Best Picto-Charentais Foods
Buche de Chevre is a French cheese originating from the Poitou-Charentes region. Made from goat's milk, this soft cheese has a white color, bloomy rind, and a creamy, flaky texture. The flavors are tangy, earthy, and slightly sweet. The cheese is shaped into a log and it must mature for at least 7 days before consumption.
It is recommended to serve Buche de Chevre with crusty baguettes, fruit, or honey. The cheese can also be used in salads and quiches. Pair it with a glass of robust red Bordeaux wine or a glass of crisp white wine from the Loire Valley.
Chabichou du Poitou is a soft cheese made from full-fat goat's milk, with a characteristic appearance - it is shaped like a small cone called bonde, and it has a thin, wrinkled, white-grayish rind. It usually matures for 10-14 days before it's ready to be sold, but it can also mature for 5-6 weeks in order to develop a stronger taste.
Its texture will become crumbly on the inside during the maturation process. Its taste is sweet, salty and tangy, similar to lemon zest when the cheese is young, or spicy and nutty when well-matured. Chabichou goes well with lighter, white wines, sparkling wines and beer, or with some drizzled honey as a dessert meal.
Coeur de Chevre is a French cheese made from raw milk of the poitevine goat breed. It's easily recognizable by its heart shape, which is left to ripen in cellars for 7 days after it's been molded by hand. The aromas are fresh and milky, the texture is creamy and smooth, melting in the mouth, while the flavors are salty and slightly spicy, becoming even more pronounced if the cheese is left to age for a few months.
Coeur de Chevre is traditionally wrapped in chestnut leaves which hide the bloomy edible rind underneath. It's recommended to pair it with sparkling white wines or light and fruity reds such as Beaujolais.
Pair with
Mothais-sur-Feuille is a traditional cheese hailing from the Poitou-Charentes region. The cheese is made from raw goat's milk since the 19th century, and it's usually left to age for 2 weeks before consumption. Underneath its bloomy rind, the texture is supple, creamy, and dense.
The aromas are light, moldy, and earthy, while the flavors are lemony and woody with a long and delicate aftertaste. As it ages in a room with high humidity, the cheese is placed on a chestnut leaf, and when fully mature the texture becomes runny.
It's recommended to pair the cheese with full-bodied red wines from the region.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Tourteau fromagé is a traditional pastry from the Poitou region in France, made with fresh goat cheese. Originating from the Pays Mellois, its name derives from "tourterie," meaning "cake" in the Poitevin dialect. Historically baked in rounded earthenware dishes, it features a distinctive blackened dome crust contrasting with a soft, creamy white interior.
The filling is made with eggs, sugar, flour, fresh goat cheese, and a pinch of salt and is encased in shortcrust pastry. Traditionally enjoyed at weddings, it remains popular during Easter and other convivial gatherings.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Paté de Pâques is a traditional dish originating from the Poitou area. The dish is a combination of ground pork, ground veal, and hard-boiled eggs encased in pastry. It's traditionally eaten as a first course for Easter dinner. What distinguishes this dish from other patés en croûte is the addition of hard-boiled eggs, making it an Easter staple.
Once baked, the dish is cut in slices before it's served, preferrably with pickles and salad on the side.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Mouclade is a traditional dish originating from La Rochelle in south west France. In order to prepare it, mussels are cooked with cream, saffron, white wine, and herbs. The key is in using the freshest mussels – preferably small, black, and glistening.
After the dish has been eaten, it's recommended to mop up the sauces with a crusty baguette. The dish reflects the long history of La Rochelle port with the east, and the name mouclade comes from the word moucle, which means mussel. Pair this seafood dish with a glass of white wine from the region.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Éclade de moules is a traditional dish of mussels cooked under pine needles. It originated in the Charente-Maritime department on the western coast of France. There, the local mussel fishermen used dry needles from the surrounding pine forests to cook their daily haul.
The most traditional (and to this day, the most popular) way to prepare éclade de moules is to stack the mussels in concentric circles on a thick wooden board. The mussels are then covered with pine needles, which are set ablaze, and cooked in their own juices until they crack open.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Cornuelle is a traditional cookie originating from Villebois-Lavalette in Charente. The cookies are usually made with a combination of flour, sugar, butter, salt, eggs, baking powder, and anise seeds. The dough is shaped into triangles with ribbed edges, and a hole is made in the center of the cookies before they're baked and nicely golden.
The top is brushed with egg yolks and sprinkled with anise seeds. Nowadays, small pink and white aniseed sweets are often used instead of the anise seeds. The three angles of the cookies represent the Holy Trinity, and the hole in the center is made for inserting branches during the Blessing of the Palms.
Carré du Poitou is a traditional cheese originating from Villemain. This square-shaped cheese is made from raw goat’s milk, and it’s left to age for at least 4 weeks before consumption. Underneath its bloomy and ashy rind, the texture is soft, dense, smooth, creamy, and slightly runny.
The aromas are reminiscent of milk and hay, while the flavors are creamy, goaty, and fresh, with hints of hazelnuts. It’s recommended to try the cheese after it has been aged for 5 weeks, in the period from May to August (we’re not trying to say that it’s not good outside that period, but it’s the best from May to August).
Best Picto-Charentais Food Producers
Échiré is a French dairy founded in 1894 in the village of Échiré, located in the Marais Poitevin region. It is renowned for producing high-quality butter and dairy products using traditional methods. Their butter, protected by the AOP Charentes-Poitou designation, is highly valued for its exceptional quality, hazelnut notes, and smooth texture. Échiré products are available in over 40 countries and are frequently used in prestigious restaurants and luxury hotels worldwide.
In addition to butter, Échiré also produces premium milk sourced from its region. Their milk is rich and creamy, evoking nostalgic flavors from childhood, making it perfect for breakfast, snacks, or use in gourmet recipes. A strong commitment to preserving traditional craftsmanship and maintaining high-quality standards has made Échiré a symbol of excellence in the world of dairy products.
BEST Échiré Butters
Laiterie de Pamplie is a renowned French dairy producer with a long-standing tradition and a passion for excellence. Since its founding, the dairy has been distinguished by its commitment to preserving artisanal production methods, passed down through generations, blending tradition with modern quality standards.
Their cultured butter, churned using traditional techniques, is known for its rich texture, mild tangy aroma, and subtle nutty notes, making it an essential ingredient in the kitchens of top restaurants and bakeries. In addition to butter, Laiterie de Pamplie produces a range of premium dairy specialties, relying on the highest quality milk sourced from carefully selected farms that uphold sustainable and ethical farming practices.
BEST Pamplie Butters
Plantation Rum is a distinguished rum brand known for producing high-quality spirits with a focus on traditional craftsmanship and distinctive flavors. It is part of the Maison Ferrand family, a renowned producer of fine spirits, including cognac.
Plantation Rum is sourced from various regions around the world, including the Caribbean and Central America, where it is distilled using time-honored methods and aged in a combination of tropical and European barrels to enhance its complexity and character.
Plantation Rum is celebrated for its range of expressions, from rich, spiced varieties to more delicate, fruity offerings. The rum is crafted to highlight the unique characteristics of the sugarcane and the aging process, with each bottle reflecting the terroir of its origin.
AWARDS

SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023

The Rum & Cachaça Masters - Gold
2023, 2022

IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Spirit Gold Outstanding
2023, 2022, 2019
BEST Plantation Rum Spirits
Le Domaine du Chêne is a winery and distillery located in the heart of France, specializing in the production of high-quality spirits and wines. The estate is renowned for its craftsmanship and dedication to creating unique products that reflect the rich agricultural heritage of the region.
Domaine du Chêne produces a range of beverages, including fine brandies, liquors, and wines, using traditional methods passed down through generations. The estate is known for its commitment to sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices, ensuring that each product is made with the highest standards of quality.
AWARDS

IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Spirit Gold Outstanding
2021

IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Spirit Gold
2020

World Cognac Awards - Best X.X.O.
2022
BEST Domaine du Chêne Spirits
AWARDS

Concours International de Lyon - Gold
2025

World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2024
BEST Fromagerie des Gors Cheeses
AWARDS

Concours International de Lyon - Gold
2024
BEST Brasserie Furie Douce Beers
AWARDS

SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2024, 2023

SWSC - Singapore World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023

IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Spirit Gold
2024, 2020
BEST Martell Spirits
Ferrand Cognac is a prestigious and renowned producer of high-quality cognac, based in the heart of the Cognac region in France. Founded in 1989 by Alexandre Gabriel, Ferrand is dedicated to producing premium, artisanal cognac using traditional methods and the finest ingredients.
The brand is known for its focus on craftsmanship, blending heritage with innovation, creating some of the most refined and well-respected cognacs in the world. Ferrand Cognac uses grapes from the renowned Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne crus, the top-rated regions in Cognac production.
AWARDS

SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023

The Cognac Masters - Gold
2022

ISC-International Spirits Challenge - Gold trophy
2014
BEST Ferrand Cognac Spirits
Best Picto-Charentais Food Products
AWARDS

USC- Ultimate Spirits Challenge - Top 100
2023, 2022, 2021

USC- Ultimate Spirits Challenge - Chairman's Trophy
2021
AWARDS

The Rum & Cachaça Masters - Master
2023

USC- Ultimate Spirits Challenge - Chairman's Trophy
2020

USC- Ultimate Spirits Challenge - Top 100
2020
AWARDS

Concours International de Lyon - Gold
2025

World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2024
Plantation Peru Rum 2004 is a single cask rum from Plantation Rum, offering a distinctive and refined expression of the rich rum-making traditions of Peru. Distilled in 2004, this rum undergoes a unique aging process that combines both tropical and continental maturation.
Initially aged in the warm climate of Peru, the rum is then transferred to Europe for further aging in French oak barrels, allowing it to develop complexity and depth.
AWARDS

IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Spirit Gold Outstanding
2019

IWSC- International wine & spirit competition - Rum Gold Trophy
2019
AWARDS

USC- Ultimate Spirits Challenge - Chairman's Trophy
2023

USC- Ultimate Spirits Challenge - Top 100
2023
Collaborating with local coconut farmers, Planteray (formerly Plantation) dedicated four years to perfecting the recipe. Ripe coconut husks are cut, sun-dried under the Caribbean sun, and then infused in 100% Bajan rum, distilled at the West Indies Rum Distillery.
This exquisite blend celebrates island culture and is ideal for a Piña Colada, yet equally delightful neat, over ice, or in a classic old fashioned.
AWARDS

USC- Ultimate Spirits Challenge - Chairman's Trophy
2022

USC- Ultimate Spirits Challenge - Top 100
2022
AWARDS

World Cognac Awards - Best X.X.O.
2022

World's Best Cognac - Winner
2022
AWARDS

SFWSC - San Francisco World Spirits Competition - Double Gold
2023
Beurre d'Échiré AOP Charentes-Poitou demi-sel is renowned for its exceptional quality and is recognized as one of the finest butters in France. This butter is handcrafted using traditional methods that have been preserved for over a century, with milk sourced from 66 farms within a 50 km radius of the Échiré dairy.
Its delicate, creamy texture and subtle hazelnut flavor make it a favorite choice among top chefs worldwide. Due to its prestige and outstanding quality, Échiré butter is frequently used in the finest restaurants, with 85% of its production remaining in France.
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