Top 8 Traditional Foods
in Calvados

Calvados Boulard is a renowned French producer specializing in Calvados, an apple brandy originating from the Normandy region. Established in 1825, the company is known for its commitment to quality, blending tradition with modern techniques. Boulard uses a variety of apples grown in the Pays d'Auge, a region famous for producing some of the finest Calvados. Their distillation process, combined with careful aging in oak barrels, creates complex and refined spirits. The brand offers a range of Calvados, from young, fresh varieties to well-aged expressions, appealing to both newcomers and connoisseurs.Expand

Père Magloire is one of the oldest and most prestigious producers of Calvados, founded in 1821 in the Normandy region of France. The distillery specializes in creating high-quality apple brandies using traditional methods, drawing on over two centuries of expertise. Père Magloire carefully selects apples from the Pays d'Auge, renowned for its rich apple orchards, and follows a meticulous double distillation process. Their Calvados offers a wide range of expressions, from young and vibrant to aged and complex, each showcasing rich apple flavors, subtle spices, and refined character. The brand is known for its dedication to preserving Normandy's heritage while innovating to offer a world-class Calvados experience.Expand

Armagnac Janneau is one of the oldest and most prestigious Armagnac producers in France, founded in 1851 by Pierre Etienne Janneau in the town of Condom, located in the heart of the Armagnac region. For over a century and a half, Maison Janneau has remained faithful to traditional production methods, combining them with innovations to create high-quality Armagnacs. It is particularly distinguished by its use of two distillation methods: continuous distillation and double distillation in traditional copper stills, a rarity among Armagnac producers. All production processes, from distillation to aging and bottling, take place within the AOC Armagnac region, ensuring authenticity and superior quality in every product. The aging process occurs in old cellars built in 1851, where the Armagnac matures in French oak barrels, acquiring richness of flavor and complexity.Expand

Isigny Sainte-Mère is a renowned dairy cooperative located in the heart of Normandy, France, known for producing premium dairy products with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. The cooperative brings together over 300 local milk producers who, using traditional methods and the highest quality standards, create authentic French delicacies. Isigny Sainte-Mère blends tradition and innovation - their products are made following time-honored recipes, yet processed in modern facilities that meet strict sanitary and environmental regulations. The cooperative not only preserves Normandy’s rich dairy heritage but also promotes sustainable practices, respect for nature, and animal welfare. Isigny Sainte-Mère enjoys an international reputation and exports its products to more than 50 countries worldwide, all while remaining deeply rooted in its local community.Expand

Fromagerie E. Graindorge is a renowned cheese dairy located in Livarot, in the heart of the Normandy region of France. Founded in 1910 by Eugène Graindorge, this family-run business has, over generations, become synonymous with the production of traditional Norman cheeses with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. The dairy sources its milk exclusively from local producers, collecting it from around one hundred farms that raise Normande cows, known for their high-quality milk ideal for cheesemaking. Despite modernizing its operations, Graindorge remains committed to traditional production methods, preserving the authenticity and rich flavors of its cheeses. Visitors can explore the "Village Fromager," an educational center featuring glass galleries that showcase every stage of cheese production, from milk reception to packaging. The tours include informative panels, video presentations, and interactive activities, and conclude with a cheese tasting in the on-site shop.Expand

Naturellement Normande is a family-run farm and dairy located in Landelles-et-Coupigny, in the Calvados department of Normandy, France. The farm practices 100% organic production, raising Normandy cows that are fed exclusively on fresh grass and hay, without the use of silage. All products are made from raw milk directly on the farm, ensuring full traceability and high quality. The farm’s flagship product is Camembert de Normandie AOP, which bears the prestigious designation of origin and is produced using traditional methods. In addition to Camembert, the farm also offers other dairy products such as raw milk, raw cream, raw butter, yogurt, and caramel candies. The farm is open to visitors, offering tours that include insight into the production process as well as tastings of their products.Expand

Livarot is a soft, pungent cheese made from cow's milk, and it must always be sold in cylindrical form. It matures for at least 21 days in moist, warm cellars. The cheese has a unique visual appearance - it is encircled with five strips of reed or paper, like the ones found on a French colonel's uniform, which is why Livarot is also known as the Colonel. Its rind is washed and colored with annatto, and the cheese itself has a very intense smell. The inside of the cheese is soft with tiny eyes dispersed throughout the paste, while the texture is springy and smooth. It has a nutty, lemony, and spicy flavor. Pair it with crusty baguettes, fruits, soups, salads, malty beers, or a glass of red wine.Expand

Pont-l'Eveque is a soft cow's milk cheese made in Pays d'Auge. The square-shaped cheese is sold after it had matured for at least 14 days. It owes its unique flavor to the fact that the cows graze on pastures which have mild and damp environments. The cheese is pale yellow on the inside while the washed rind on the exterior is white-orange in color. The body is neither sticky nor runny. It has a creamy, earthy flavor and makes for a great dessert cheese at the end of a meal, paired with a glass of full-bodied wine. It is recommended to take it out of the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for an hour before consumption.Expand

Tripes à la mode de Caen or Caen-style tripe is a popular French stew that has been familiar since the Middle Ages. It combines tripe, a mix of French herbs, spices, cow's feet, apple brandy, cider, and vegetables to produce a flavorful and hearty meal. The ingredients are layered in a traditional clay pot known as tripière–the lid is placed on top of the pot and sealed with a paste made from flour and water. The dish is simmered for hours until all of the flavors combine and the stew is transformed into a delicious and comforting meal. The invention of this succulent dish is usually associated with Sidoine Benoît, a French monk who lived in the French city of Caen in the 14th century. It is believed that he introduced the tradition of using apple brandy in classic French cuisine and was first to use calvados in the dish. Caen-style tripe is usually paired with boiled potatoes and served as a main dish.Expand

Andouille de Vire is a traditional French smoked sausage originating from Vire, a town in the Normandy region. It is known for its strong, rustic flavor and firm, coarse texture, making it one of the most famous varieties of andouille sausage in France. Made primarily from pig intestines and stomach, the ingredients are cleaned, seasoned with salt, pepper, and sometimes onions, then stuffed into a casing. The sausage is then slowly smoked over beech wood for several weeks, giving it a deep, smoky aroma and rich, earthy taste. Unlike some other types of andouille, andouille de Vire is not finely ground—it retains its coarse, chunky filling, making it a bold and distinctive delicacy. It is traditionally served cold in slices as an appetizer, often paired with mustard, cider, or rustic bread, or grilled and incorporated into hearty dishes like stews and casseroles.Expand

Brasillé is a traditional pastry made with flaky, buttery puff pastry, lightly salted butter, sugar, and eggs. Puff pastry is rolled out and buttered, then shaped into its characteristic oval shape before it is brushed with beaten eggs, sprinkled with sugar, and baked until puffed and golden on top. This French specialty used to be prepared out of simple bread dough and lard, but it was later re-invented by a French baker called Emilie Roussel, who replaced lard with butter and added sugar to the combination. Brasillé earned its name from the French word brasier, meaning a pan of hot coals or embers, referring to the method of baking the pastry in an oven of hot coals that gave the original pastry a slightly burnt top. Although it is typically only topped with sugar, some versions call for enhancing the pastry with a filling of apples, pears, or chocolate. This buttery pastry is typically enjoyed warm or slightly chilled as a dessert that can be served for breakfast or as an afternoon snack.Expand

Harengs marinés de Honfleur is a dish of marinated herring fillets associated with the port town of Honfleur. The dish consists of cleaned herring cut into fillets or sections, firm in texture and pale silver to gray in color, preserved in a marinade based on vinegar, salt, onions and aromatics, producing a balance of acidity, salinity and marine flavor with a clean, slightly sharp finish. The preparation developed alongside Honfleur’s long-standing role as a fishing harbor, where herring landings supported both local consumption and preservation methods that allowed fish to be stored, transported and eaten beyond the immediate catch period, making marination a practical response to seasonal abundance and market demand. Preparation begins with very fresh herring that is gutted, filleted and lightly salted, then immersed in a vinegar-based marinade often combined with sliced onions, peppercorns, bay leaf and sometimes carrot, allowing the acidity to cure the flesh while maintaining structure; after several days the fish becomes fully seasoned, firm yet supple, and ready for consumption without further cooking. Variations appear in the strength of the vinegar, the ratio of salt, the thickness of the cuts and the choice of aromatics, with some versions favoring sharper acidity and others a milder, slightly sweet profile, and a notable feature of the Honfleur style is the emphasis on clean-cut fillets and restrained seasoning that keeps the herring flavor at the forefront. Harengs marinés de Honfleur are eaten cold in homes, markets and brasseries, commonly served as a starter or part of a seafood spread, and they pair well with boiled potatoes, rye or country bread, butter, and drinks such as dry cider, light white wine or beer that balance their acidity and saltiness.Expand

Belle-Mère is a traditional cheese that’s produced in Saint-Benoit d’Hébertot in Calvados, Normandy. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk. Underneath its bloomy rind sprinkled with breadcrumbs, the texture is semi-hard, dense, and slightly crumbly. The aromas are reminiscent of honey and roasted almonds, while the flavors are creamy and slightly tangy. It’s recommended to pair the cheese with full-bodied red wines.Expand