Normandy Press Pack 2013 - France

Out of the Ordinary
As well as its famous cheeses and apple-based tipple,
Normandy is also home to some more unusual and lesserknown
delicacies…
Cookery class with a twist
La Chaumière aux Orties, La Haye-de-Routot
Take a trip to the 17th Century Chaumière aux Orties (or Nettle
Thatched Cottage) nestled in this little countryside town where
wild plants and flowers are often top of the menu! Discover,
identify and gather local wild products such as dandelions,
nettles and ground ivy and supplement recipes with these
forgotten flavours. The cookery lessons, led by connoisseur
Michèle Lesage, aim to bring plants back to people’s palates.
These activities and other related events take place on Sundays
between March and September.
http://web.mac.com/lahayederoutot
Perfect Parachutes
Sainte-Mère-Eglise, Manche
Plunge a delicious parachute-shaped shortbread biscuit into
your tea, or turn to a Petit-Para, a soft almond flavoured
parachute cake, for an afternoon treat. The biscuit factory at
Sainte-Mère-Eglise has dedicated these products to the D-Day
landings, when thousands of paratroopers landed around the
town, the first to be liberated by American troops in June 1944.
www.biscuit-sainte-mere-eglise.com
Scrummy Sausages
Andouille, Vire
In the meadows of the Vire valley, the local talent for rearing
cattle and pigs gave rise to traditional produce such as tripe,
smoked ham and the special ‘Andouille de Vire’ (smoked pork
sausage made from chitterlings). The festival ‘Andouille de Vire’
is held annually on 1st November.
www.bocage-normand.com
A mysterious elixir
Fécamp, Seine-Maritime
To uncover the history of Bénédictine, we must travel back in
time to the Renaissance period when a Benedictine monk from
Fécamp Abbey, created a mysterious elixir. Produced by monks
until the 18th Century, the secret of the drink was lost during
the conflicts of the centuries that followed. The recipe was not
rediscovered until 1863 when a merchant, named Alexander
the Great, was inspired to recreate the strange liqueur now
known as Bénédictine. www.benedictine.fr/anglais
Don’t miss…
Palais Bénédictine, Fécamp
Following the success of Bénédictine, in 1882, Alexander
the Great had the grand Benedictine Palace built to
house the distillery where the mysterious liqueur is still
produced to this day. Visit the palace to discover the
extensive art collections and take a sensory journey
through the world of the 27 Bénédictine plants and
spices.
Chocolate with a twist
Ferme Le Valaine, Etretat
Close to the famous hills at
Etretat, the Le Valaine farm
specialises in products
made from goat’s milk,
including cheese,
ice-cream and even
chocolate! Agnès and
Bernard Dherbecourt
have been raising their
herd of sixty goats
since 1981 and began
making their popular
cheese in 1998. Now the
most sought-after product
from the farm, the chocolate,
comes in eight different flavours:
original, orange, lemon, almond,
coffee, hazelnut, Bénédictine and
Calvados. Le Valaine’s slogan says it all: ‘Tu
craques, Tu Croques, Tu Fonds!’ – Try It, Taste it, Love it!
www.levalaine.com
Normandy Press Pack 2013
www.normandy-tourism.org