THE PELARDON

The pelardon des Cevennes is a delicious little gem of round goat's milk cheese which comes exclusively from the Cevennes region. All the small goat's chesses in this region are called pelardons. The maturing period of the pelardon is two to three weeks in a well-aired cellar. This cheese has been protected by an AOC label since august 2000.
The taste of the pelardon des Cevennes is fruity with a fine balance between acidity and saltiness giving it a full, rich milky flavour that lingers on the palate. A sheer delight!
The cheese is uncooked and unpressed and has barely any rind, but as it matures it develops a natural mould rind.

HONEY

Although increasingly replaced by box hives, the "ruches-tronc", made of chestnut wood and covered with a flat stone, remains the typical method of producing Cevennes Honey. The large variety of local melliferous plants provides this honey with an unequalled, subtle flavor.

Many different kinds of local honey are on offer: lavender, thyme, acacia and rosemary, to name but a few ...

The Sweet Cevennes onion

A  tradition as old as the terraces on which they are grown, the sweet Cevennes onion has been cultivated here since 1830, and increasingly so since the decline of the silk industry. Sown under glass in February, planted out on the terraces in May and harvested, by hand, in August and September, this onion is renowned for its sweet taste and extremely tender texture. It was inevitable that this high quality onion would be awarded an AOC label.

THE ANDUZE SAUSAGE

The Anduze sausage is made solely of pork meat. The pigs are fed on acorns and sweet chestnuts, products of the forest, and their flesh thus acquires a distinctive flavour, unique to this region. It does not need any other seasoning, just salt and pepper: it really is the quality of the animal that will produce the quality of the meat. It should be pointed out that this is true peasant fare which stockbreeders originally made for their own consumption. The Anduze sausage has maintained its reputation and kept its place in the country kitchen. This sausage is found in all the good pork-butcher's and restaurants in Anduze, each one guarding its traditional, secret recipe jealously.

THE SWEET CHESTNUT

In the times of the ancient Gods, the famous Jupiter pursued a dark and voluptuous nymph, called Néa. But Nea chose to lose her life rather than her virtue... In commemoration of this sacrifice a tree took root on her tomb, it was the chestnut, Castanea (chaste Néa).
Sweet chestnuts or chestnuts? They are both fruits of the same species of tree, the chestnut, which is subdivided into multiple varieties. The only difference lies in the envelope (the bur) and in the shape of the fruit: if it is septated, it is a sweet chestnut, if not it is a chestnut.
In this harsh countryside with unforgiving terrain, generations of the Cevennes population have been nourished by sweet chestnuts, the basis of survival for man and his herds. This "breadfruit tree" characterises the landscape of the Cevennes, by its rows of trees, its small buildings intended for drying (Clèdes) and its craft industry (furniture, baskets, and numerous articles used in everyday life...). This Lady of autumn, the sweet chestnut tempts us during the autumn months with the delicious scents of her fruits roasting on the corners of our city streets. No one can resist their aroma when caramelized! Many festivals (Castagnades) celebrate this marvellous fruit in October in different villages of the region.

THE OLIVE

If the Romans came to settle in Anduze and make it the second city of the Gard, after Nimes, it was not by chance, it was because Rome sent them, not as warriors, but to develop the culture of the vine and of the olive-tree already known by the Anduziens thanks to Phocéens.
After the terrible winters of the second half of the XIXth century and the effects of the 1914-18 war on the local community, Anduze remains nevertheless the undisputed kingdom of olive-trees with varieties native to its soil, such as the CAILLAOU and CAPELAN. Its soil and its exposure make it a Cevennes Garden of Eden. These days it is nice to see olive groves reappearing, this time down on the plain, where they are easier to work and with new varieties such as the Picholine.

OLIVE OIL
The green olives are harvested from September to February. During their maturation, the fruit grows rich with oil and changes colour, passing from green to black. The olives are then transported and stored in the mill where they are crushed, reducing them to a thick paste. This paste undergoes one mechanical cold pressing which represents the essential phase of manufacture of the olive oil which, after this will only need to be decanted.

The virgin olive oil is obtained purely by this mechanical process and does not undergo any chemical treatment.

TAPENADE, a great speciality of the South made from olives, it is to be found in fine dining as well as being a delicious accompaniment to the aperitif. This speciality from Provence is made of black or green olives, crushed in a mortar with anchovy fillets, mustard and spices, making a delicious paste. It is delicious on small toasted canapés, which have been rubbed with garlic and warmed, or in little tarts... a truly local speciality not to be missed !

VINEYARDS AND WINE

Situated at the the foot of the Cevennes, the vineyards around Anduze, extend mainly around the communities of Tornac, Massillargues-Atuech, Lézan, Cardet and Ribaute Taverns. Co-operative cellars and private vineyards have worked hard over the years to renew vines, methods and oenological techniques, in order to create quality as well as quantity. The Merlot, Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet grapes provide the main part of the reds and rosés today, and the whites come from from Sauvignon or Chardonnay grapes. Composed primarily of a clay-limestone, marl and stoney ground, the soil of our area, which benefits moreover from exceptional sunshine, is particularly adapted to wine growing, and today the names Vins du pays des Cévennes, Vins de pays d'Oc et Vins du duché d'Uzès are growing in success, reinforced by a series of "open days" which the majority of the wine growers organise during the summer monrhs.

It is a pleasure to visit and buy directly from a co-operative or private vineyard. To meet wine growers, learn about their know-how, their vines, their wine and their cellars, allows us also to discover lesser known wines and provides a much more agreeable experience than simply reading the labels in a shop or in a catalogue. Wine is one of the rare products where a tasting is usually offered, accompanied by comments on the techniques of production and conservation.
We also recommend you try, Cartagene, a local speciality with subtle, sweet flavours, overtones of dried fruits, walnut and fig, which has been drunk since time immemorial as an aperitif or with dessert; Castello, an original aperitif with aromas of lemon flavoured with white wine from Sauvignon grapes, Pitchoun, a sparkling aperitif with the taste of Cartagène... there are many specialities to taste in this region. All these local wines can also accompany the delicious meals served in the many top quality restaurants and inns around Anduze.

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