Gastronomy

Regional gastronomy, proudly represented in many good restaurants , reaches its peak with Michelin-starred chefs . The region is rich of 26. Young talented daring or exceptional personalities hailed by 3 stars like Michel Bras in Laguiole (Aveyron), or by 2 stars like Michel Sarran and Yannick Delpech in Toulouse, as well as Bernard Bach in Pujaudran (Gers).

Land of vineyards , the Occitanie region produces wines that perfectly accompany regional cuisine, including AOC Cahors, Gaillac, Madiran, Marcillac, Fronton without forgetting the prestigious Armagnac developed in Gascony in the land of d'Artagnan.

Between sea and terroir, Occitanie's gastronomy also offers high-class dishes, in which olive oil, vegetables, garlic and herbs are found, for typical Mediterranean dishes.

In the orchards and gardens grow beautiful fruits and vegetables and herbs along the plains. The olive, the queen of the kitchen , holds company here with basil, thyme, rosemary, laurel and sorrel . A little higher, where the vegetation is more rare, one finds in Lozère in the country of chestnuts , mushrooms and cheeses.

At the seaside, the seafood platters garnished with oysters , mussels and clams delight the taste buds. The other innumerable Mediterranean fish, sought for their flavor, do the same: tuna, sea bream and sea bass.

In the regional specialties , there is the Brandade de Nîmes , a specialty of the Gard, made from cod and olive oil which is mixed to create a paste to which are added garlic and potatoes, the tielle , a seafood pie, the 'petits pâtés' of Pézenas and the Gardiane , a Camargue dish, is a stew of beef gently simmering with vegetables, black olives, garlic, bacon and wine red.

Fruits, desserts and sweets also have their place in Occitanie: gariguette strawberries, apricots from Roussillon, some melting rousquilles or a fougasse from Aigues Mortes , without forgetting the Catalan creamRegional gastronomy, proudly represented in a number of good restaurants, reaches its peak with Michelin-starred chefs.