Sea products
Let's whet our appetite with the oyster, a real star in the Gulf of Morbihan, where conditions are ideal for its cultivation, at the rhythm of the tides, even if it can also be found in the Ria d'Étel or in Quiberon. Three or four years of work are necessary before tasting a tasty oyster, and the traditional profession of oyster farmer requires a lot of physical strength and adaptation to the climatic conditions. If you are lucky, you may pick up an oyster on a beach, at low tide, escaping from the oyster farms. You still have to know how to open it without hurting yourself, by delicately inserting your knife between the shells until the lock releases and the muscle comes off! To check if your oyster is alive, you can tap the dark part (the mantle) with the tip of your knife. Is it retracting? It is won! And to fully enjoy it, take care to chew it well!
But on the sea side, many other delights await you, especially in the shellfish section. Clams from the Gulf, barnacles from Belle-Île-en-Mer, abalone from Groix, currycomb, Breton shrimp, and mussels from Pénestin are the first to be offered! As for the langoustine, the lobster and the blue lobster, they take pride of place on the best gastronomic tables.
If those of Guérande, in Loire-Atlantique, are the most famous, the Morbihan also has its salt marshes! And other cultures will not fail to surprise you, such as spirulina with sea water or edible seaweed! Will you be tempted by a plate of "sea spaghetti", we named himanthale?
As you can imagine, fish lovers will be delighted, with sea bass, sole, sea bream, red mullet or conger eel... At the end of the day, you may have the opportunity to enjoy a good "godaille", the fish and shellfish soup formerly distributed to sailors on their return to port.
And on the ground?
You guessed it, among the specialties of Morbihan, we find the world famous one of the region: the Breton pancakes! It's time for you to rediscover this emblematic dish on its land of origin! Based on wheat for the sweet pancakes and buckwheat for the savory ones, the success of this specialty depends on the association of first-rate ingredients, but also on a real trick of the hand! You'll watch the specialists' skilled movements on their modern crêpières, inspired by the old galétoires of the 19th century, large round plates that were placed in the fireplace to cook the galettes! All you have to do is choose your filling!
And here is a must-have of the region: the Breton semi-salted butter! It contributes to the success of the best dishes of the region, and is a historical dish most appreciated, since it even happened to some people to bring a lump of butter as a participation to the holiday meals! Morbihan can also be proud of its cheeses. If the Tome de Rhuys has made a name for itself, you may also taste the Tome bretonne de Baden and the Badennois, a softer cheese, but also the Pilou at Belle-Île-en-Mer, a small fresh cheese, or the characteristic cheeses of the monks: the Trappe de Timadeuc and the Trappist de Campénéac.
Of course, charcuterie lovers will not be outdone, especially thanks to the famous artisanal andouille from Guémené-sur-Scorff. For each 600 gram andouille, three large intestines are skilfully combined according to a process of superimposed layers, then smoked for 48 hours and dried for up to nine months! You can also taste very good Breton pâtés made with pork, unless you prefer the tenderness of Belle-Île-en-Mer lamb.
For vegetables, Morbihan is the country of cauliflower, cabbage (green, white or red) and the artichoke of Brittany!
More unexpectedly, the territory has its own spice, and it will make you travel much further, to the Orient. And it is in Lorient that you will find the Kari Gosse, a curry created by Mr. Gosse in the 19th century, recalling the close link of his city with the East India Company, and accompanying the shellfish to perfection!
Sweet delights
Stop by one of the local cookie shops and fill a tin with Breton shortbread and palets, pure butter of course! You'll have no shortage of opportunities to sample the region's delicacies. Among others, the Far Breton with prunes, to be differentiated from the Breton cake originating from Lorient, resembling a large shortbread, sometimes filled as well, or the Gochtial, a delicious round brioche. And of course, you can't miss the (very) rich kouign-amann (yes, "amann" means "butter" in Breton)! The youngest will be delighted to suck their niniches, which are conical lollipops made in Quiberon for decades!
But above all, don't miss the opportunity to taste the delicious salted butter caramel, as a soft candy, as a sauce on a pancake or an apple dessert, as a spread (the famous Salidou of Quiberon), or even as an ice cream flavor!
And to drink?
The era of beer has begun in Morbihan, and a flock of craft breweries have opened their doors in recent decades! So let yourself be tempted by this know-how which marks a real return to the land and to traditional methods! In the newborns of the Morbihan drink sector, you can also taste the Breton gin H2B, made near Vannes, with an undeniable marine character!
And for the more traditional, a good bowl of local cider will be waiting for you at all the terraces, and you may even taste its ancestor, the cervoise! At the end of the meal, the Lambig will make the happiness of the amateurs of stronger alcoholic drinks. This succulent cider brandy will not leave you indifferent..
To finish, don't leave without having dipped your lips in the drink of the gods: the chouchen, a liquorous alcoholic drink resulting from the fermentation of honey, and the oldest drink which comes to us from the Celtic culture! Yec'hed mat !
