5 approaches to regional produce

There are childhood memories of sweets with an unforgettable taste that you will remember all of your life. The Bêtises de Cambrai are in that category. As the name suggests in French, they were the result of a mistake and its minty taste is a part of the tale. Other fruit flavours have since been added to the collection and maybe to your basket too. As for cheeses, you have a soft spot for Maroilles, made from milk from our cows in Thiérache (Nord and Aisne), the most typical with a strong aroma and yet a subtle flavour. It’s irresistible in a tart or a flamiche, once you start eating it you won’t be able to stop! In your opinion, the only northern fish are those found around our coastline, with the herring way above the rest. These are smoked in smokehouses after having been soaked for a certain time in salt water. In Boulogne-sur-Mer, you can find this age-old technique at JC David’s establishment. Nearby, in the 4 seasons resort Le Touquet, when they cook fish, they serve them with a waxy potato, the subtly flavoured “ratte du Touquet”. For cakes, you have chosen “le gâteau battu”, a culinary symbol of coastal Picardy, a sort of brioche that is rich in butter and eggs. The dough is lighter and fluffier because it is beaten over and over again. Lastly, finish off with the Genever of Houlenear Saint-Omer, a spirit produced by the Persyns, from one generation to the next. Don’t forget to drink in moderation only …

You are our Oscar Wilde – “I can resist anything except temptation”. And gourmet temptation goes hand in hand with the pleasure of eating and enjoying the multitude of flavours in our region. So, drink to everyone’s health because you enjoy a sparkling, joyful atmosphere and prefer our champagne, made in Picardy, by Belin or maison Pannier. As you appreciate spirits, the Hautefeuille whisky and gin from Beaucourt-en-Sancerre in the Somme are distilled according to traditions and taste and will tempt your demanding taste buds.

The picky chocolate lover that you are will melt for the delicacy of Beussent chocolate, produced in the Boulogne hinterland from cocoa beans. Your attentive ear of a discriminating gourmet will pick up, here and there, tips from a master foodie; those of the whipped cream specialist at Enghien castle on the Chantilly estate will make your mouth water. Once you have warmed up your wrists, the irresistible frothiness of the Chantilly cream will flatter your dessert as much as your palate.

You don’t have time to cook? Then make the excellent choice of a canned ready-made meal, a potjevlesch or a carbonnade, one of our Flemish culinary specialities to eat, of course, with crisp chips. Finally, what should you take home with you when you leave? Edible souvenirs that mark your foodie memory and that you’d like to enjoy in your own time. Why not take home a gift basket containing our regional products? They are guaranteed full of flavour that you can share with your food-loving friends and family.