ABOUT BRETON CUISINE

Brittany's coastal location enables it to produce some of the finest shellfish in France. Mouth-watering seafood is perhaps what the coastal region of Brittany is especially known for, especially various kinds of crabs, scallops, lobster, oysters, shrimp and langoustine.

Brittany is also the birthplace of the crêpe. A meal of crêpes typically starts with an oversized pan-fried "galette" or crêpe, typically made with buckwheat flour and filled with savory ingredients, and ends with a dessert crêpe made with whole wheat flour and filled with any combination of a long list of sweet ingredients.

Other specialty dishes of the region include Coquilles Saint Jacques (creamed scallops served in their shell), Homard à l'Armoricaine (lobster served with a garlicky tomato sauce), Gigot d'Agneau (Brittany's famed leg of "pré-salé" or pre-salted lamb, raised on the coastal seaside salt marshes), Plateau de Fruits de Mer (fresh seafood platter), Cotriade Breton (a stew made from a mix of locally caught fish), Kouign-Amann (Breton butter cake), and Caramels Fleur de Sel (caramels flavored with fine sea salt). Brittany is also known for its hard cider and its dry white Muscadet wine.

The most distinctive aspect of Breton cuisine is that its food ingredients are superb and fresh. Weekly outdoor markets are at the heart of Breton life. "Camus" artichokes, strawberries from Plougastel, chestnuts from Redon, reinette apples of Armoric, and the white beans of Paimpol are but a few of the region's locally grown specialty produce.

Brittany is famous for its harvesting and production of a variety of sea salts including sel de Guérande (grey salt) and the famous and increasingly popular fleur de sel. Brittany is also known for its dairy products, especially its butter (lightly salted, of course).