The Aude is a region renowned for its gastronomy and the richness of its terroir. Join us on a discovery of Occitan cuisine and the specialities of the Aude region, a must-taste during your camping vacation.
Typical Aude dishes
The Aude region is rich in gastronomic specialities, each as tasty as the next. Here are just a few that you can sample on your camping vacation in the Aude.
Eel bourride: a typical dish of the Bages and Gruissan fishermen Gruissan . In the land of the ponds, bourride is cooked with a heel of ham, potatoes and olive oil parsley. With a glass of white wine AOP Corbières or Fitou white wine, it’s a real treat!
Limoux fricassee: fréginat (the Occitan name for fricassee) is the traditional dish of the Corbières mountains. This rustic pork-based recipe is served with a garnish of white beans cooked in duck fat. It couldn’t be more audois!
Wild boar stew with Corbières red wine: a grandmother’s recipe prepared with wild boar, but also pork or beef. This meat fricassee is simmered with onions, tomato coulis, shallots, spices and herbs.
Cargolade: char-grilled snails are an ancient specialty of the Corbières region. The snails (in Occitan “cagaròl”) are prepared with sweet pepper and thyme, then braised with vine shoots on a large grill, drizzled with melted lard. A real treat!
Truffle brouillade: in the Corbières, black truffles are cooked with eggs, a little salt, pepper, olive oil and crème fraîche. An explosion in the mouth! Enjoy with a Minervois AOC from the Cathar region.
Le [ cassoulet de Castelnaudary ] [ /histoire-et-recette-du-cassoulet-de-castelnaudary ] : called “caçolet” in Occitan, the best cassoulet in the world is made from white beans cooked with fresh rind, pork shank and shoulder, sausages and duck confit. It always tastes best when it’s been simmering for a long time!
Local produce from the Aude region
The Carcassonne region
Lamb and pork from the Cathar region, charcuterie from the Montagne Noire, sweet onions from Citou, black truffles from Villeneuve-Minervois, green asparagus, chestnut cream, garrigue honey, almonds, Caunes cherries…
The Lauragais region
Farm poultry (chicken, guinea fowl, poularde du Lauraguais, capons du Pays Cathare, fattened ducks…), white beans from Castelnaudary, green lentils…
The Corbières Minervois region
Game, especially wild boar, Lucques olives and olive oil, rice from the Marseillette pond, goat’s and sheep’s cheeses, rosemary honey…
The Narbonne region
Oysters and mussels from Leucate, eel à la gruissanaise, fish grilled, smoked or cooked a la plancha, mustard from Narbonne…
The High Valley of the Aude
Beef and veal from the Cathar region, linden honey, chestnut cream, Limoux nougats and pébradous (pepper cookies), not forgetting the famous Blanquette de Limoux (sparkling wine)…
Le Pays de Sault
Patane” (potatoes from the Sault region), cochonnailles from the Aude Pyrenees, cheeses (Galibloch’, Camenccoeur, bûche cendrée…), mushrooms and morels in particular.
Read also: Market stroll from Narbonne to Carcassonne
Have you saved room for dessert?
Pastries, cakes, galettes, cookies… no respite for sweet tooths and gourmands! Aude’s gastronomy is all about mouth-watering desserts and sweets.
Garriguet: a very moist cake made with honey, almonds and raisins macerated in Cascastel muscatel wine. A typical travel cake from Cathar country that keeps for several weeks!
La Calina: golden and plump, this artisanal raisin brioche will melt your heart! Its name refers to the headdress once worn by winegrowers to protect themselves from the sun.
Cherry clafoutis: a particularly gourmet and tasty recipe with beautiful cherries from the Argent Double valley. A summer dessert that’s sure to tantalize the taste buds.
Pine nut tart: a Gruissan specialty , with a base of pure butter puff pastry, almond pastry cream, meringue, powdered sugar and pine nuts.