Food & Drink in the Landes

Duck is everything!

Foie gras is the indisputable star South Western cuisine, coming from the very best duck farms, and fed with Landes maize! Every chef, housewife and amateur cook has his or her recipe, and the locals love theirs the old-fashioned way: a nice slice of whole foie gras prepared on barely toasted bread, semi-cooked with fig preserve, or lightly pan-fried accompanied by caramelised apples… find the way you like it best!

Magret (breast), aiguillettes (tenders), confit (leg), as well as delicious hearts and gizzards, all make the basis of a hundred and one dishes for a wonderful meal with family or friends.
Our favourite, which we recommend for you, is the Landes confit de cuisse de canard – an absolute dream!

Tip: if you buy your duck products in glass jars, remember to protect them from light and heat for the best conservation.

White asparagus, queen of the sand

Maturing at the end of March, and flowering in May, white asparagus is a local delicacy. Asleep under long mounds of sandy soil throughout the winter, the spears push up in early Spring and must be harvested during the first hours of the day in order to preserve their subtle whiteness, bursting with flavour.

It can be enjoyed simply with a vinaigrette or with a cloud of mousseline for the more gourmet chefs.

Kiwi, the other winter fruit

Full of vitamin C, magnesium and rich in fibre, kiwi fruits are cultivated not far from here on the banks of the river Adour. The fruit cultivated here derives its exceptional quality from the Landes soil, naturally rich in river silt, and the mild oceanic climate. Best eaten between November and May. Try the softer and sweeter yellow kiwi variety.

For food lovers

Pastis Landais is the traditional dessert of the Landes département. A generous brioche with subtle scents of vanilla, orange blossom and rum or Armagnac. Some prefer it semi-cooked and rather moist, others drier. It is often accompanied by a vanilla cream or a fresh fruit salad. Taste it at one of our markets or in the shops of the Côte Landes Nature holiday destination.

The Tourtière des Landes is our other traditional cake. Made from a series of leaves of fine dough called the “bridal veil,” with apples and sprinkled with a sweet Armagnac syrup and melted butter. It is best eaten warm, and for the purists, flambéed in Armagnac!