The Top Dishes to Devour in Vendée 

Fancy a foodie trip to France? Grass-fed or briny and salty, Vendée’s gastronomic specialties are deliciously varied. Here are five of the best specialties to try in this typical Vendean menu. 

Préfou for the perfect apéritif

No apéritif is complete without slices of Préfou, Vendée’s answer to garlic bread but with a rather cute origin story.  

Préfou was born many years ago in the Vendean countryside near Fontenay le Comte when ovens (fours in French) did not have thermostats. In those days, food was cooked in wood-fired ovens. To test the oven’s temperature, a piece of bread dough was placed next to it. Once this little ball of dough was cooked, that meant the oven was hot enough. To not waste the bread, the little ball of dough was rubbed with garlic and butter before it was eaten. This tasty treat was originally called “prefour” which now has become “préfou”. 

The freshest seafood platter

With its ideal location on the Atlantic coast of France, Vendée’s seafood offering is as fresh as can be. Sample a dozen Vendée Atlantique oysters and the typical Bouchot mussels, farmed on thick wooden poles planted in Aiguillon Bay and favoured for their strong flavour. 

You could even select your own seafood platter by heading out on a shore fishing expedition – la pêche à pied. Wait for low tide and unearth cockles, clams, oysters, mussels, and other shellfish… from Aiguillon sur Mer to Bourgneuf Bay, via Saint Jean de Monts. 

Top off your platter with a tin of delicious sardines from Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, a town who has been fishing this “blue gold” since the 17th century! 

Jambon-mogette, homecooking heaven

This traditional Vendéen dish combines Mogette white beans and locally-sourced ham – France’s third most popular jambon – in a hearty and comforting meal loved by all. Why not round off the meal with a side dish of golden Bonnote potatoes, a rare variety that yields only 80t a year and is coveted by chefs throughout the world. 

A glass of wine from the AOC Fiefs Vendéens

The Vendée vineyards have five distinct terroirs designated with the AOC Fiefs Vendéens appellation. Viniculture truly began in the region thanks Armand Jean du Plessis, who you might know better as Cardinal Richelieu, who encouraged wine growing  in the 17th century. Thanks to a rich soil, a clement climate and their extensive know-how, local winegrowers infuse their wines with a unique typicity and a remarkable aromatic palette. 

Brioche, a sweet taste of childhood

There are, in fact, two specialties to list here: the brioche and the gâche de Vendée. While brioche is soft, airy and slightly sweet and delicious for breakfast or with a coffee, gâche is richer, denser and more buttery; it is mostly enjoyed during big family gatherings around Easter.

For more inspiration for your trip to the Vendée, visit www.in-vendee.com