Delicious Food and the Enchanting French Loire Valley

Everyone knows that French cooking is one of the best in the world if not the best. With more than 365 cheeses, thousands of different wine producers, foie gras, sea food, fishes and good meat, and of course specialties like snails, frogs' legs, bouillabaisse, pot au feu, and boeuf bourguignon, France is a paradise for those who like quality and innovative cuisine.

The Val de la Loire known as "the Garden of France" is a fertile place where a rich farmland is spread on both sides of the enchanting Loire river. The region became the favourite residence of French Kings and Queens from the middle ages to the Renaissance. Little by little, strongholds became magnificent castles of the Renaissance, which had been restored during the 17th and 18th centuries.

These chateaux tell about the surprising history of the great kingdom of France and display the charm of its fabulous past. The Castles still stand in all their glory representing the majesty and grandeur of the architecture of that period.

Classic French cuisine is very much on the menu in most restaurants in the beautifulLoire Valley. The French table is a deity - a great social organizer and leisure activity.

Each aspect of a French speciality has a root, origin, tradition, and cult attached to it by the French. This is because of the sheer diversity of excellent products and related recipes available all over France. The french have an amazing affinity for the land. It is part of their identity. . If French gastronomy has such prestige, it is because the French spend their time on it.

Freshwater River and lake fish take pride of place in dishes. Veggies thrive in the sandy soils around the Loire River. Local asparagus is delicious in spring. Most vegetables have a long season. Goat's cheeses are a particular speciality of the region.

Meat specialities of the Loire Valley include pork rillettes (a coarse pate), not to be confused with another very tasty, more local tradition, rillons (big chunks of pork cooked in pork fat). With so many forests in the Loire Valley, the region's restaurants are strong on game. Autumn is the season not just for wild game, notably wild boar and venison, but also wild mushrooms.

The French have a sweet tooth and they love creamy, rich, chocolate patisseries and they insist on quality. Blois has exceptional patisseries.

Tarte Tatin, upside-down apple tart, is a classic of the Loire Valley region. The area is rich in excellent apples and pears, tasty strawberries and melons.

The tourist route around the vineyards of the Loire valley leads foodies and wine lovers from cellars to vineyards, offering wine-related discoveries punctuated by visits to imposing chateau, abbeys, cave dwellings and gardens along the Loire, now listed as part of the world heritage of mankind by UNESCO. Because, French gastronomy is a veritable paradise you should try it at least once in your lifetime.

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