Vegetables and fruits of the sun
Subjected to Mediterranean influences and heir to the irrigation techniques imported by the Arabs in the 10th century, Languedoc meets the necessary criteria for beautiful productions. Some of them are very renowned and are exported throughout France and abroad. Among them is the Camargue rice, a crop that appeared in the middle of the 19th century and today covers nearly 7,000 hectares. Onions also enjoy a good reputation; the foothills of the Cévennes, the Montagne Noir and the Aspres have specialised in growing them. Among the best known names are the Cèbe de Lézignan (Hérault), the sweet onion of the Cévennes (Gard and Hérault), the Citou onion (Aude) and the sweet onion of Toulouges (Pyrénées-Orientales).
The other major production of the Languedoc is olives. Eaten as an aperitif or processed into oil, it is the symbol of Mediterranean cuisine. The most widely used varieties are of course la picholine widespread throughout the south of France, but there is also a local variety, the lucques, a dark green, bumpy, crescent-shaped fruit with a very small stone and fine pulp. It is so well known that it is exported to North Africa, Turkey, the United States and Australia.
Languedoc-Roussillon also has a few confidential products: purple artichoke, sand asparagus, Pardailhan turnip and chickpea.
As far as fruit trees are concerned, Languedoc is first for the production of peaches and second for apricots. Cherries are also grown in three well-defined areas: Céret in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Remoulins in the Gard and Olargues in the Hérault. Apple trees also have their place in the orchards of the Languedoc, from Roussillon to the Cévennes.
Chestnuts are the fruit that should be reserved for the end and hunger. Emblematic of the Cévennes, this fruit is not only the happiness of wild boars who devour them on the ground. Very energetic, rich in fibre and satisfying, it can be eaten in many ways façons : boiled, roasted over a wood fire, in soup, pureed, in jam and in cakes.
The delights of the sea
If we put aside the small trawlers and tuna boats from Sète or Port-Vendres that go out in the countryside in pursuit of bluefin tuna, fishing in Languedoc-Roussillon has remained an activity that can be described as traditional. The fish that inhabit the region are displayed on the stalls of fishmongers, in auctions and in restaurants that advocate freshness. The most sought-after of them is the bass of the Atlantic coast. Nicknamed "king fish", it is appreciated for the quality of its flesh, firm and with a very fine taste. Other important catches include the muge (or mullet), a fish that lives in ponds and canals, the sea bream, which stays in the ponds for part of the year and migrates to the open sea at the end of the summer, the anchovy, for which the small town of Collioure is famous, as well as the mackerel and the sardine, both of which are very popular grilled fish.
The presence of numerous ponds in Languedoc has encouraged the development of shellfish farming (oysters, mussels). The two production centers are the Thau and Leucate ponds. This rich environment is very favorable to this breeding, especially since the absence of tides allows the shellfish to feed permanently and thus to have a fast growth.
Finally, salt should not be forgotten in this marine inventory. The region produces about 1 million tons per year from its four sites: Aigues-Mortes, Gruissan, Sainte-Lucie and Lapalme. The Aigues-Mortes salt works alone provides half of the volume.
Livestock products
The area is home to numerous livestock farms which contribute to the gastronomic richness of the Languedoc. On the meat side, we find for example the Aubrac breed, in the Massif Central. This beef, melting and appreciated for the fineness of its grain, is generally sold under the collective brand " Fleur d'Aubrac". Still in Lozère, beef production can benefit from the AOC "Fin Gras du Mézenc ". But speaking of beef cannot be conceived without mentioning the most original French production: that of bull meat. Of an intense red colour, darker than that of beef, with a more pronounced taste, it is eaten grilled or as gardiane. A supreme consecration for the breeders, they obtained in 1996 an AOC "Taureau de Camargue " for an area comprising a hundred or so communes in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard and Hérault.
Languedoc breeders also offer a product from gamme : lamb under the dam. You will find it on sale under different brands collectives : " agneau du Pays d'Oc " (Label Rouge) and also according to the production area " agneau catalan ", " agneau du Pays cathare ", " agneau du Pays Gévaudan ", " agneau de Lozère (IGP) " ... Pork is not to be outdone since it is present everywhere in the region.
These meats can be sold as is or processed into charcuterie. In the region, it generally takes a classic form dominated by dried hams, sausages, terrines and other pâtés. Only Catalan sausages, characterised by the great variety of its "embotits ", a term that refers to the fact of putting a variety of products (meat, fat, offal) into casings, stand out from the rest. They come in a variety of shapes: fresh sausage, longanisse, botifarreta, bisbe..
You can't leave the Languedoc without talking about the cheese situation. It differs according to the two massifs. In the Pyrenees, the production is concentrated on the production of tomme, whether it is ewe's, goat's and, to a lesser extent, cow's milk. But the real cheese country is the department of Lozère with five AOC cheeses: Bleu des Causses, Bleu d'Auvergne and Laguiole in cow's milk, Roquefort in sheep's milk and Pélardon in goat's milk
A local cuisine
A country of water, sea, land and soil inevitably reflects tasty blends of ingredients, shaped over time by the know-how of fishermen, restaurateurs and locals. Except that in Languedoc-Roussillon, gastronomy is that of the people, the refined finesse that has been able to embellish its natural riches of soil, land and sea, fomenting a popular cuisine while being accessible to a wide public. One savours there today the famous bourride, but also the tielles of Sète. Without forgetting the cod aïoli, or cod brandade à la nîmoise! On the Roussillon side, the bouillinade is a kind of bouillabaisse... The south-west of the region marks its culinary tradition with its succulent cassoulets from Castelnaudary, from where you can visit the pink city of Claude Nougaro, not far away, Toulouse and its gentle way of life, the Black Mountain and its Cathar castles, the Pyrenees and the Canal du Midi. From the peyroulade of Lozère to the Camargue guardian, from the Catalan cargolade to the traditional fougasse ofAigues-Mortes, Languedoc-Roussillon puts the small dishes in the big ones. Travelling through the roads of the Hérault region under the poetry of Georges Brassens, you will discover the Grisettes of Montpellier , whose illustrious author honoured them in song, the jousts of Sète, the pélardons of Lozère, which are accompanied by the wide range of AOC wines (Minervois, Banyuls, Corbières and Costières) for meals in harmony with nature, which give the gourmet's taste buds a taste of the land.
Languedoc wines
Languedoc-Roussillon is the leading wine region in France, but also in Europe and the world. More than 2,000 years old, its vineyard combines various aspects due to the diversity of its soils (schist, sandstone, limestone plateaus, alluvial terraces, soils on scree...).
The "Languedoc" appellation was born in 2007, before that the regional appellation did not exist, following the example of other great producing regions such as Bordeaux or Burgundy. The appellation covers an area extending from the west of Nîmes to the Spanish border, stretching towards the Limouxin and the Naurouze sill. The hierarchy of the AOC wines of Languedoc-Roussillon is effective. Above this great appellation are the sub-regional appellations such as côtes-du-roussillon, costières-de-nîmes, corbières, minervois, fitou, cabardès, malepère, limoux, saint-chinian, faugères, coteaux-du-languedoc, grès-de-montpellier, terrasses-du-larzac. Finally, the upper level is now made up of communal appellations such as minervois-la-livinière, corbières-boutenac, pic-saint-loup or picpoul-de-pinet. Here again, there is an intense variety of appellations and wines.
Waters and alcohols
In a country of wine, mineral waters would tend to be discreet. However, some of them have acquired, thanks to their qualities and through intense communication campaigns, a national or even international reputation. Perrier is of course the best known (Nestlé Waters France Group), with its 50 millions of bubbles per litre. A saga that began in 1891 with the discovery of the source of "bouillens " near Vergèze in the Gard. Another source worked by the Nestlé chain: Quézac in Lozère. This production started in 1995 with the rebirth of a sparkling spring, already exploited in the 19th century. Among the most confidential productions, we can mention the Rieumajou spring in La Salvetat-sur-Agout (possibility of visits), the Vernière spring in Lamalou-les-Bains and the Sémillante in Toulouges.
The Languedoc is also a land of liqueurs. These include the Byrrh (Roussillon), a wine-based aperitif flavoured with cinchona and orange peels and herbal teas, the Noilly-Prat (Hérault), a dry vermouth made from light, fruity white wines infused with a blend of 19 aromatic plants (nutmeg, elderberry, oregano, melissa, coriander, iris...), and the Noilly-Prat (Hérault), a dry vermouth made from light, fruity white wines infused with a blend of 19 aromatic plants (nutmeg, elderberry, oregano, melissa, coriander, iris...)....), as well as Cartagène (Languedoc-Roussillon), a sweet liqueur wine made from grape must mutated with alcohol. In Béziers, there is a variant called "cataroise ", based on the same principle of mutage. The Languedoc could not but have its own brandy, its " fine ". Some authors did not hesitate to write that all the marcs produced in the French regions would descend from the one produced in the Middle Ages by the monks of Faugères. It is an amber-coloured liquid, with a minimum alcohol content of 40°, made from regional wines, with various aromas reminiscent of honey, hay or quince.
