Vegetables and fruits
The soil of the Hérault region has benefited from irrigation techniques imported by the Arabs in the 10th century, as well as from Mediterranean influences. These two assets have led to the development of excellent market garden produce. These include sweet Cévennes onions, Lézignan cedars, white asparagus and aromatic herbs. The other major crop is olives. Enjoyed as an aperitif or transformed into oil with its many benefits, it is the symbol of southern cooking. The most popular varieties are, of course, the picholine, widespread throughout the south of France, but there's also a local variety, the lucques, a dark green, bumpy, crescent-shaped fruit with a very small stone and fine pulp.
As far as fruit trees are concerned, the département is a major producer of peaches, apricots, cherries and apples. Chestnuts are also grown here. Emblematic of the Cévennes region, this fruit not only delights wild boar, who devour them right off the ground. Rich in fiber and satiating, it can be eaten in a variety of ways: boiled, wood-roasted, in soup, mashed, jammed and in cakes.
Aquatic delights
The department's rivers and coastlines are home to their fair share of delicacies. Whether caught on your own or by professionals, they come to adorn your plates, bringing with them the promise of a good, fresh meal. On fishmongers' stalls, in auctions and in restaurants, local fish and shellfish take pride of place. The most sought-after of them all is the bass. Nicknamed the "king fish", it is appreciated for the quality of its firm flesh and its delicate taste. Other important catches include the muge, which lives in ponds and canals, the sea bream, which spends part of the year in the ponds and migrates out to sea at the end of summer, and the mackerel and sardine, two fish highly prized for grilling due to their powerful flavors. Finally, line-caught red tuna is a local delicacy.
The presence of the Thau lagoon has also led to the development of shellfish farming. This is where Bouzigues oysters, renowned for their fleshy, nutty taste, are produced. Today, demand is so great that hundreds of farms are involved in this activity. Mussels, sea urchins, clams, whelks, razor clams and other seafood complete the gourmet and iodized meals of the area.
Livestock products
Livestock breeding and agro-pastoral activities are particularly well developed in the Hérault department. One product stands out above all others: bull meat. Rare, this type of breeding produces an intense red meat, darker than that of beef, with a more pronounced taste. To tenderize the meat, which is very muscular, cooks prepare bull meat on the grill or in gardiane, a simmered recipe. In 1996, the breeders were awarded the AOC "Taureau de Camargue" (Camargue bull) label for an area covering some 100 communes in the Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard and Hérault departments.
Although fewer in number, pig and sheep farms are not to be outdone. Thanks to them, meat-lovers have access to gourmet products such as "agneau du Pays d'Oc" (Label Rouge), dry-cured hams, sausages, terrines and many other delicacies.
The Hérault department isn't the biggest cheese producer in France, especially in view of its neighbors such as Lozère and the Pyrenees. Nevertheless, we can mention Pélardon, a delicious local cheese made from goat's milk full of character.
A local cuisine
Thanks to the Mediterranean, local livestock breeding and influences from neighboring countries, the département boasts an impressive array of popular and emblematic dishes. Generous, flamboyant or refined, they draw their richness from the soil, the land and the sea. The chefs and artisans of the Hérault use all their know-how and inventiveness to revisit the classics or bring them to the fore. A stroll through the department is a real gourmet itinerary.
Along the Etang de Thau, for example, you'll be spoilt for choice: brasucade de moules, bourride de baudroie, tielle, rouille, encornets farcis, macaronade..
A small delicacy typical of the Haut Languedoc region, bougnette is a speciality reminiscent of our grandmothers. Shaped like a ball, it's made from pork belly and caul, mixed with bread, eggs, oil, salt and pepper. Family-style, it's easy to cook and can be eaten hot whole, cold in grilled slices or dry with a green salad.
With its Mediterranean accent, chichoumeille is a colorful side dish that's very popular here. A sort of ratatouille, it's a mixture of eggplants, onions, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and sometimes zucchini, then left to simmer. Served hot or cold, it's a simple, vitamin-packed treat.
In Pézenas, sweet and savory are combined in these meat-based pâtés, which have become the city's signature recipe.
Some sweets also manage to make a name for themselves, such as Grisettes de Montpellier and berlingots de Pézenas.
The wines of the Hérault
The Hérault department is part of the former Languedoc-Roussillon region, the leading wine-growing region not only in France, but also in Europe and the world! 2,000 years of winegrowing tradition live on in this vineyard, which combines a variety of aspects due to the diversity of its soils made up of schist, sandstone, limestone plateaus, alluvial terraces and scree soils. Created in 2007, the Languedoc appellation covers a vast area stretching from Nîmes to the Spanish border. This vastness has given rise to a number of sub-appellations. In Hérault, the main ones are Corbières, Minervois, Saint-Chinian, Faugères, Coteaux-du-Languedoc and Grès-de-Montpellier. Several areas also have their own local appellations, such as Minervois-la-Livinière, Pic-Saint-Loup and Picpoul-de-Pinet.
Liqueurs
The department is a land of liqueurs. These include Noilly-Prat, a dry vermouth made in Marseillan from light, fruity white wines infused with a blend of 19 aromatic plants (nutmeg, elderberry, oregano, lemon balm, coriander, iris, etc.), and Cartagène, a sweet liqueur wine made from grape must mutated with alcohol. In Béziers, there's a variant called "cataroise", based on the same mutage principle. Hérault was bound to have its own brandy, its "fine". Some authors have written that all marcs produced in the French regions are descended from that produced in the Middle Ages by the monks of Faugères. It's an amber-colored liquid, with a minimum alcohol content of 40°, produced from regional wines, with a variety of aromas reminiscent of honey, hay or quince. A confidential, highly refined spirit.
