Tastes of Brittany

An immense 30,000 km­2 garden between sky and sea, surrounded by 3,500 km of jagged coastline that flows into a marbled network of rivers and streams, bathed in mild Atlantic air tempered by the Gulf Stream, melting into vast expanses of ocean… With its five départements (Loire-Atlantique, Morbihan, Finistère, Côtes d’Armor and Ille-et-Vilaine), Brittany is an Olympus for the gods of food and drink.

These geographical features, together with 2,000 hours of sunshine each year, encourage the natural bounty of the sea and abundant riches of the land. Coastal Brittany, or Armor, has a long history of seafaring activity due to its intimate contact with the shore, its warm currents which carry fish from the south and cold northern currents which provide favourable conditions for deep sea creatures living on the underwater continental shelf. The rolling countryside of inland Brittany, or Argoat, also boasts natural riches, as seen in the diverse range of meat and vegetables offered by its farming industry.

But such a generous natural environment does not offer up its riches without some contribution from its inhabitants: quality produce is as much down to people as to nature. In the same way that food lovers and talented chefs naturally go hand in hand, Brittany’s fine fruit and vegetables, excellent meat and poultry and outstanding fish and seafood caught by skilled fishermen have always nurtured an appreciation for quality produce in Bretons and all those who come to visit this peninsula on the edge of the world. This is the secret behind the gastronomic success of a region that is much envied for the range and quality of its fresh local produce and that can hold its head up high alongside other, more well-known French culinary regions.