gastronomy

The valley of the Loire
In the North of the Nièvre, where the Loire begins its great curve in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean, appears on both sides of the river the first naming of the Valley of the Loire. On the Burgundian right bank spreads out the vineyard of origin controlled label of Pouilly - -Smoked, planted in vines chasselas grape and sauvignon. The morning fogs which rise of the Loire provoke on the grapes a noble grey decay favourable to the elaboration of Pouilly - Smoked. The argilo - calcareous and siliceous soil strengthens this sensation of smoked the naming of which its name is derived. Pouilly - Smoked, based only on sauvignon, and is also often marked by the mineralogy, liveliness and by notes of exotic fruits. Because the Pouilly - Smoked are rich in material, they can be perfectly sampled with the local, foie gras craftily elaborated from duck or goose liver and cooked very naturally with a simple addition of salt and pepper. Pouilly-sur-Loire's small vineyard produces lighter white wines, but so nervous and aromatic. This same soil of the Valley of the Loire also gives birth, on the Hillsides of Giennois, to white wines (sauvignon) and red (black pinot and gamay) to be consumed fresh, and of recently origin controlled label. Finally, the Hillsides of Charitois (near Charité-sur-Loire) offer a thirst-quenching dry white wine from the vine chardonnay and a so honest red wine stemming from the vine black pinot . The marriage of these wines (especially the whites) with another local gastronomic speciality, A.O.C's small goat's milk cheese. Chavignol's dung, supplies unforgettable savours one underlining the unctuousness of the other.
You can finish the gastronomic tour of this road in Nevers, on the sweet notes of Négus, the chocolate toffy charmingly complex since it is crispy outside and soft inside.

THE CHAROLAIS
The term of Charolais, known all over the world and recognized as a high quality brand, turns out more diversified than it appears to be; it hides several products of a soil with the rich feed. The Charolais cow, at first, is very recognizable in the meadows by its white dress or cream, its clear unstained muzzles, its wide forehead and its round horns. This race, essentially for butchery, constitutes one of the treasures of the Burgundian patrimony, widely exported in more than 70 countries. In the plate, the meat, of a rather dark lively red distinguishes itself by its savour, its unctuousness and its great tenderness. Its fat is rather light, distributed in flesh in a fine network, hence its qualifier of parcelled meat. Several red labels authenticate this high quality. Together with cows, charollais lambs (with "two 1) are raised and wanted for their tasty, delicious meat and without excess of fat. The head, without horns, and the members of the animal, tinged with pink or grey, are characterized by the woollen absence. You will recognize them at the butcher with the following mark« Gala, l'agneau de Bourgogne» (Official reception, the lamb of Burgundy). Finally, traditional goat breeding, notably in the Saône and - Loire since the middle-Age, supplies the Charolais cheese. With the marked taste, it is with soft dough and a natural crust, 5 cms in diameter, about 8 cms high and sold bare or on straw package. It is served in all the stadia, fresh or more refined, often bluish. By his own, the Charolais represents 70 % of the production of cheeses.

Morvan
Morvan is a real case of protected nature. Agricultural Earth, forests, lakes or rivers, this landscape, always harmonious, is the green heart filled with the lively air of an authentic Burgundy. So the savours which emanate from its soils are real and not a mere rural thing. The morvandelle cooked pork meat is a good example of it. Its salted and dried outdoors ham, fabricated with the thigh or the back of the knee of the pig offers a soft texture and a pronounced enough savour. The amateurs look for it the same way as they do for the best Italian, Spanish and French hams. Morvan produces a bow, less known than that of Beaujolais, but equally delicious. Consisted of shoulder, ham, bacon, natural intestine of pig and of bow (that corresponds to the terminal part of the bowel), this sausage presents a variable texture, tender or dry according to the time of drying. Sold cut, it is consumed in entrance or in "snack", with some butter, and why a glass of Burgundy, red or white.
The cattle of goats, cows or ewe, spread here and there, allow the production of different cheeses. The vézelay, for example, that we find very locally, is produced on the base of goat's milk which gives it a powerful taste. As for Labbaye of Pierre-qui-Vire, it produces a cheese with based on complete raw milk of cow and with a crust colour in the rocou (yellow orange-coloured) and in the shape of a ball. Of a supple and soft texture, its smooth dough is strong of taste. In the feet of Vézelay's basilica, on the best exposed hillsides and until Tharoiseau by way of Asquins and Saint-Père, the vines chardonnay, black pinot and melon of Burgundy grow. The region recently profits of a Burgundy Vézelay naming for the only white wines stemming from the chardonnay. They are often marked by the coolness and the mineralogy. The melon, more and more rare vine in Burgundy, produces lighter and often very aromatic white wines. Elegant, red Burgundy wines of Vézelay are consumed fresh, on the fruit. Finally, the honey of Morvan is rich in different tastes thanks to the great variety of its flora. The registered trademark Honey of the Natural reserve of Morvan depends on a strict condition of contract which excludes the colza and the sunflower. It is so harvested only on wild floral sorts, among which dominates the bramble.

Bresse
Between Jura and the Valley of the Saône spreads out a hilly country where alternate ponds, wood, prairies and cereal fields intended for the breeding of the poultry of Bresse. Whether the last is a chicken, capon, hen or turkey hen, it is always identified by a ring with the left paw, a three-coloured seal in the base of the neck and a label of the A.O.C. which defines an area of production. You will recognize the poultry of Bresse by its patriotism... it has bluish or discoloured paws, a white skin, flesh and plumage, red crest and lips.
The required conditions of breeding are strict. Bresse's chicken is at first raised freely over a period varying from nine weeks to four months in the bressane campaign, rich in herb. Every animal must enjoy a surface of at least 10 m2. It is during this period of release that the producer selects the future capons. Then, during the last two weeks of the breeding, the chicken is put in a spinet, a kind of wooden cage. One proceeds then to the traditional fattening; the chickens eat much and eliminate very little, which contributes to refine their flesh. If Bresse's chicken presents a simple crest in a big tooth shaped cut, the hen presents a small crest and the capon, castrated chicken between 6 weeks and 4 months, does not. The chickens intended to became capons have to be born, between January and the third week of April to be ready for the celebrations of the end of year. However, the caponnage fails in 30 % of cases; the poultry is then sold as a cock and does not profit by the A.O.C. The poultry of Bresse is very looked for by the gourmets, because its skeleton is fine and it has a plentiful flesh. In the cooking, it is of an excellent holding. The meat is soft, juicy, and smooth and the savour of the capon shows itself sweeter than that of the chicken. As for the turkey hen, it is brought down at a more advanced age than those produced in other regions of France. Raised on Bress's grassy routes, its supply is directly bound to the characteristics of the soils which confer it a great tenderness. For the holidays of Christmas, it is much desired for its juicy and parcelled meat and its pronounced savour.