What do we eat in Poitiers? Our selection of 10 culinary specialties.

1. The Farci Poitevin

Once called "the poor man's dish", the farci poitevin is a terrine made from bacon and green vegetables, hence its so original and uncommon color. We add spinach, cabbage, sorrel, and chard. Everything is tied and covered with butter. Some can even add an egg to the composition of the dish. To succeed this recipe well, tradition requires cooking it in perfumed water, with thyme and bay leaves. This would bring even more character to the taste. It can be enjoyed hot or cold, as a starter, or as a main course. There is a whole story around the Farci Poitevin, it is a very ancient dish, typical of the city of Poitiers. Don't hesitate to ask the cooks for details about its past!

2. The Tourteau Fromagé

Here is a pastry like no other. It looks like a cake left too long in the oven, judging by its burnt crust. Yet the tourteau fromagé is described as a delight, so exquisite is its shortcrust pastry. Cooked with goat's milk renowned for containing easily digestible proteins, not to mention that it brings lots of energy and vitality to the body, the tourteau fromagé is one of the most appreciated desserts in the city of Poitiers. Enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea, with some fruits like grapes or strawberries, here is a refined dish whose taste will make your taste buds shiver.

3. The Chabichou

Said like that, one has the impression that the chabichou is a sweet dessert (with an endearing name). And yet... It is a wine with a pronounced taste, making the pride of the inhabitants of Poitiers. This intoxicating nectar has had a Controlled Designation of Origin since 1990, but also a Protected Designation of Origin since 1996. Here is a delicacy that we enjoy accompanied by a delicious meat dish, or for many as an aperitif. For wine lovers looking for new products, you will be served on a silver platter!

4. The Sorrel Soup

Small tip when you visit the market of Poitiers: buy a bunch of sorrel from a small local merchant, and ask him how to properly prepare the mythical sorrel soup. Indeed, this recipe is very popular in Poitiers. The main ingredient, sorrel, has many virtues: described as a real cocktail of benefits containing only 24 calories per 100 grams, it brings plenty of proteins and vitamins for the body. A healthy dish that is enjoyed hot, with a slice of bread to crown it all! Moreover, sorrel is so appreciated that it can also be enjoyed in an omelet, and also mixed with the farci poitevin, mentioned previously.

5. The Goat Cheese Crottins

If there are lovers of dairy products among our readers, you will not be disappointed by going to Poitiers. Let me tell you that there, cheese is a blessing, which we eat morning, noon, and night. And that, as an aperitif, as an accompaniment to the dish, or during dessert. One of the traditions is to eat it on a slice of hot fresh bread, at breakfast time. This will give you confidence and strength for the day ahead: where you will travel the city from top to bottom. Otherwise, in a salad, goat cheese crottins (what a funny name) go perfectly with crunchy lettuce that brings out their soft side.

6. The Broyé du Poitou

If we had to mention a grandmother's recipe, several years old, it would probably be the Broyé du Poitou. This flat cake resembles a dry biscuit, a bit like shortbread. Its ingredients are typical of a traditional pastry: with eggs, flour, butter and sugar. Small technique if you want to cook it at home (nothing very difficult), the broyé du Poitou is first broken by hand before being tasted. The best is to add sliced almonds on your cake before cooking it. There, we will have reached perfection.

7. The Macaron de Montmorillon

The Macarons de Montmorillon are an integral part of the city of Poitiers. Everywhere you go, on any street, or in any shop, it will be possible to buy these small tender treats made of almonds. What to say about their recipe? Well not much, since this one has been kept secret for generations. It is passed down from year to year to the Poitevins as well as the Poitevines and can be presented in different forms. As a souvenir, nothing better than buying one of the pink boxes of Macaron de Montmorillon in which these pastries are arranged by the dozen. Yum-yum!

8. The Poitou-Charentes AOP Butter

We talk a lot about cheese in our rankings (we love this little creamy wonder similar to a cloud), but what about the "similar" food to which we often compare it? Butter. Good for health, only if we don't exceed 20 grams per day, it offers vitamin A intake, and can counter skin aging while protecting you from certain infections. The Poitou-Charentes AOP Butter is among the extra-fine butters, a little salty, and we also distinguish a discreet aroma which is that of hazelnut. Its authentic and singular taste makes it a high-end, refined food.

9. The Nougatine du Poitou

The Nougatine du Poitou attracts visitors' attention. It must be said that judging from the photo above, we quickly want to bite into this little crispy pink candy. Making the happiness of young and old, this unique dessert was created by a craftsman from the city of Poitiers, during the 19th century. And since that day, it has quickly risen among the most appreciated confections in the city, then in neighboring cities, then throughout western France! Made with cooked sugar and crushed almonds, hence the brown color when we bite into it with our teeth, everything has been wrapped in a thin layer of pink icing.

10. The Benoîtines

It is easy to recognize the Benoîtines when you see them. These small cakes have the shape of a diamond, and are apple-flavored. They are cooked with wheat flour, milk, sugar, eggs, salt, and butter. Enjoyed well cooked, they have no content in terms of colorings or preservatives. Do you know with which drink they pair perfectly? As surprising as it may seem, their taste goes well with a glass of wine. Why not the Chabichou? A total gastronomic immersion in Poitevin gastronomy!