Wines and spirits: the great regional speciality
It is unthinkable for wine lovers to return home without bringing back a few bottles of Burgundy wines, to which, of course, should be added the ratafias, marcs and crémants of Burgundy. Apart from these products of the vine, think also of the famous blackcurrant liqueur which is used to serve a kir or to accompany some desserts. It was not until the 19th century that blackcurrant growing developed here. In the middle of the phylloxera crisis, a man named Mr. Joly, a distiller, developed the liqueur. Within a few years, 2 Dijon-based companies came to compete with him, the famous Lhéritier-Guyot and Lejay-Lagoute. Today, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Dijon are the two capitals of the blackcurrant berry, and there are some 5 companies that share the market. More than 10 million liters are produced each year, which is 80% of the French production. More surprisingly, did you know that Burgundy is also a land of... whisky? Several distilleries exist there, starting with that of Michel Couvreur whose reputation has long since spread beyond our borders. Installed in Bouze-lès-Beaune, this expert has been dedicated to whisky since 1978 and his production is sold all over the world. As for the Distillerie artisanale du Pays d'Othe, it is certainly based in the Aube (in Champagne), but its whiskies are sold in many wine shops in the Pays d'Othe icaunais, as well as on the menu of its bars and restaurants. Finally, you should know that, in this same region of north-east Burgundy, an excellent cider is also produced which, like the Normans and the Bretons, enjoys a formidable reputation.
The superb revival of Burgundy beers
Having fallen into disuse for many years, Burgundian beer is undergoing a tremendous renaissance. To go back to its genesis, we have to go far back in time when, in the 15th century, John the Fearless, then Duke of Burgundy, created the hop order. Exit the "cervoise", make way for the beer! Traces of the oldest establishments in Dijon and Beaune date back to the 1790s. At the height of the brewing activity (i.e. around 1950), there were more than 50 establishments here... before almost all of them disappeared under the effect of industrialization. Since then? Burgundy,the 3rd largest barley producing region, has a good forty craft breweries in operation, nearly half of which did not exist ten years ago! Among them, let's mention in Côte-d'Or the Brasserie Trois Fontaines in Bretenieres, Belenium in Beaune, and Elixhir in Dijon. In Yonne, Maddam in Chablis has become a must. Just like the Brasserie de Vézelay and the Brasserie Larché in Sens. These three establishments were awarded no less than 7 medals at the Concours général agricole held in early 2023 at the Salon de l'agriculture. Further proof of the Burgundian craze, in 2016 the Confrérie des Chevaliers de Gambrinus association even created the Houblonnades de Dijon. A festival dedicated to tasting, which is held every year in mid-April.
High quality local products
Land of agriculture and breeding if it is, Burgundy shelters innumerable small producers who will propose you the fruit of their work. Fresh products, preserves or jars, pâtés, terrines, confits and other culinary preparations are not lacking. Without forgetting the delicatessen of Morvan, and the famous snails of Burgundy, very present in Côte-d'Or. Even foie gras and smoked salmon can be Burgundian, like those offered by Le Borvo in Chemilly-sur-Yonne. Not to mention fruits and vegetables: apples in the Othe forest, cherries in the Auxerrois, blackcurrants in the Dijon region...: here again, the choice is wide! As it is in Saône-et-Loire! The department, resolutely greedy, has indeed grouped together the farms perpetuating traditions and promoting exceptional products from the territory under the label AOP 71. This is how creams and butter from Bresse, beef from Charolles, poultry and turkeys from Bresse as well as goat cheese from Charolais and Mâcon are promoted. So many delicacies to take home for tasty lunches or dinners!
Mustard and Burgundy are inseparable..
If there is a product here as famous as the wines, it is indeed... Dijon mustard! The Dukes of Burgundy were already fond of it and gave it a prominent place: they used it for diplomatic purposes, and Duke Philippe le Hardi decided to put the same inscription on the coat of arms of Dijon that appeared on the famous stoneware pots: "Moult me tarde". Nowadays, as it does not have an AOC label to protect it, mustard is often no longer very Dijon-like. The seeds used to make it come from Canada. However, for the past few years, farmers and mustard growers have joined forces to promote a revival. Together, they created the Association Moutarde de Bourgogne (AMB) which, 12 years ago, obtained a protected geographical indication (PGI) for "Burgundy mustard". Clearly, unlike "Dijon mustard", the so-called Burgundy mustard is guaranteed 100% local. Among the most renowned producers is the Fallot mustard factory, founded in Beaune in 1840. In its premises, you can discover the historical production process through a museum. Fallot also has 2 stores in Beaune, another in Dijon, and a mustard bar "Enjoy Fallot" located in its mustard factory. Another must-see brand is Maille, which has been located on the very commercial Rue de la Liberté in Dijon since 1845. It has a superb wooden frontage which alone is worth the detour.
...just like gingerbread!
Another typically Burgundian product (and well known throughout France) is gingerbread. Discovered in the Middle Ages, it was first established in Reims, and it wasn't until the 19th century that Dijon's gingerbread took over. Today, this pastry made with rye or wheat flour, honey and spices is created by a number of artisans, the most famous being one of Dijon's precursors: Mulot & Petitjean. But let's not forget its "cousin", the nonnette. No need to introduce this little cake created by nuns (hence the name!), whose crunchy icing protects the softness of gingerbread enriched by a melting heart of orange cream! Did you know that nonnettes were also invented in the Middle Ages? Since then, there have been several variations: blackcurrant, chocolate, raspberry, etc.
There are many sweet treats
Apart from the gingerbread, sweet lovers will be in for a treat! In each city, confectioners offer their own specialties with names that inevitably recall the region or the personalities that have marked it. Thus, in Auxerre you can find chocolates and confectionery with the name of Cadet Roussel or Burgundy, in Sens Sénons, in Avallon Vauban... But that's obviously not all. On the side of Nevers, for a long time the 2 great specialities are the nougatine and the negus. The nougatine was made famous by the empress Eugénie, who returned from a trip to Nevers in 1862, placed an important order. As for the négus, it is to the Maison Grelier that we owe its creation in 1902: a soft chocolate caramel coated in a cooked sugar, and conceived in homage to the official visit, in the ducal city, of the sovereign of Ethiopia. It is impossible to pass through Chablis without bringing back the famous duchy cookie. Rectangular in shape, light and crunchy, these dry cookies have a vanilla taste and are a perfect accompaniment to the tasting of Burgundy sparkling wine. In Dijon, you will succumb to the cassissine, a blackcurrant fruit paste with a syrupy heart. Also jacquelines: praline sweets covered with icing, reminiscent of the little sugar Jesus of yesteryear. As for the aniseed of Flavigny, their appearance goes back to centuries. It was a great Roman traveler who brought Flavigny-sur-Ozerain its name and the aniseed. Later, in 718, Widerard created a Benedictine abbey there where the monks probably elaborated the recipe. But it is necessary to wait for the Revolution so that the productions of the convent of the Ursulines see growing their reputation. In spite of the competition (in particular that of Verdun), the Larousse dictionary recognizes only one true anise: that of Flavigny! Nowadays, it is always in the abbey that they are made. And if in the end, the dominance is always the same, the flavors (natural) can vary: violet, mint, licorice, coffee, rose, orange blossom, jasmine, tangerine ..
Burgundian arts and crafts enamel the territory
Painters, sculptors, photographers, tanners, glassmakers, potters, ceramists... In the four corners of Burgundy, art craftsmen propose their creations, in their stores and workshops as well as in galleries or art centers. Among the most famous are the Nevers earthenware factories, whose origin dates back to the second half of the 15th century when the Duke of Nevers invited Italian ceramists to settle in the city. Nowadays, the earthenware makers of Art perpetuate this tradition. Refusing industrialization, they have chosen manual, essentially artistic production. For example, the Faïencerie George was founded in 1898 and is mainly dedicated to tableware. Less known, in Saône-et-Loire, the Faïencerie de Charolles was created in 1844. From now on, its production is turned towards decorative objects of a contemporary style and even design, under the brand FdC (Faïencerie de Charolles). A land of hedgerows and forests, the Puisaye region is, by the nature of its subsoil, rich in sandstone clay. A land of predilection for pottery. For several centuries, the shaping of sandstone has shaped local life. Since then, many have been offering their creations, both in Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye in the north of the Nièvre and in the neighboring villages of Treigny and Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye. Moreover, in Saint-Sauveur you will find several spaces gathering the creations of regional (or even local) artists of all disciplines. As, for example, at the Créacteurs en Puisaye. Finally, let us quote "La Belle Nièvre". A label created on the initiative of the Nièvre Departmental Council, and which brings together more than a hundred Nièvre craftsmen and producers. Local delicacies and artistic productions are highlighted. Do not hesitate to discover them, on the spot and on www.labellenievre.fr.
