French Wines & Gourmet Food, South West France

Traditional Cuisine in Toulouse on the Garonne, Midi Pyrenees

Sep 27, 2009

On the banks of the Garonne in South West France, Toulouse offers some of the best traditional cuisine of Midi Pyrenees with superb French wines from regional vineyards.

Midi-Pyrenees is the largest of all French regions, stretching from the edge of the Massif Central to the the Pyrenees. The traditional cuisine is as varied as the land but Toulouse, the local capital, stands in a class of its own where dining is concerned.

Toulouse is the fourth city in France and from romantic riverside venues to lively bars patronised by students, myriad restaurants cater to every budget. Tradition, with a little innovation now and then, is the norm but in South West France, gourmet food is all about taste and hearty local fare.

Every menu has healthy options though real gourmets opt for traditional cuisine guaranteed to satisfy both appetite and taste buds. Cheap and popular is the Saucisse de Toulouse, a long sausage twirled round and round to grill or fry, flavoured with local herbs and garlic. It can also be braised in red wine for an extra succulent treat.

Other specialities include garbure, a rich vegetable soup, foie gras served with croutons, maybe truffles or onion jam, a favourite starter for local gourmets, and duck prepared in mouth watering ways, ranging from preserve to steaklets. Pride of place goes to cassoulet, a fragrant stew invented long ago in nearby Castelnaudary to feed hungry soldiers. Served in its own dish, straight from the oven, it’s a mound of herb-flavoured haricot beans in a smooth wine and tomato sauce, topped with duck, goose or pork.

South West France offers a rewarding choice of local wines to accompany traditional dishes. Most popular with cassoulet is the red wine from Cahors, full-bodied and slightly spicy, at its best when left to mature for a few years. It’s also great with duck or goose preserves and blue cheese.

Bergerac produces an aromatic red wine, using’noble’ and traditional grapes, which goes well with coq au vin and Rocamadour cheese. The white wine is dry, great with fish, the rosé fruity and fresh. Gaillac claims white, red, rosé and sparkling wines while the sweet golden Jurançon often accompanies foie gras.

Dessert wines include Monbazillac, also served as an aperitif or with foie gras, and Blanquette de Limoux, the precursor of Champagne, from neighbouring Languedoc.

Toulouse is a great place to eat al fresco and at the first ray of sunshine, restaurants spread their tables along the lanes in the Old Town, along the Garonne and on the delightful squares which pop up everywhere.

Among favourite venues are the bustling Restaurant Emile, the Brasserie des Beaux-Arts with an Edwardian décor, Brasserie Capoul famous for home made foie gras, the Cave au Cassoulet set in a cellar and the Grand Café de l’Opéra on the main square, place du Capitole, serving traditional cuisine in a Parisian décor.

In season, canal barges such as Occitania and Belle Chaurienne offer romantic dinners.

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