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"Best Cycling Routes of the Pyrénées" — Food, Wine & Other Local Specialties

Pyrénées-Atlantique and Hautes-Pyrénées are part of the Midi-Pyrénées, an area well known for its delicious and varied cuisine. The high mountains, where some of the best French cheese is produced, have always provided rich pasture for sheep, cattle and goats. The largest selection of delicious honeys and mountain fruit jams also comes from these higher elevations. But it is in the lower valleys, particularly in the region of Gascony, that a rich and diverse cuisine has developed. Local wines have also gained nationwide fame and perfectly complement the regional specialties. There are so many delicious dishes in Midi-Pyrénées that a few pages can't begin to explore them, but here are a few typical culinary delights from the mountainous regions.

Fromages (cheese) / Meat Specialties / Plats Cuisinés (Cuisine) / Other Rural Products / Sweets / Wines & Spirits

Sweets

Croustade

Croustade is a traditional apple tart made with baked, thin-sliced apples flambéed in Normandy calvados, Armagnac or Cognac and wrapped in just a few layers of pastry or laid in a very thin and crispy crust.

The traditional flambée method that dates from the Middle Ages is quite labor intensive, so it has been replaced with a simpler croustade made with apples, blueberries or other fruits found in most patisseries (bakery shops) in the Pyrénées, but a few select gourmet restaurants still serve this delicate treat made in the traditional way.

Gâteau Basque

There are many versions of this exquisite tart from the Pays Basque region, but the traditional one is a flaky crust filled with either a pastry cream or brandied cherries, but never both. For a true gourmet experience, buy your gâteau Basque from a patisserie (cake shop) in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, then add a good bottle of champagne, a dry cider or a cold sweet white wine such as Muscat or Jurancon.

Gâteau à la Broche

The gâteau a la Broche has been prepared for Pyrénées weddings and baptisms for centuries. It is made by pouring crêpe (thin French pancake) batter onto a conical "griddle" turned over a wood fire. As each layer is cooked, a new one is added and the resulting cake retains the fragrance of the wood over which it was cooked. Eaten plain or served with fruit jams, chocolate, honey or other French desert creams, it tastes best when enjoyed with a glass of champagne or cidre brute (dry cider).

A few artisans continue to bake the traditional gâteau a la Broche in the Pyrénées: Gâteau à la Broche de Sia is a great place to see it made and try it. It keeps up to 3 weeks, so it's also a unique gift to take back home. 

Flocons Pyrénéens

Flocons Pyrénéens (Pyrénées' snow flakes), a delicious almond and hazel nut praliné paste wrapped with dark chocolate and a thin layer of meringue, are available in stores and confiseries (sweet shops) throughout the region. A factory located in Saint-Barthe de Neste (Tel : 05 62 98 82 26) can be visited on Fridays. One of their retail shops is found in St-Lary.