Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage
A symbol of the Vercors Massif, and listed as an AOP (‘protected designation of origin’) since 1999, Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage blue-veined cheese made with whole milk. Sweet, buttery and subtle, its taste is hinted with hazelnut aromas. It is of course at home on any cheeseboard, but it is also an ingredient of choice for a number of different dishes.
This Vercors speciality can be found in many recipes, either as the base ingredient or as a side dish: Vercouline (raclette with Bleu du Vercors), salads, gratins…
Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is intimately linked to the Vercors region, mountain farming, natural production techniques, a deep-rooted tradition and an age-old skill. It is from this double origin - its terroir and its history - that the cheese takes its name and certification as an AOP. The 35th cheese AOP to be recognised in France, the area is unusual in that it is situated entirely within a regional natural park, a narrow zone limited to 27 communes in the Isère and Drôme départements.
WALNUT
This was the first dried fruit to have a certified AOC, which, since 1938, has covered three varieties: Franquette, Mayette and Parisienne.
Grenoble walnuts are produced in three départements: Isère, Savoie and Drôme. There are around twenty farms in Drôme that produce walnuts, walnut oil, walnut wine.... Walnuts are eaten fresh from September to October, and dried or as walnut oil year round.
Cholesterol-free and rich in Omega 3, they are good for your healthy and can be used in a number of tasty recipes: pies, cakes, chutneys, jams, sweet treats...
Ravioles
This small, thin square pasta made with fresh eggs conceals a subtle, balanced filling of Compté cheese (AOP), fresh white cheese and parsley.
Served as a gratin, in a salad or as a dish on its own, it is a delicate speciality that you will find in every restaurant in the Vercors.
You can also buy ravioles directly from the artisanal factory Les Ravioles des Grands Goulets
in La Chapelle-en-Vercors or from the Ravioles à l'Ancienne factory
in Saint-Jean-en-Royans.
La pangée
A delicious cake made with honey, almonds and apricots, the Pangée, created in Drôme, was voted best biscuit in France in 2004!
A tasty mixture that is supposed to represent the first continent, the world as it was 250 million years ago: Pangaea.
This cake is always served in its attractive packaging, with a section missing to represent the first breakup of Pangaea.
The apricot that sits in the middle of the cake symbolises Drôme as the centre of the world.
Only a handful of pastry chefs make it: but you can try one at the bakery in Vassieux-en-Vercors.