The unmissable specialties and local products of the Landes

The Landes are located between Gascony, Gers and the mouth of the Gironde. Its agricultural lands on the banks of the Adour, its livestock farming in Chalosse, its vineyards in Armagnac and its Atlantic coast make it a "land of plenty", with a renowned gastronomy. You will find many local and seafood products there. The Landes Guide takes you on a gastronomic getaway to taste the Landes specialties.

Opening photo: Hossegor Oyster Parks - ©Temanu / Adobe Stock

Discover the market products

The market is the heart of a town or village, a place for meetings, sharing, and life ! Strolling through the markets allows you to soak up the atmosphere of a country, meet producers, taste good products and unearth recipes and tips. Today, markets are reinventing themselves to adapt to all your desires: gourmet market, night market, producers' market, or traditional market...

Now that you have the dates and addresses, we suggest you take a look at the products you will find there:

• Landes Farm Duck : immediately, we think of foie gras. But in duck, everything is good. The liver, the gizzards, the other offal, the preserved legs and sleeves, the fillet, the breast, but also the gratons (the skin, fat and pieces of meat that are scraped to make a pâté) or even the carcass which produces an exceptional fatty broth.

• Farm-raised poultry : The land is rich and nourishing in the Landes region. However, it's not just fatty poultry. Chicken, capon, pullet, guinea fowl, quail... are all farm-raised poultry. But you'll also find game birds like wood pigeons, which are traditionally eaten as salmis.

• Chalosse Beef : Whether Blonde d'Aquitaine, Limousine, or Bazadaise, the beef produced in the Chalosse region is renowned. Its juicy, tender, and delicately marbled meat has been awarded a "Protected Designation of Origin" and a red label.
• Oysters and shellfish from the Landes coast: the ocean offers many products to taste. Hossegor and Capbreton are renowned for their rich seafood platters.
  
• Adour Salmon : This wild salmon is caught in the Adour and in the Gaves of Pau and Oloron. It is an exceptional product that deserves special care.

• Sand asparagus : a “ Protected Geographical Indication ” in the Landes region, it grows on its sandy dunes. It is a delicate white asparagus with a light hazelnut flavor.
  
• Adour Kiwi : it is recognized as a “ Protected Geographical Indication ” and benefits from the “ Red Label ”. Its high sugar content gives it a very significant sweet flavor.
  
• Sweet pepper from Seignanx : its production area is very close to the Basque Country. It is also called "Piment d'Anglet". It is a very mild green pepper. It can therefore be eaten raw or cooked.
  
• Soustons peanuts : it's rather unusual in the Landes! But, when you think about it, if its sandy soil is ideal for growing asparagus and carrots, then why not peanuts? For the moment, only one producer has embarked on the adventure and is offering you this unusual product.
  
  

Aperitif, digestif and Landes wines…

To enjoy these delicious Landes local products, you need to pair them with good drinks. Aperitifs, wines, beers or digestifs, the Landes region has no shortage of beverages, to be consumed in moderation of course!

• Landes beer : a craft, local, organic beer, does that tempt you?
  
• Floc de Gascogne : especially appreciated as an aperitif or starter, with melon, it is made from a clever blend of young Armagnac and grape must. As its name so aptly indicates in Occitan, this “Floc” is truly a bouquet of flowers, with a delicate fragrance.
• Tursan wine : this is the only Landes wine to have a " Protected Designation of Origin " and a " Controlled Designation of Origin ". In red, these are tannic wines, similar to Madiran, which pair well with game. In rosé, it has a very characteristic flint note.

• Vin de Pays des Landes : a “ Protected Geographical Indication ”, it comes from Bas-Armagnac . It is a simple wine, rather appreciated as a white, light and fruity.
• Chalosse wine : from the hillsides of Chalosse, you will find it in white, rosé and red. In this case, it perfectly complements another product of Chalosse, its beef !
  
• Vin des Sables de l'Océan : This ancient vineyard is located in the dunes of the Landes region. In white, its marine notes pair well with seafood platters and fish. However, it is renowned in all three colors.
  
• Blanche d'Armagnac : this is a brandy. It is one of the stages in the production of Armagnac. It is a freshly distilled alcohol that has not yet aged. It retains fruity and floral notes.
  
• Armagnac : it's a must-try in the Landes. It's famous and prized throughout the world. Armagnac is much more than a digestif. It's a tradition that gives rise to local festivals, the "Fête de la Flamme". It's a terroir with ancestral know-how. It's also, and above all, a passion for the distillers, winemakers and cellar masters who take care of it for many years.

Traditional Landes recipes

All these good products would be nothing without good recipes. They are part of the Landes cultural heritage. They are passed down from generation to generation and are today revisited by great names in cuisine. Whether you are a good cook or you leave it to the professionals, here are the essential traditional dishes of the Landes:

• Venison specialties : The Landes are renowned hunting grounds. You will taste many game animals such as deer, roe deer, wild boar, hare, but also quail or wood pigeon. Wild boar stew is one of its typical dishes. If you are not tempted by big game and these strong flavors, do not miss trying the wood pigeon salmis.
  
• Like all duck-farming regions, confits are a staple of local cuisine. Landes cassoulet is a delicious, hearty winter dish.
  
• Garbure : Long- simmered vegetables served with duck or pork. This is a very invigorating dish for a rainy or cold day.
  
• Pastis Landais : it's a delicious and soft cake with a delicate orange blossom aroma and enhanced by a little touch of pastis!

• Croustade or tourtière Landaise: this is a traditional apple pie. The difference between the croustade and the tourtière, which is a variant, is a matter of pastry. While the croustade is made with buttery puff pastry, the tourtière is made with stretched pastry, nicknamed " bridal veil ", in reference to its thinness.
• Madeleines from Dax : to finish on a sweet note, with coffee... A madeleine, but not just any madeleine! The one from Dax is the result of traditional, artisanal know-how for five generations.

This is the end of this discovery of Landes specialties, which will continue on site with a tasting... We hope to have made you hungry and want to taste Landes gastronomy during a gourmet getaway.

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