Delicacies of French regions

A couple of weeks ago, I visited an event held in one of the northern arrondissements of Paris. It was a three day feast of flavours, odours and visual pleasure. An event dedicated to products and traditions from different French regions called Fête des regions.

Echassiers

It is no secret that food is a big part of a French person's life. The amount of time, patience and carefully chosen words dedicated to food are admiring and every event that praises this highly respected form of pleasure is celebrated with special care.
Despite France being known as gastronomical paradise i sometimes like to point out that there is nothing new about French food. There are no great culinary discoveries, only simple every day products, cheese, a good piece of meat, fine bread. Nothing that you couldn't find in other countries in Europe or beyond. But what other countries don't have is French inventiveness and an ability to know how to present and sell their products. French people are masters in preserving their history and tradition in every form, and food is a great part of this tradition. A result is a diverse spectra of simple ingredients with a great strong story behind them and an impeccable taste.

For people seeking to rub the surface of what France has to offer in terms of food specialities, Fête des regions is a one of a kind event. It is an opportunity to try the best of every part of the country and set the directions to what part of the country's specialities turn to first.

Corsican specialities

Products from the Savoye

Cantal cheese, old specialty of the Auvergne

Kouign-amann, Breton speciality

My trip through this festival began and finished with degustations, right as it should. From ten different kinds of chestnut creams and jams, through wine, cheese, brioches, macarons, chocolate to a perfect fish soup and pain d'épices. Even two kinds of foie gras which i despise as much for its taste as for the mode of production (it could be one of the rare eadibles i can't stand).

Distilling lavander

Distilling lavander

By every food stand there was a person ready to offer you their products and tell you more about it. I bought the most divine chestnut cream i have ever tasted (most of the edible chestnuts and chestnut-derived products come from a small department called Collobrières in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region) and a small pain d'épices naturel, a sweet, moist cake (or bread if you prefere) with a thick layer of honey on the top (produced by Baramel Breizh, an artisanal company producing pain d'épices and other honey based products).

Artisanal chocolates

This kind of event is a reminder for the ones that tend to forget that France is not only Paris. There are 22 regions with different climate and all that comes with it: different history, natural diversity, different people's attitude and last but definitely not the least, gastronomy. Start exploring.

Corsican sausage made of pork liver

Various olives from the Provence

Tapenade

Popular festive brioche from Vendée department (Pays-de-la-Loire region)

Mushrooms are well known appetizers

Believe it or not this is a cheese cake