It’s Not Just About Chateaux in the Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is known as ‘the garden of France’ and all that lush countryside produces some wonderful food. There are many specialist foods produced throughout the region, which can all be enjoyed by those lucky enough to embark on a barge holiday. France is world renowned for its great produce and meandering through the Loire Valley will give you plenty of opportunities to sample it.

Local Specialities

Most regions of the country have their own particular type of bread, and the Loire Valley is no exception. Fouace or Fouée is rarely found in boulangeries today but is often served in restaurants in the region. There are two types, one of which is a little like a brioche. This bread is sometimes served with another regional favourite, rillettes. Rillettes are similar to a pate however they have a different texture as the meat is shredded. They are usually made of pork, or occasionally duck, or for fish lovers, salmon. They make a great picnic dish and you can find them in most charcuteries when you go ashore on your barge holiday. France has no shortage of charcuteries and you will be spoilt for choice.

Freshwater fish has been caught in the Loire Valley since before the Romans, but it is the sauce served with them that makes them so special. You are most likely to be offered beurre blanc to accompany the fish, which is a sauce made of butter and flavoured with shallots and vinegar. You may also sometimes be offered a sorrel sauce. The fish used is varied and could include pike, bream, shad or eel, which is sometimes cooked in red wine. The region specialises in many stewed dishes and often fish is served stewed with onions, mushrooms and wine, and game is served in dishes like partridge with wild mushrooms and stuffed cabbage with hare. The region’s lush, green fields produce many wonderful vegetables and these are well used. Pumpkin pie is often seen and ducklings are often served with fresh peas.

Regional Cheese

As you would expect on your barge holiday, France offers you the opportunity to sample many varieties of cheese, and the Loire Valley produces some of the best. It is thought that goats were living in the region before man and they produce many of the wonderful cheeses in this region. Pyramide de Valenҫay is, as its name suggests, shaped like a pyramid and belongs in the "cendré" category as it is dusted with ashes. It is a good idea to look for the Label Régional when shopping for cheeses, as this is a guarantee of authenticity. Another cendré cheese is the round Selles-sur-Cher, which is known for its blue colour. A great cheese for spreading or heating is the Crottin de Chavignol, which is a small, very creamy disc of mild goat’s cheese.

Not all the cheese comes from the goat, however, and Bondaroy au Foin is a soft cows milk cheese, which is cured in hay and has an unusual tangy flavour. If you are a fan of blue cheese you should try Olivet Bleu, a rich blue cheese wrapped in plane tree leaves.

When visiting the Loire Valley on a barge holiday, France will live up to its reputation as being a great destination for food lovers. Regional towns and villages will be full of shops, markets and restaurants where you can sample the local produce.

Paul Newman is the Marketing and E-Systems Executive for European Waterways. If you're looking for a luxury, all-inclusive barge holiday, France is the ideal destination. Cruises are also offered in Holland, Italy and the UK.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.