraga, Spain, an apple growing region. It is sold in bottles, is still (non-carbonated), and poured from height. Salted cod omelette is a traditional dish eaten in Basque cider houses. Quince jelly and nuts are also served as well as steak. The production of the Basque cider is similar to winemaking in many ways. Apple harvesting starts in September and October to prepare raw material for barrel fermentation. The cider is then fermented up to the middle of spring. Compared to natural winemaking, Basque cider manufacturers do not add any commercial yeast. Spontaneous fermentation is the preferred way to produce cider in the Basque region. There's also a Basque tradition called "txotx" when barkeeps pour the cider right from the barrel directly into a glass 3 to 6 feet away to add natural carbonation.

Bordeaux wine is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city, the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde; the Gironde department, with a total vineyard area of 110,800 hectares, is the second largest wine-growing area in France behind the Languedoc-Rousillon. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of wine, ranging from large quantities of daily table wine to some of the world's most expensive and prestigious wines. The vast majority of wine produced in Bordeaux is red (sometimes called "claret" in Britain), with sweet white wines (most notably Sauternes), dry whites, and (in much smaller quantities) rosé and sparkling wines (Crémant de Bordeaux) collectively making up the remainder. Bordeaux wine is made by more than 5,660 producers or châteaux. There are 65 appellations of Bordeaux wine.

Cognac is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) designation, with production methods and naming required to meet certain legal requirements. Among the specified grapes, Ugni blanc, known locally as Saint-Émilion, is most widely used. The brandy must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from Limousin or Tronçais. Cognac matures in the same way as whiskies and wines barrel-age, and most cognacs spend considerably longer "on the wood" than the minimum legal requirement.

Graves is an important subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne River, in the upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretches over 50 kilometres (31 mi). Graves is the only Bordeaux subregion famed for all three of Bordeaux's three main wine types (reds, dry whites and sweet wines) although red wines dominate the total production. Graves AOC is also the name of one Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) that covers most but not all of the Graves subregion. The area encompasses villages including Sauternes, Pessac, Talence, Léognan, Martillac, Saint-Morillon, and Portets. The name "Graves" derives from its intensely gravelly soil. The soil is the result of glaciers from the Ice Age, which also left white quartz deposits that can still be found in the soil of some of the top winemaking estates.

Izarra means “star” in Basque, and is a brand of liqueur that was created in 1906 in Hendaye, in the Basque Country, by the botanist and pharmacist Joseph Grattau. Izarra is a liqueur made from a distillate of plants, spices and 2 macerations, prunes and walnut husks. After being heated in a copper still, the distillate is blended with armagnac in accordance with the original recipe. A symbol of the Basque Country, Izarra was acquired by Cointreau SA in 1981 then sold in 2015 to Spirited Brands Limited, and has been distributed by the Vedrenne group since 2018.

Tannat is a red wine grape, historically grown in South West France in the Madiran AOC, and is now one of the most prominent grapes in Uruguay, where it is considered the "national grape". Tannat is also grown in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, South Africa, and in the Italian region of Apulia, where it is used as a blending grape. In the US states of Maryland and Virginia, there are small experimental plantings of the vine, and plantings in California have increased dramatically in the first years of the 21st century. There are small plantings in Washington State which have shown excellent results. It has also been increasingly planted in Arizona, Oregon and Texas. Tannat wines produced in Uruguay are usually quite different in character from Madiran wines, being lighter in body and lower in tannins. It is also used to make full bodied rosé. In France, efforts to solve the harsh tannic nature of the grape led to the development of the winemaking technique known as micro-oxygenation.

Txakoli or chacolí (pronounced [tʃakoˈli]) is a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content produced in the Spanish Basque Country, Cantabria and northern Burgos in Spain. Further afield, Chile is also a minor producer. It is normally served as an aperitif and drunk within one year of bottling as it cannot be stored for longer. The most common, white, variety has a pale green color, but there are red and rosé varieties. When served, it is normally poured into tall glasses from a height, often as an accompaniment to pintxos. It typically has between 9.5-11.5 ABV. The 18th century Palace of Mendibile in Leioa near Bilbao today houses a museum dedicated to txakoli, the Museo del Txakoli, explaining the history of txakoli and with a large collection of machinery used for making it.

Milk-fed lambs of Basque-Béarnaise, Manech Red head and Manech Black head breeds, reared in Pyrénées Atlantiques, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Lambs reared in Pauillac, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Lambs reared in Limousin, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Lambs reared in Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Lambs reared in Poitou-Charentes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

The Bay of Aiguillon is known for its bouchot mussels, which are farmed using a traditional method involving wooden poles in the sea. This bay is significant for mussel production in France, contributing to about 15% of the national output.

Bazadais or Blonde d'Aquitane cattle reared in Gironde and Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Cattle raised in Aquitaine, France

Male chickens reared in Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Chowder, commonly made with fish, seafood, mussels

Duck confit ka.naʁ]) is a French dish made with whole duck. In Gascony, according to the families perpetuating the tradition of duck confit, all the pieces of duck are used to produce the dish. Each part can have a specific destination in traditional cooking, the neck being used for example in an invigorating soup, the garbure. Duck confit is also a traditional ingredient in many versions of cassoulet. While it is made across France, it is seen as a specialty of Gascony. The confit is prepared in a centuries-old process of preservation that consists of salt curing a piece of meat (generally goose, duck, or pork) and then cooking it in its own fat. The meat is rubbed with salt (which acts as a preservative), garlic, and sometimes herbs such as thyme, covered, and refrigerated for up to 36 hours, then cooked in an oven at a low temperature. The meat is slowly poached at least until cooked, or until meltingly tender, generally four to ten hours.

Potato dumplings with chard, meat

Savory buckwheat crêpe

Garbure is a thick French stew traditionally based on cabbage and confit d'oie, though the modern version is usually made with ham, cheese and stale bread. The name derives from the use of the term garb to describe sheaves of grain depicted on a heraldic shield or coat of arms. Thus the name of garbure, which is eaten with a fork, is a reference to the use of pitchforks to pick up sheaves of grain. It originated in Gascony in the historical cultural region of Occitania. It is similar to potée. Among the Gascons it may have some connection to the time under the Angevin Empire, with influence from English potage stew. Garbure was the daily sustenance of Gascon peasantry. It varied from home to home, resources of the cook, household income, and rhythms of the seasons. The dish is based on lengthy simmering of an assortment of vegetables and meats, generally meats preserved en confit. The essential cabbage may be accompanied by broad beans, fresh or dried, mangetout peas, potatoes, turnips, peas, onions, carrots, celeriac, kohlrabi, beets, lettuce, nettles, borage, or even chestnuts. A large tureen of garbure is often presented to the table in Bearnais restaurants at the start of the meal, and guests can help themselves to as much as they wish.

Oysters from the Bassin de Marennes Oléron, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Kintoa Basque pigs, raised on acorns, chestnuts and ferns in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Lamprey in a red wine and blood sauce

Braised rabbit with prunes

The Marennes-Oléron basin is primarily known for its oysters, but mussels are also farmed in the region. The area features traditional oyster and mussel farming practices, with local farmers often working in the shallow waters and mudflats.

The pâté aux pommes de terre, pronounced [pɑte o pɔm də tɛʁ], or pâté de pommes de terre is a speciality of the Centre-Val de Loire, Limousin and Allier regions in Central France. It can be served either as a side dish or as the main course. Today it is often eaten with a green salad. Its main ingredients are potato slices and crème fraîche, which are used to fill a puff pastry crust. The pie is then baked in the oven until the dish is covered with a golden-brown crust. There are different ways to prepare the pâté aux pommes de terre, and the seasonings vary from family to family. Parsley and onion are common ingredients in the Allier, while the use of garlic and meat is common in the Limousin, Haute-Vienne, and Creuse.

Piperade or piperrada (Basque and Spanish), from piper (pepper in Gascon and in Basque), is a typical Gascon and Basque dish prepared with onion, green peppers, and tomatoes sautéd and flavoured with red Espelette pepper. The colours coincidentally reflect the colours of the Basque flag (red, green, and white). It may be served as a main course or as a side dish. Typical additions include egg, garlic, or meats such as ham.

Pigs reared in Limousin, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Pigs reared in Aquitaine, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Fattened hens reared in Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Chicken reared in Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Pigeon stew

Tourin is a type of French soup, which is composed of onion, tomato, and/or garlic. It is also known as ouliat (lit. 'creamy') or le tourin d'ail doux, meaning 'smooth garlic soup'. Many regions have their own variations on the recipe. Typically, many recipes include as many as 20 cloves of garlic for a much stronger flavor. However other recipes include an equal measure of both onions and garlic to even out the taste. To prepare, the minced garlic (and sliced onions if included) are sautéed until soft and a simple roux is made by adding flour. Chicken stock or water is added to the mixture and is simmered over low heat to reduce. Egg whites are slowly drizzled in, not unlike egg drop soup, but whisked very rapidly to prevent large curds from forming. It is further thickened by tempering an egg yolk mixed with vinegar, which is then added to the soup.

Pig's small intestines, boiled in bouillon, then grilled on a fire of grapevine cane

Veal from Charollais or Limousine calves reared in Limousin, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Poultry reared in Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Poultry reared in Pyrénées Atlantique, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Poultry reared in Deux-Sévres, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Abbaye de Belloc is a semi-hard cheese from the Pays Basque region of France, made from unpasteurized sheep milk. It has a rich, nutty flavor and is traditionally produced by the Benedictine monks at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Belloc.

Andouille is a smoked sausage made using pork, originating in France but also known as an element in Cajun cuisine. In France, particularly Brittany and Normandy, the traditional ingredients of andouille are primarily pig chitterlings, tripe, onions, wine, and seasoning. It is generally grey and has a distinctive odor. A similar, but unsmoked and smaller, sausage is called andouillette, literally "little andouille". Some andouille varieties use the pig's entire gastrointestinal system. Various French regions have their own recipes such as: "l’andouille de Guémené", "de Vire", "de Cambrai", "d’Aire-sur-la-Lys", "de Revin", "de Jargeau", "de Bretagne", or "du Val d'Ajol". 'Nduja, a spreadable pork salami from Calabria, probably originates as a variation of andouille, originally introduced to Italy in the 13th century by the Angevins.

Asparagus that is grown underground in Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

White or purple asparagus grown in Gironde and Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Basque pumpkin cornbread is a unique recipe that combines cornmeal, pureed pumpkin, milk, butter, sugar, and egg yolks, often leavened with egg whites. It is a lesser-known dish that reflects the culinary traditions of the Basque region, typically enjoyed as a comforting side or dessert.

Butter made with pasteurized cream from Charente, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Luxury food products made with the liver from Moulard or Muscovy ducks, from Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Boletus edulis is a basidiomycete fungus, and the type species of the genus Boletus. Prized as an ingredient in various culinary dishes, B. edulis is an edible mushroom held in high regard in many cuisines, and is commonly prepared and eaten in soups, pasta, or risotto. The mushroom is low in fat and digestible carbohydrates, and high in protein, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Although it is sold commercially, it is very difficult to cultivate. Available fresh in autumn throughout Europe and Russia, it is most often dried, packaged, and distributed worldwide. It keeps its flavour after drying, and it is then reconstituted and used in cooking. B. edulis is also one of the few fungi sold pickled.

Chabichou is a traditional semi-soft, unpasteurized, natural-rind French goat cheese (or Fromage de Chèvre) with a firm and creamy texture. Chabichou is formed in a cylindrical shape which is called a "bonde", per the shape of the bunghole of a wine barrel. and is aged for 10 to 20 days. It is the only goat cheese that is soft ripened allowed by Protected Designation of Origin regulations to be produced using pasteurized milk. Chabichou is very white and smooth, and flexible to the palate, with a fine caprine odor. The legend of Chabichou goes back to 732, at the time of the defeat of the Arabs in the area, in the 8th century, after the Battle of Poitiers. Many of them left the area but some settled there with their families and, in particular, their goat herds. The countryside was appropriate for grazing the "poor man's cow", as the pastures were excellent. The cheese was then named cheblis ("goat", in Arabic), which would become "chabichou" thereafter. However, the domestication of the goat in this area is supposed to date back to Roman colonization, and extends up to the present. Chabichou du Poitou, made exclusively in the north of Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, acquired its AOC status in 1990 with the assistance of the efforts of Ségolène Royal. It is known for its characteristic label. Its production rose to 555 tons in 2003.

Chistorra is a type of fast-cure sausage from Aragon, the Basque Country and Navarre, Spain. It can be considered a special type of chorizo. It is made of minced pork, or a mixture of minced pork and beef, is encased in either lamb tripe or plastic and has a fat content that varies between 70 and 80%. The sausage is flavoured with garlic, salt and paprika, which gives it a bright-red colour. It is usually baked, fried or grilled and often accompanies other dishes, sometimes as part of tapas. The final cured product tends to be thinner than traditional chorizo or sausage, with a diameter of approximately 25 mm. The sausages average 40 cm (16 in) in length, though there are cases when they reach up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long. In the Aragonese Pyrenees, there are two different types of chistorra: one made only of pork meat and another made of lungs, boned pig head and the pancreas, called berica. The local variety of chistorra available in the province of León is called Chistorra de León and is made with a larger percentage of beef.

The Espelette pepper is a variety of Capsicum annuum that is cultivated in the French commune of Espelette, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, traditionally the northern territory of the Basque people. On 1 June 2000, it was classified as an AOC product and was confirmed as a PDO product on 22 August 2002. Its flavor is described as sweet, fruity, and berry-like with a mild heat. Chili pepper, originating in Central and South America, was introduced into France during the 16th century. After first being used medicinally, it became popular as a condiment and for the conservation of meats. It is now a cornerstone of Basque cuisine, where it has gradually replaced black pepper and it is a key ingredient in piperade. AOC espelette peppers are cultivated in the following communes: Ainhoa, Cambo-les-Bains, Espelette, Halsou, Itxassou, Jatxou, Larressore, Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle, Souraïde, and Ustaritz. Piment d'Espelette must be produced from the Gorria variety of Capsicum annuum. Irrigation is prohibited, except for the month after planting and the plant density must be 10,000 to 30,000 plants per hectare. They are harvested in late summer and, in September, characteristic festoons of pepper are hung on balconies and house walls throughout the communes to dry out. An annual pepper festival organized by Confrérie du Piment d'Espelette, held since 1968 on the last weekend in October, attracts some 20,000 tourists.

Foie gras ; ( French: [fwa ɡʁɑ] ⓘ, English: /ˌfwɑːˈɡrɑː/ ⓘ) is a specialty food product made of the liver of a duck or goose. According to French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage (force feeding). Foie gras is a delicacy in French cuisine. Its flavour is rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike an ordinary duck or goose liver. Foie gras is sold whole or is prepared as mousse, parfait, or pâté, and may also be served as an accompaniment to another food item, such as steak. French law states, "Foie gras belongs to the protected cultural and gastronomical heritage of France."

Fondue cheese sauce made from local cheese, used to top potatoes or as a dip for fries

Strawberries grown in Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Bayonne ham or jambon de Bayonne is a cured ham that takes its name from the ancient port city of Bayonne in the far southwest of France, a city located in both the cultural regions of Basque Country and Gascony. It has PGI status. The area concerned is the basin of the river Adour and this geographical limitation is now enshrined in the regulations for the production of Bayonne ham. The meat itself does not have to come from the Adour basin but has to be produced from one of eight clearly defined breeds of pig reared in an area from Deux-Sèvres in the north to Aveyron and the Aude. The regulations are very strict and cover the zone of origin of the pork, the regime for feeding the animals , and each animal must be clearly and uniquely identifiable with a tattoo. Transport, slaughter, size and weight of the original meat cut, minimum fat cover, linoleic acid content, and the post slaughter storage temperature for the meat are all specified. The ham produced within these criteria is given the European Union PGI status Protected Designation of Origin and as such is called Bayonne ham. Enforcement of these regulations and the granting of the right to use the name Bayonne ham is the responsibility of Le Consortium de Jambon du Bayonne based in Pau, the capital of Department 64 in southwest France. The drying method used in modern times mimics that used in the past. Each drying storage chamber has temperature and humidity controls set to match seasonal variations. Originally the pigs were slaughtered in late October and early November. The hams were then rubbed in salt produced in the salt pans of the Adour estuary or from those near Béarn. The temperature conditions at this time of year, 6 to 8 °C (43 to 46 °F), are ideal for the initial preserving process and the hams were left hanging in the drying room until the end of January or early February. In the next part of the process, a mixture of pork fat and flour called pannage is used to seal the cut end of the joint. This reduces the speed in which the meat dries out during the warmer months of March, April, and May. At some point during this time many of the producers will also rub a paste of piment d'Espelette (Basque chile pepper) into the skin, giving a unique tang to the end product. The final drying stage is completed by the end of July and the ham is ready. Modern techniques using individual drying chambers with temperature and humidity controls simply reproduce the seasonal temperatures and the changing humidity conditions produced each year by the foehn (southerly wind) and the Atlantic Ocean. The size of ham used is normally within the range of 8 to 9 kg (18 to 20 lb) including bone.

Salted and dry-cured ham from Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Kiwi fruit grown in Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Melon grown in Haut-Poitou, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Chorispora tenella is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by several common names, including purple mustard, blue mustard, musk mustard, and crossflower. This mustard is native to parts of Eurasia but is well known in other parts of the world, particularly in temperate regions, as an introduced species and a noxious weed. This is an annual herb reaching a maximum of half a meter in height. It has wavy-edged alternate leaves of lanceolate or oblanceolate shape of up to 8 centimeters long, and glandular hairs are typically observed on most parts of the plant. The four tiny petals of each cruciform flower emerge from a loose tube of sepals and spread into a corolla about a centimeter wide. The flowers are lavender to pale magenta in color, and a field heavily infested with purple mustard can take on a distinct lavender wash. The flowers have a light scent—more noticeable when many individual plants are blooming together in a large area—which is considered unpleasant by some and fragrant by others. The fruits are long upturned cylindrical capsules about 4 centimeters long containing round, reddish-brown seeds that eventually burst from the fruit pods.

Walnuts grown in Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Ossau-Iraty is a Basque cheese made from sheep's milk. Ossau-Iraty or Esquirrou is produced in south-western France, in the Northern Basque Country and in Béarn. Its name reflects its geographical location, the Ossau Valley in Béarn and the Irati Forest in the Basque Country. It has been recognized as an appellation d'origine contrôlée product since 1980. It is one of three sheep's milk cheeses granted AOC status in France (the others are Roquefort and Brocciu). It is of ancient origin, traditionally made by the shepherds in the region.

Pâté -TAY, French: [pɑte] ⓘ) is a forcemeat. Originally, the dish was cooked in a pastry case; in more recent times it is more usually cooked without pastry in a terrine. Various ingredients are used, which may include meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef; fat; vegetables; herbs; spices; wine; and brandy. Both the Dictionnaire de l'Académie française and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) date the term back to the 12th century. The former gives the original meaning as a "culinary preparation consisting of minced meat or fish surrounded by dough and baked in the oven"; the OED's definition is "a pie or pastry usually filled with finely minced meat, fish, vegetables, etc." The French words pâte (pastry) and pâté are both derived from the Latin pasta meaning paste or dough (as is the English "pastry"). By the 19th century the pastry case was often dispensed with. According to Larousse Gastronomique, when there is a pastry case the dish is pâté en croute and when there is not, and the mixture is cooked in a dish (called a terrine), it is pâté en terrine, often abbreviated to terrine or pâté, terms used interchangeably in both French and English usage. A patty is a similar dish, and its name comes from a 19th-century English corruption of the French word pâté.

Country pâté, serve with bread and wine

Quince cheese is a sweet and tart, thick jelly made of the pulp of the quince fruit. It is a common confection in several countries. In the Iberian Peninsula, this traditionally Mediterranean food is called ate or dulce de membrillo in Spanish, marmelada or doce de marmelo in Portuguese, marmelo in Galician, marmiellu in Asturian and codonyat in Catalan. It is a firm, sticky, sweet reddish hard paste made of the quince (Cydonia oblonga) fruit. It is also very popular in Hungary (as birsalmasajt), Portugal and Brazil (as marmelada), France (as pâte de coing in French and codonhat in Occitan, or cotignac in Orléans), Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay and Chile (as dulce de membrillo), Uruguay, (as Martín Fierro), Italy (as cotognata), Croatia (as kotonjata or kitnikez), Serbia (as kitnikez), Peru (as machacado de membrillo), Israel (as ממבריו membrio), Turkey (as ayva peltesi) and Romania (as marmeladă de gutui). The recipe is probably of ancient origin; the Roman cookbook of Apicius, a collection of Roman cookery recipes compiled in the late 4th or early 5th century AD, gives recipes for stewing quince with honey.[citation needed]

The Ariane apple is a notable variety from the Périgord region in France, known for its sweet and crisp flavor, resembling the McIntosh apple. It is grown primarily in areas like the Loire Valley and Périgord, and is recognized for its resistance to scab, allowing for more organic cultivation.

Red chili pepper grown in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

A pincho , pintxo ( Basque: [pintʃo]) or pinchu ( Asturian: [ˈpintʃʊ]) is a small snack, typically eaten in bars, traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country, Navarre, La Rioja, Cantabria, and Asturias. They are usually eaten in bars or taverns as a small snack, in the company of friends or relatives; thus, they have a strong socializing component, and, in the Basque country and Navarre, they are usually regarded as a cornerstone of local culture and society. They are related to tapas, the main difference being that pinchos are usually 'spiked' with a skewer or toothpick, often to a piece of bread. They are served in individual portions and always ordered and paid for independently from the drinks. It is not impossible, however, for the same item to be called pincho in one place and tapa in another. They are called pinchos because many of them have a pincho (Spanish for spike), typically a toothpick —or a skewer for the larger varieties— through them. They should not be confused with brochettes (brochetas in Spanish) which, in Latin America and some parts of Spain, are called pinchos too (see pinchitos); in brochettes, the skewer or toothpick is needed to cook the food or keep it together. A typical snack of the Basque Country and Navarre, "pinchos" consist of small slices of bread upon which an ingredient or mixture of ingredients is placed and fastened with a toothpick, which gives the food its name "pincho," meaning "spike." Pinchos are usually eaten as an appetizer, accompanied by a small glass of young white wine (called txakoli, pronounced [tʃakoˈli]) or beer (zurito, pronounced [s̻uˈɾito] quarter of a pint). Pinchos are very common in the taverns of the Basque Country and in other nearby areas, such as Cantabria, La Rioja, northern Burgos, and Navarre, where a variety of pinchos is usually served on a tray at the bar.

Potatoes grown on Île de Ré, and island in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Green to yellow apples grown in Limousin, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Potatoes roasted in duck fat with garlic and herbs, goose fat is also used

Fried potato cake made with julienned potato straws

Dried prunes from d'Ente plums grown in Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine, France

P'tit Basque is a cheese that was introduced in 1997, and was created by the French dairy giant Lactalis. P’tit Basque is made by using traditional methods that shepherds and farmers used over 100 years ago. The cheese is made from pure sheep's milk that farmers set aside when milking their ewes. It is then pasteurized and is aged for 70 days. It is covered in a thin light brown rind that has a basket weave pattern that was created in the curd pressing process, and then is covered in plastic wrap to prevent molding. It comes in relatively small wheels that weigh about 1.25 lb . It has a fat content of 45%. P'tit Basque is a medium-firm cheese with a pungent smell and a mild flavor for a sheep's milk cheese. In France’s Basque region restaurants regularly serve sheep’s milk cheese with black cherry preserves, an attractive comparison of salty and sweet with more diverse flavors of earthy, nutty, and fruity. It's great on many types of thinly cut breads and accompanied by Bayonne ham and a pinch of Espelette pepper, if you need some light eats for your aperitif platters, sandwiches, etc this cheese is perfect for the job. If you want to enjoy P’tit Basque with a nice red wine. Beaujolais, Merlot, and Viognier are the ones for the occasion.

Sea salt harvested from a saltwater spring in Salies-de-Béarn, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Thick cornmeal tortilla, commonly served with chorizo, fried egg, bacon