What to eat in Rouen? Our selection of 11 Rouen specialties

The Norman region is also famous for its apple-based drinks – alcoholic or not. Taste them all to elect your favorite. Will you prefer apple juice, sweet or dry cider, pommeau or calvados? What's more, occasionally pears also join the preparation of elixirs. Rouen and the Seine valley will allow you to (re)discover endlessly the wide range of drinks from Norman orchards.

1. Camembert

Cheeses are popular in Normandy! This is evidenced by the regional capital and the endless appetite of Rouen residents for all kinds of cheese paste. Normandy is the first cheese region of France. As stars of the platter, you will find soft cheeses, enriched with cream. And, in first place on the podium: ultra creamy (even runny) camembert that can be spotted from afar. Norman camembert is enjoyed in large wedges, often at the end of a meal, on a piece of fresh bread. Hmm... We're already salivating.

2. Tripes à la mode de Caen

Here's another Norman gastronomic symbol, which Rouen residents are fond of. Tripes à la mode de Caen is a regional institution, which local restaurateurs never tire of concocting. The original recipe was developed in the Middle Ages, to limit beef waste. A monk of the time accommodated the stomach and feet of beef (to thicken the sauce), which he then enhanced with a symphony of aromatics. "La tripière" or "tripes à la mode de Caen" was born! Now widespread in Rouen since their creation, these tripes have managed to establish themselves in French culinary heritage.

3. Cadran du Gros Horloge

Bite into this chocolate confectionery to know the taste of Normandy. Because the inhabitants are crazy about chocolate delicacies. Everything is good to taste them and this specialty in the image of the famous Gros Horloge is the perfect example. The Cadran du Gros Horloge takes the shape of a thick square, coated with chocolate. The packaging and decoration in the image of the dial contain a generous quantity of chocolate (dark or milk), apple confit and a calvados flavor. Although the result is difficult to imagine, its gourmet flavor puts everyone in agreement.

4. Caneton à la rouennaise

This Rouen specialty is also known as "cannette rouennaise" or "canard au sang". It appears at all the good traditional cuisine addresses in Rouen. Its preparation is done in 3 stages: the duckling is mustarded to be roasted, then grilled, before being coated with a Rouen sauce. This consists of red wine and a good quantity of shallots. Tradition dictates that the duckling be served accompanied by a celery flan and a whole caramelized apple. Despite its unappetizing names, this local dish is a real delight.

5. Norman escalope

Another hot dish famous beyond the region's borders! Norman escalope is a dish that needs no introduction. You will find it in most restaurants in Rouen, each more succulent than the next. The gentle aroma of turkey escalope, browned in local butter and deglazed with a hint of white wine, will instantly signal mealtime! Some will be more receptive to the smell of mushrooms infused in fresh cream, which accompanies the white meat. This simply delicious combination is generally served with a portion of white rice.

6. Apple sugar

Here's a delicacy with the good taste of Norman apple! Rouen apple sugar takes the form of an orange stick about ten centimeters long. Made artisanally, the sugar paste is made from apple juice, apple compote and of course, sugar. After cooking, the sticks are rolled by hand then wrapped in white and gold paper, in the image of the different monuments of the city. Sweet tooths will delight in the delicacies of chef pastry chef meilleur ouvrier de France Christophe Cressent.

7. Magdala shortbread cookies

Fruit of monastic know-how, magdala cookies are made by the sisters of the Benedictine monastery of Rouen. From this "signature" shortbread, the cooks have developed a wide range of pure Norman butter cookies. The sisters have thus found a way to earn their daily bread by delighting the people of Rouen. The latter have the habit of offering them to children or enjoying them while accompanying their coffee. You too will succumb to these regressive cookies and their subtle hint of lemon.

8. Joan of Arc's tears

Rouen is a city of confectionery. Here's a sweet tribute to Joan of Arc who lived her last moments on the stake in Rouen. This local creation is based on a Sicilian or Provençal almond, "grilled to the core" and lightly nougatine. After this enticing step, it will be coated with chocolate and passed through 65% cocoa. The result in the mouth is both crunchy and generous. The slight note of bitterness at the end beautifully closes this tasting moment.

9. Milk jam

Normandy is a major dairy producer. It is therefore no surprise that milk jam appears on the table of regional culinary specialties. Norman milk jam is creamy as desired. The origin of this very simple preparation remains quite unclear... An unfortunate oversight of a saucepan of milk on the fire in the Napoleonic era or a chance discovery to preserve milk without refrigeration? Even today, the mystery remains complete. What is certain is that at all times, Normans had the habit of reducing a saucepan of milk and sugar by the fire, to obtain a milk jam with the good taste of caramel.

10. Cider

Impossible to stay in Rouen without delighting in a large bowl of Norman cider. Indeed, the region is the first producer of it on French territory. Whether sweet or dry, cider is the result of apple juice fermentation. It is therefore an alcoholic beverage, ranging between 2 and 8% alcohol. Faithful companion to a crepe evening, Norman cider will also enhance any type of dessert. While visiting Rouen, you will easily find cellars or artisanal cideries, to discover the manufacturing secrets and variations of this essential drink.

11. Calvados

Made in the continuity of cider, calvados is the second typical alcoholic beverage of Normandy. In Rouen, this eau-de-vie regularly invites itself at the end of meals as well as in typical recipes. Calvados is the fruit of cider (or perry) distillation, which is found under three appellations, depending on its production zone. A glass of calvados will intensify the tasting of a good Norman apple tart or any other local savory specialty.