Mother Nature is generous in Touraine: the mild climate and fertile soil have contributed to making the region productive, with an abundance of fruits and vegetables, as well as more rare produce such as black truffles, saffron and fine wines...

 

It's no surprise that Touraine is known as the "Garden of France" with such a wealth of produce! A wide variety of produce is available in the market stalls: all the fruits and early fruits and vegetables of course, artichokes, asparagus (Touraine is France's second largest asparagus-producing region), mushrooms (grown in the troglodyte caves)...

 

The local delicatessen products are delicious: rillettes from Tours (A.O.P. protected designation of origin label), rillons and andouillettes made in the traditional manner using a cord. The Loire and well-stocked ponds are sources of fish: eels, zander, perch and shad.

 

Regarding cheeses, the Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, easily identified thanks to the wisp of straw through its centre, is the local star on the goat cheese platter. Another surprising local specialty from the Rivarennes village is "poires tapées", or dried pears. And last but not least, wine lovers will appreciate the hillside production: vouvray, chinon, bourgueil, montlouis-sur-loire... in all, more than a dozen AOC wines are waiting to be tasted. A visit to the Loire Valley would not be complete without tasting the Touraine wines!

 

Where to find these products?

 

We recommend that you make your purchases at one of the many weekly markets where you will find fresh, locally-made products, at reasonable prices. Experience gastronomy during your visit to Tours, there is a market every day of the week, in one of the city's neighbourhoods. Markets in Loches, Amboise and Chinon are also worth visiting. Throughout the year, theme markets are also held: truffle markets in Marigny-Marmande, gourmet markets at Château de Candé, the saffron market in Preuilly-sur-Claise...