What could be more natural than to crave hearty, gourmet and convivial dishes after having walked the mountains all day, lulled by the fresh air of the peaks?
This is good because Savoyard cuisine is neither more nor less than the reflection of local history, marked by terroir and authenticity. Today, producers make it a point of honor to perpetuate this ancestral know-how, thus guaranteeing a traditional approach and consistent quality. Thus, Savoyard cuisine is a guarantee of pleasure and comfort. So, to your aprons!
With a population working in mountain pastures and in a harsh climate, the Savoyard cuisine of yesteryear had to be invigorating... "Tartifles" (including potatoes), cheese and charcuterie were the foods available to the peasants and constituted thus the basis of daily dishes, which has not changed much since…
The essentials of Savoyard cuisine: the diots
The unmissable of Savoyard gastronomy, it is inconceivable to come to Savoie without tasting this traditional dish, which we cook and taste like a good meal from our dear grandmothers. This small sausage made from minced pork and flavored with nutmeg can be plain, cabbage, Beaufort or smoked.
There are many ways to prepare diots, but the one we prefer is to fry them first, before simmering them over a low heat in a preparation based on white wine (from Savoie of course) and 'onions. The little extra thing? Throw a few whole garlic cloves with the skin into the preparation. Candied in this way, connoisseurs will taste them “en chemise”.
Crozets and polenta
A small culinary treasure, crozets are small square pasta prepared with white flour or buckwheat, which lend themselves perfectly to preparations au gratin. Their name comes from the patois “croé” which means small.
Polenta (pronounced “polinte”) is a corn flour that is cooked in water or milk and can be eaten either mashed or in a pancake and is a delicious side dish.
Cheese of Savoy
The Savoies have a wide range of cheeses, such as Reblochon, Beaufort and Tome, to name but a few...
These cheeses represent the massifs where they are produced and have made a place for themselves on French cheese platters. However, originally some were produced with leftover whey to help farming families meet their needs. Their subtle and frank taste has nevertheless enabled them to acquire their letters of nobility. Today, whether we eat them as they are or as ingredients in our favorite recipes, they have a place of choice in the hearts of the French who are particularly fond of them.
Wines of Savoy
It is not because the Savoyard vineyard is the smallest in France that it should be snubbed, at the risk of missing out on small unsuspected nuggets. Cultivated in the mild temperate climate due to the proximity of lakes (Léman, Annecy and Le Bourget), white grape varieties are the most widespread and produce fresh and light wines, such as Jacquère, or wines of greater quality, such as Bun Bergeron.
Between tartiflette and croziflette, our hearts swing…
Who does not know the tartiflette?
The secret to the success of this dish lies in the choice of cheese used, exclusively Reblochon AOP de Savoie, which is unctuous and tasty. Note to sublimate the preparation and give it a little caramelized side, remember to brown the potatoes, onions and bacon bits in the pan before baking with the cheese for the gratin effect!
The croziflette is a revisit of the tartiflette. It uses the codes of the latter, simply replacing the potatoes with crozets.
What is your favorite recipe?
And if you let yourself be tempted by our all-inclusive stays in Savoy to savor the local gastronomy in winter as in summer?
