Normandy is well known for its food and drink and with many well known cheeses; in particular, coming from the region it is not surprising. The cooking is normally uncomplicated and the emphasis is on local produce. So, if you want a typical Normandy meal when you visit the local restaurant what do you order? Shell fish is most common for a starter and this can be found in abundance along the coastline in many of the small fishing ports. Particularly look for fresh oysters and mussels which are harvested from the Manche and Calvados coasts.

For main courses a variation of chicken in a cream sauce can be found on most menus as well as cream which plays an important part in many of the sauces whether it on poultry, veal or steak. Pork in cider or calvados is another dish which originated in Calvados and Caux areas. If you are staying in the South look out for ‘Pre Sale’ Lamb, this lamb reared on the salt plains around the Bay of Mont St Michel gives the meat a delicate extra taste. If you are feeling a bit more adventurous and don’t mind eating offal, why not try Tripes a la Mode de Caen. Alternatively, Vire is famous for its chitterling (Andouille) and in Mortagne au Perche the Black Pudding is a speciality. Finally, around the Seine Valley they have a particular cross breed of duck which produces a more meaty bird called Canard Rouennais.

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