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Food and drink

One cannot write any sort of book about the Dordogne without mentioning the food, and there is nothing more delightful than sitting down to a menu de terroir (menu of local specialities) in a village restaurant after a long day’s walk, when you feel justified in being really hungry!

The Dordogne is generally referred to as Périgord when it comes to food, and is well known as the home of goose and duck, truffles and mushrooms, nuts and fruits – all accompanied by a good wine from the Bergerac vineyards.

A traditional meal often starts with the renowned foie gras, a smooth, rich paté made from the enlarged livers of goose or duck after they have been force-fed, best eaten with slivers of toast. Another regional entrée is salade du gesiers, preserved duck gizzards served warm on crisp lettuce, or tourin blanchi, a soup made from goose fat, garlic and eggs.

For the main course confit often appears, where the meat of the duck is preserved and then cooked in its own thick fat and often served with pommes sarladaise, consisting of thickly sliced potatoes fried in goose fat and garlic. Magret de canard (grilled duck breasts) is another speciality often on the menu. You will also find duck and goose served up in sausages or cassoulet (a sort of meat stew with haricot beans). In fact, the fat of ducks and geese is used for cooking just about everything, and gives every dish a delicious taste.