The best culinary specialities around Montpellier
Discover the best culinary specialties around Montpellier. Local recipes classified in 10 essential and gourmet meals! Mixing fish, red meats, goat cheese, sun-drenched vegetables and Mediterranean flavors, Montpellier cuisine is warm and colorful. Get ready, we're taking you on a tour of flavors that will surprise your taste buds!
What are the best starters to try in Montpellier?
Cagarolettes, Montpellier's favorite snails
The cagarolettes, small cagarols in Occitan dialect, are these small white snails that cling to the branches of wild fennels to escape the heat of the ground at summertime. They are nicknamed estivenques or mourguettes when they are bigger.
Typical recipe of our grandmothers, this
Les pâtés de Pezenas - A sweet and salty delight
Pezenas, a wonderful village famous thanks to Molière and its historical past is also full of culinary surprises.
In addition to these berlingots, the Pezenas pâté is a must for anyone visiting the village.
It was initiated by an Indian chef in the 18th century. The recipe is composed of a delicious salty-sweet stuffing, with lamb, brown sugar and slightly flavored with lemon. It is usually sprinkled with sugar right out of the oven to make it even more irresistible. A unique specialty to be savored without a doubt!
The oysters of Bouzigues
Close to Montpellier, come and taste this shellfish rich in omega 3. The Bouzigues oysters are known for their beautiful flesh with a bright color and their strong taste with a lot of iodine. They can be eaten raw or cooked, in marinara or in brascuade according to your desires. A real delight for those who love the sea! Note that they can also be stuffed "à la setoise", i.e. with snail butter, garlic and parsley. An original way to prepare this shellfish for those who don’t usually like it.
« Muscatel wine, a fruity aperitif »
There is nothing like a good bottle to accompany these delicious dishes. The department of Herault is home to 4 of the 7 Muscat appellations in France. The Muscats of Lunel and Frontignan have fruity and slightly lemony aromas, while the Muscats of Mireval and Saint Jean de Minervois have exotic fruit aromas. To be tasted fresh and with moderation!
You should also know that Occitanie and Herault have vast wine-growing estates and offer a wide choice of tasty wines, red, white or rosé - the hardest part will be choosing!
What are the best culinary specialities to try around Montpellier?
The tielle of Sete
The tielle is a typical specialty of the city of Sete, located 40 min from Montpellier. It has its origins in an Italian family who brought it back about 50 years ago. It consists of a delicious little pie made with octopus, also called pouffre, and a slightly spicy white wine tomato sauce. For the little anecdote, the city of Sete has erected an octopus statue on the square of its town hall and perpetuates its emblem through this tasty and unavoidable recipe!
The escoubilles stew
A specialty that comes straight from Saint Guilhem, north of Montpellier in the Herault. In the past, this dish used the leftovers of all the food of the week. Today, this stew is composed of vegetables and meats and has different variations depending on the village. In Saint Guilhem, the secret of a good stew lies in the use of bitter olives. It is often prepared the day before because it is better when reheated!
The Macaronade
Emblematic and
The brandade a Nimes specialities
One of the best dishes you can try in the Gard in Nîmes is without a doubt the brandade of cod. Once upon a time, fishermen from Brittany came to the region to buy salt to preserve their fish better. In exchange, the merchants gave codfish. Nowadays, cod brandade can be eaten as an aperitif with a piece of crusty bread or as a dish with a good salad and potato. You will have to "Brander", that is to say "stir" continuously the cod, the milk and the olive oil in order to find its authentic and creamy taste. This is a dish that will delight all palates!
The gardianne of bull
Often confused with beef stew, gardianne is a traditional bull meat dish from the Camargue region. This dish has its origins in lamb stew: in the past, before raising bulls, sheep were raised in the Crau plain. Today, it is composed of bull meat (cooked in hay), sliced carrots, olives and red wine from the Camargue vineyards. It is accompanied by Camargue rice and is eaten at family celebrations. We guarantee that this dish will not last long, unlike its cooking!
What are the best cheeses to try in Montpellier?
It would be a real shame to write an article on the best culinary specialities around Montpellier, forgetting to mention our cheeses...
Pelardon cheese AOP
A real goat cheese made from raw milk, this little puck from the Cévennes will make you melt! It has a very thin rind and a creamy texture, and once in the mouth it gives off a tangy taste. As it ages, it gains in character with a firm to brittle texture, a darker rind and a beautiful persistence in the mouth.
To be enjoyed with the local baskets offered by Wisud during excursions or walks.
Roquefort cheese
Roquefort is one of the most emblematic cheeses in France, made with raw sheep's milk, its authentic taste is much appreciated by cheese lovers.
A small village lost on the Larzac plateau has made the region and France famous the world over.
Desserts and sweets: the best delicacies of the Herault
The zezettes of Sete
A shortbread cookie flavored with vanilla, made with flour and Muscat de Frontignan. It is often sprinkled with crystal sugar to make it even more delicious! It's a great gift idea or a nice souvenir to take home!
The fougasse
Originally, the fougasse allowed the baker to make sure that the wood-fired oven was at the right temperature before putting the bread in the oven. Today, the fougasse has become very popular and there is a large variety of them, sweet or savory. This emblematic dish is a real institution in Aigues-Mortes. You will fall in love with it from the first bite.
Les Grisettes: Montpellier's specialities
The candy that speaks to all generations since it is one of the oldest candies in France. These small black balls sprinkled with sugar were used as a spare change in the Middle Ages by pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Made from honey, licorice and aniseed, this candy has medicinal and natural virtues against sore throat.
When it comes to gastronomy, the Grisettes are truly
