A region rich in gastronomic tradition. Rich butter and cream sauces, cider and Calvados, sole from Dieppe and duck from Rouen.
Although over sixty years have passed since the end of World War Two, Normandy today is inextricably linked with the D Day landings of June 1944.
Many of the visitors who flock to the region come to see the landing beaches of: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword along with towns like Arromanches-Les-Bains on the Calvados coast where there are the remains of a Mulberry harbour used to bring British men and equipment ashore.
However, the coast of Normandy stretches for around 360 miles from the town of Dieppe to the majesty of Le Mont St Michel and inland to towns like Bayeux, Evreux and Alencon and offers the visitor a huge variety of history together with relaxed good eating.
Sole Normande & Sole Dieppoise
The sea provides a rich harvest for the fishermen who earn their living on this coast and offers a feast of superb seafood dishes to the tourist.
Among the most popular are: Sole Normande which is gently poached and served with a mouth watering sauce, thickened with butter, eggs and the cream that the region is rightly famous for.
Sole Dieppoise is also poached and served in a white wine sauce garnished with mussels and shrimp.
In the small towns of Deauville and Trouville, part of the Flowered Coast, you will find langoustine, lobster, crayfish, prawns and scallops and the ubiquitous mussel.
For those with time for a detour and a wish to try some of the shellfish recipes should travel a few miles inland to the beautiful town of Honfleur on the Siene estuary.
During the summer months you are welcomed to the town by row after row of flowers that entice you to the bustling harbour and a range of fantastic restaurants.
Moules Mariniere
It is one of the jewels of Normandy. What better place to enjoy some moules mariniere, a delightful dish of mussels simmered in a shallot flavoured white wine sauce; or scallops Normandy that uses the apples that abound in the region’s many orchards. To wash it all down try a glass of local cider or Calvados, a local apple brandy.
A visit to Rouen, with its magnificent gothic cathedral and often voted the best gastronomic city of the region will offer those with a sense of adventure canard Rouennaise made with Rouen duck cooked in its blood and the juices of the crushed carcase and mixed with Calvados.
Lamb is popular throughout France, and Normandy will tempt you with Gigot d’Agneau Pre Sel, a roasted leg of lamb that has been raised on salty marshlands.
Tripe is well liked, one of the favourites dishes is Tripes a la Mode de Caen which is a type of stew made by braising the tripe, then combining with calf’s feet, cider and vegetables.
In France, there is always cheese to end a meal, in Normandy it's Camembert or perhaps Neufchatel, it's a great reason for another glass of Calvados.
Normandy’s food is perhaps less sophisticated than other French regions, but it’s good, honest, hearty and bursting with flavour and plays a leading part in the visitor’s overall experience of the region
Whatever your reason for coming to Normandy — enjoy.
