Burgundy dishes, of course!
No need to have already visited Burgundy to know some of its specialties. And for good reason: their names alone already announce the color. This is the case of the traditional Burgundian beef and the famous Burgundian snails, appreciated here since... prehistory! Its size is particular (larger than most other species), and it is most often served in its shell with a parsley butter. But many variants exist which come to decorate the cards of the restaurant owners and the stalls of the local producers. The potée bourguignonne, derived from the traditional potée, uses only local products. As for the pavé bourguignon, it is made of Charolais meat. A tasty, tender, low-fat and fragrant meat that has had an AOC since 2010. Similarly, nearby, the Bresse chicken is also protected by an AOC. Its history goes back to the beginning of the 17th century, and coincides with the establishment of corn in this area of the Saône-et-Loire. Next to these dishes and meats that carry their origins like a banner, there remains a surprising exception: the Burgundian fondue. No, it was not born here at all, but... in Switzerland! It is indeed to a restaurant owner from Lausanne that we owe this invention in 1948. If he called it that, it is because his original recipe called for Charolais meat accompanied by Burgundian red wines.
On the menu, safe and unavoidable values
In the kitchens, other specialties are unavoidable. Like the marbled ham which originated near Dijon where it was already served during Easter celebrations in the 14th century. Close to the head cheese, this traditional delicatessen is made from ham and pork shoulder, finely sliced and coated with marbled jelly, then cooked in a white wine and mustard broth (from Burgundy of course!). Andouilles and andouillettes are also at ease. The one from Chablis has even been awarded the prestigious AAAA diploma which certifies its high quality. Let's not forget the gougère: this choux pastry full of Comté or Gruyère cheese that we love to eat as an aperitif is said to have originated in the Yonne. It remains to be seen where and when. There is some debate: some people give it birth at the beginning of the 19th century in Flogny-la-Chapelle where it is celebrated every year, while others see it appearing in Sens 250 years earlier... It doesn't matter: wherever it comes from, as soon as you taste it, the gougère becomes a real sin mignon that you can buy in many bakeries and pastry shops in the region. As for the truffles of Burgundy, they have become over the years a very popular product for consumers as well as restaurateurs who are increasingly including them on their menus. Many actors work here for its promotion, in particular the Confrérie de la Truffe de Bourgogne of Is-sur-Tille. In this small town of Côte-d'Or, texts dating back to the 14th century describe it as one of the main dishes of the royal kitchens. But many villages of the department (and of the Yonne) also have truffle-growing places, and many producers practice there. Finally, if there is one dish that is particularly appreciated on both sides of the region, it is the "oeufs en meurette": poached eggs served in a sauce made of red wine, bacon, onions and shallots cooked in butter.
Specialties that are sometimes very local
In this great region, some variations can exist according to the geographical zones. Specialties that are so local that they are not always known (or not well known) a few dozen kilometers away! Thus, in the cuisine known as "côte vinuse" - which extends from the Côte-d'Or to the Saône-et-Loire to the confines of the Lyonnais - coq au chambertin and pavé bourguignon are served at the same time as pochouse (or pauchouse), a recipe shared with the neighboring Franche-Comté and based on fish cut into pieces cooked with a white wine sauce. As for the Morvan cuisine, it is of the kind to hold to the body, undoubtedly to better counter the harshness of the winters! It is often composed of potatoes, bacon, fresh cream, and cold cuts. One can appreciate the judru de Chagny (a big sausage), the pavé du Morvan (another one, dried without gut) or the crâpiau, a very thick buckwheat pancake with bacon and flavored with parsley and garlic. As for the grattons, they are not light-hearted either: fried pieces of fat served as they are or in the form of a cake, or even in an omelette. The Saône-et-Loire region is very fond of them. In the Nièvre, they are called griaudes and are eaten in the form of pancakes served warm.
A great country of cheeses
Here, cheese lovers can only find their happiness. Burgundy produces a lot of them, starting with the most famous one, Epoisses. AOC since 1991, this cow's milk cheese is matured in Burgundy marc. Its color is orange, its perfume particular, its consistency unctuous and soft. The court of Louis XIV swore by it. We can also speak about the Nuits-Saint-Georges which surprises by its unctuousness. Further south, taste the Cîteaux with its inimitable aroma and concocted by the Cistercian monks since 1930. 55 tons are produced each year. The Charolais is a famous goat cheese since the 16th century. The Mâconnais is also an excellent goat. Both have the label of excellence AOP 71. In Nièvre, you must taste the typical Nivernais: a cheese made from raw cow's milk with a thick creamy marbling at its heart giving it an exceptional melting character. But the department also shares with the neighboring Cher the production of the famous crottin de Chavignol. In the Yonne, in the south, discover the pierre-qui-vire: a tasty cow's milk cheese produced by the monks of the abbey of the same name. In the north, in the country of Armance, on the border with Champagne, the Saint-Florentin is produced, as well as the soumaintrain: a cheese made from whole raw milk, with a soft paste, strong in the nose but soft on the palate. In the Middle Ages, soumaintrain could be used as currency to pay rents or taxes! Armance also shares with the neighboring Aube some of the production of the famous chaource. Finally, originally from Normandy, the brillat-savarin has moved to Burgundy where most of its production is now located.
Desserts and drinks: the choice is wide!
It remains to conclude our meal with some sweet treats. You will often be offered a tasty pear poached in red wine, a clafoutis with cherries that grow on the same soil as the Auxerrois vineyards (near Saint-Bris-le-Vineux), a nougatine from Nevers, a poached peach pie (from the Côte d'Or or Saône-et-Loire), or many desserts sprinkled with Dijon blackcurrant coulis. Finally, to open, accompany and close your meals, apart from wines and crémants, in your glasses you will have the choice between the famous marc de Bourgogne (a brandy elaborated with the residues of pressing of the grape and which is drunk as a digestive), the ratafia (a mixture of grape juice, must and marc, to be served rather as an aperitif), the numerous local beers and the ciders and apple juices which are so specific to the Pays d'Othe in the North of the region. But the star here is the kir. Served since the 19th century in the gargotes where blackcurrant was used to make poor quality wine drinkable, this aperitif composed of blackcurrant liqueur (1/3) and white wine (often an aligoté) became the prerogative of local politicians who elevated it to the rank of official drink at their banquets. After the war, Canon Kir (1876-1968) - priest and deputy mayor of Dijon for 22 years - took over the recipe, going so far as to sign an exclusive contract with a liqueur producer. This cocktail then took his name, and even entered the dictionary of common names of the Petit Larousse in 1976.
A multi-star region
Proof of the region's particularly inventive cuisine, few other regions boast as many Michelin-starred chefs. This, even though Burgundy is home to only one chef to have been awarded the highest distinction (3 stars): Éric Pras, at Maison Lameloise in Chagny (Saône-et-Loire). There are five double-starred chefs: Jean-Michel Lorain at La Côte Saint-Jacques in Joigny, William Frachot at Hostellerie du Chapeau Rouge in Dijon, Patrick Bertron (who succeeded Bernard Loiseau) in Saulieu, Masafumi Hamano, chef at Au 14 Février in Saint-Amour-Bellevue and Cédric Burtin at L'Amarylis in Saint-Rémy, near Chalon-sur-Saône. As for the one-starred chefs, there are no fewer than thirty! These include (among others) Franco Bowanee at Château de Vault-de-Lugny and Patrick Gauthier at La Madeleine in Sens, Yonne. In Côte-d'Or, Keigo Kimura at L'Aspérule in Dijon and Le Charlemagne run by Jordan Prot in Pernand-Vergelesses. Or Tomofumi Ushimura at L'Origine in Dijon and Jordan Billan at hostellerie Cèdre et Spa in Beaune. But it's in Saône-et-Loire that they're most numerous. Notably, in Buxy, L'Empreinte and its chef Maxime Kowalczyk, Yohann Chapuis at Greuze and Jean-Michel Carrette at Aux Terrasses, both in Tournus. Or Jérôme Brochot in Montceau-les-Mines and Frédéric Doucet in Charolles. What about Nièvre? The years go by, and still no starred chef, alas. To counter this injustice, an association has been set up to promote the region's cuisine and local produce: "Les Toques Nivernaises". They are a guarantee of quality.
Dijon is one of the European capitals of gastronomy
Since its creation in 1921, the Dijon International and Gastronomic Fair has become theleading economic and popular event in Burgundy and the5th largest international fair in France. Each year, towards the end of October, it brings together nearly 600 exhibitors and some 200,000 visitors. And that's not all: to further establish its status as the regional gastronomic capital, Dijon has been enriched since May 2022 by an International City of Gastronomy and Wine. Intended to promote Dijon and the whole of Burgundy internationally, it is located just a stone's throw from the city center, at kilometer 0 of the Route des Grands Crus, and in place of the old general hospital. It is 22,000m2 in size, built on a vast 6.5 hectare site, and should eventually welcome one million visitors each year. The prestigious Ferrandi school trains more than a hundred young people from all over the world in French gastronomy. A 4-star hotel and 2 cinemas have also been built, as well as exhibition and conference spaces. Not to mention two restaurants and a wine cellar, all three run by three-starred chef Eric Pras.
