The brioche and the gâche are two fluffy cakes that used to be associated with Easter celebrations, weddings, baptisms, and communions.
The “brioche vendéenne” is made from leaven flour, a lot of butter and eggs. It is then traditionally braid by hand.
The gâche is more fondant and is differentiated by its oval shape and include crème fraiche in its recipe.
Its name doesn’t come from its preparation time but from its long conservation. The minute-cake was always ready to be served “in a minute” for every impromptu visit.
Between a Genoise sponge and a pound cake, this round shaped cake bakes on greasy paper surround by a string will show a light brown sugary crust.
The Tourtisseaux are fritters, the dough is left to rise and before being fried. Its origins come from the Poitevin marsh.
This pastry is made for Mardi Gras carnival. In Vendée, the Tourtisseaux often replace the traditional crepes that are cooked during those festivities.
The tourtisseaux have different names. For example, in the wooded countryside they are called “bottereaux”.
If you wish to taste a typical meal of Vendée, you will need to start with Préfou before enjoying the ham of Vendée with white bean.
Once upon a time, a Vendéen baker used to put flat bread in the oven to test its temperature. One day, he had the idea to open it in two and put butter and sliced garlic inside in order to eat while still warm. That was the birth of the Préfou or “préfour” in patois. This delicious bread is generally shared during the aperitif.
The ham of Vendée is a deboned salted raw ham. It’s hand rubbed with sea salt and spices then coated with some eau-de-vie. The naming of “Jambon de Vendée” (ham) benefits from a protected geographical indication.
Traditional farming of the 16th century in the low wooded countryside, the mogette is a white bean that is emblematic in Vendée. The cooking was once made in a clay pot in a wood-fired oven and morsels of lard were used to be added with the beans. The mogette of Vendée also benefits from a protected geographical indication.
If Vendée is well-known for its wines, it also products aperitif and traditional liqueurs such as the troussepinette, the vendéen kiki or even the kamok.
The blackthorn wine (also called troussepinette) is made from blackthorn sprout.
The thorns are macerated in wine, sugar and eau-de-vie for two weeks. The mix is then filtered and bottled.
The vendéen kiki is a brand that sells blackthorn wine and is traditionally poured in a small Duralex glasse called “kiki”. It has different flavors such as blackthorn with red berry, peach, or even pears of Vendée.
The Kamok is a coffee liqueur whose name is inspired by the Moka, considered as the best coffee.
It’s a syrupy beverage made from 3 great arabica, sugar, neutral alcohol, and water. It ages for two years in oak casks before being bottled. The kamok is drunk as an after-dinner liqueur, iced or mix with crushed ice.
It is also used for cocktails and sweets.
