The Loire Valley is known as the "garden of France" because here art and nature blend enchantingly, creating dreamlike landscapes and handing down stories that smell of the past. Each year numerous travelers choose this destination to indulge in a journey of discovery of Renaissance castles, medieval fortresses, and monumental gardens, but another aspect not to be underestimated is the gastronomic one. Here are the typical dishes of the Loire Valley to taste to live a truly unforgettable taste experience.
Typical dishes of the Loire Valley: our recommendations
The Loire Valley is the largest French site ever included in the UNESCO World Heritage as a "cultural landscape", but another of its great pluses is the quality of the raw materials and dishes of the local gastronomic tradition.
The best way to taste all of this is from the saddle — our bike tour from Orléans to Angers rolls past the valley's vineyards, markets, and riverside tables.
Whether you are in a market or in an elegant restaurant, here you can taste flavors with an unmistakable taste, here are the typical dishes of the Loire Valley that we recommend you try.
The cheeses
If you are a cheese lover, the Loire Valley will quickly become your dream place. The crown jewel is goat cheese, such as theCrottin de Chavignol, which comes in different variants, from the sweetest to the bleu, or the Sainte Maure de Touraine, with its unmistakable cylindrical shape crossed by the inevitable rye stick and wrapped in ash. The region's cow's cheeses, such as L'Olivet, a close relative of Camembert with a melting texture that comes wrapped in ash, hay or pepper, and finally theCuré Nantais, typical of the Loire Atlantique, made with raw milk and perfect paired with a glass of red Saumur, in all its versions: flavored with seaweed, herbs, chili or smoked.
Rillettes and Rillons
Already in the 19th century Honoré de Balzac praised the charcuterie of Tours, of which the Rillettes and the Rillons are the undisputed sovereigns: small pieces of pork cut more or less finely, cooked for a long time in their own fat and seasoned with salt and pepper or caramelized, perfect to taste as an aperitif on a slice of toasted bread, accompanied by a glass of Vouvray wine.
La Balzacienne
And now that we've mentioned Balzac, how can we not talk about the specialty dedicated to him? It is a savory tart made with Saint Maure cheese and dried fruit: a unique culinary experience.
Le Fouées
If you find yourself strolling through the streets of the magnificent historic center of the city of Tours, after an unmissable aperitif on Place Plumereau, one of the obligatory gastronomic stops is certainly in one of the restaurants that offer menus based onFouées, mini buns cooked in the wood oven to be filled with local products that will adorn your table.
Le Nougat de Tours
To sweetly close a meal or to regain energy between one bike ride and another, one of the specialties to taste is Le Nougat de Tours, a cake made of puff pastry, jam or blended fruit (apples or pears), candied and almonds, not to be confused with its Provencal namesake.
La Tarte Tatin
Among thetypical dishes of the Loire Valley, there is also the famous Tarte Tatin, the typical French upside-down cake that is prepared with apples, pears, or other types of fruit.
Where to taste them: cycling the Loire Valley stretch by stretch
Each of these specialities belongs to a precise stretch of the river, and the easiest way to eat your way through the valley is to ride it. On a self-guided cycling holiday you cover a comfortable distance between one market town and the next, your luggage is moved for you, and every lunch stop becomes part of the itinerary. Here is where each section of the Loire takes you, and what you will find on the table.
The upper valley: from Nevers to Orléans
This is Crottin de Chavignol country, with the Sancerre vineyards on the hills above the river. Loire Cycling: From Nevers to Orléans follows the quietest and least travelled stretch of the Loire, while Loire à Vélo: Orléans to Tours connects the upper valley to Touraine and its charcuterie.
Château country: Blois, Amboise and Tours
The heart of the Renaissance valley is also the heart of its gastronomy: rillettes, nougat de Tours and Sainte-Maure are all within a day's ride of each other. Loire à Vélo: Cycling from Blois to Tours Along the Great Châteaux and Loire Castles Cycling Discovery are the classic routes; Amboise and the Loire Castles: A Royal Cycling Escape and Cycling Discovery in the Heart of the Châteaux Country keep the daily distances short and leave more time at the table. Travelling with children? Loire Family Cycling: From Blois to Amboise is flat, almost entirely traffic-free and built around family-friendly stops.
Saumur, Chinon and the Anjou vineyards
South-west of Tours the fouées and the red Saumur come into their own, served in the troglodyte cellars dug into the tuffeau cliffs. Loire Cycling: From Blois to Saumur and From Saumur to Chinon: Bike Escape Off the Beaten Track ride straight through the vineyards that produce the wines these dishes were made for.
Angers, Nantes and the Atlantic
Curé Nantais and the seafood of the Loire-Atlantique are the reward at the western end of the valley. Loire Cycling: From Tours to Angers and Loire Cycling From Angers to the Atlantic follow the river all the way to the ocean.
When the table comes first
Three itineraries are built around comfort and food more than kilometres: Luxury Loire Valley Cycling Tour: Châteaux & Vineyards Deluxe and Deluxe Cycling Getaway in France's Château Country, with carefully chosen hotels and restaurant dinners along the way, and Loire Castles Superior Cycling Stay, which keeps you in a single base and rides out from there — ideal if you would rather unpack once.
And after having tasted the delicious typical dishes of the Loire Valley, what can you do to burn off the excess calories? Thanks to our bike tours in France, you can enjoy an experience among nature, good food, and history, feeling fitter than ever!
