The regional dishes of Burgundy…
The first thing most people mention when prompted about the regional cuisine of Burgundy is Dijon mustard – this speciality is famed throughout the world and originated in 1856, when Jean Naigeon of Dijon substituted verjuice, the acidic “green” juice of not-quite-ripe grapes, for vinegar in the traditional mustard recipe. Although not all Dijon mustards originate from Burgundy, to be called a Dijon mustard they must conform to the original recipe to achieve the title.
Burgundy is also known for its wines the most well-known being red wines made from Pinot Noir grapes or white wines made from Chardonnay grapes.
Dishes from Burgundy tend to be rich, full of flavour and a perfect match for wine produced in the region. Wine also plays a major role in the preparation of food from the area with dishes such as Beef Bourguignon and Coq au Vin which are two of Burgundy’s most famous meat dishes.
Burgundy is the home of Charolais and the beef cattle raised here is considered generally to be the best in France.
If you visit Burgundy its hard to avoid dishes with snails (escargots) – one much loved dish in the region involves cooking them in white wine with onions and garlic and then roasting them stuffed with butter mixed with garlic and parsley.
The region is also strong on cheeses. Many French people believe orange skinned Epoisses has to be one of the great cheeses of France and the region is also known for Citeaux and Chaource – a table cheese with a white mould rind and light creamy texture which is eaten when only 2 or 3 weeks old.
Burgundy is also the blackcurrant capital of France – and a local aperitif is white wine mixed with “crème de cassis”, liqueur made from local black currants and called a Kir.
