The Dordogne - Lot is a region where you can enjoy delicious food. Plums and walnuts are grown in the region and truffle pigs are used to find truffles. The region is also very popular due to its foie gras pie, the excellent lamb (Label rouge) and the traditional goat cheese made in Rocamadour. Be sure to try the famous wines from Bergerac and the Cahors as well.
Our park restaurant serves these dishes!
The truffle is called the black diamond of the Dordogne – Lot region because due to its high price. This mushroom that grows underground is black on the outside and black on the inside with white veins. Due to the strong smell, the truffles can be detected by pigs and dogs. The truffles are incorporated in various ways in meals. For connoisseurs, it is a delicacy. The region has special truffle markets, the most well-known market is in Lalbenque near Cahors.
The wines from Bergerac and Cahors are made from grapes that have been growing for hundreds of years in the areas around Bergerac and Cahors. These vineyards cover thousands of hectares. Red wines, white wines and rosé such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec are produced from these grapes. Good restaurants will give you advice on which wine is best paired with a certain type of meat or fish.
In the region around Rocamadour, a special cheese is made, usually in the form of a disc. There are different variants of this cheese, ranging between creamy and somewhat drier and with different aromas. The cheese is served at various moments throughout the ripening process, each of these cheeses has a different taste. The cheese is also very tasty when served warm, on salad for example. In June a traditional cheese festival is held in Rocamadour.
Just like France has a protected status for wine varieties based on the quality, they have the same for meat. The lamb from Quercy has the Label Rouge as quality mark which means the lamb can only come from the Lot region and a few adjacent areas. The meat is tender and has a subtle taste. The Quercy lamb is often used on barbecues or put in the oven. The "Quercy lamb festival" is held yearly during August in Cressensac.
During the holidays you will come across vast orchards of walnut trees. These orchards are located along the banks of the Dordogne and in the hilly landscape of the Lot. Walnuts are used in many drinks and dishes such as in salads, in both sweet and savory pies, oil, wine and liqueur. Walnuts are also dipped in chocolate or caramelized. After every harvest, walnut festivals are held in various places. Castelnaud even has a walnut museum.
The Bleu des Causse is also a typical regional cheese. It has even been granted an AOC and an AOP status. This popular cheese has blue veins, just like Roquefort, and has a natural crust and blue-green mold spots. The Bleu des Causses is mainly used in salads or omelettes, or its served after dinner on a cheese board with a piece of bread.
The Pescajoune is a proper specialty in the Quercy and Dordogne. Pescajoune is baked from wheat flour and buckwheat flour and various ingredients are added to it. These ingredients are often things like plum brandy, rum, vanilla and fruits such as apple slices or plums. The Pescajoune is often served as a dessert or with a cup of coffee.
Almost every restaurant in this region serves foie gras, confit de canard and various types of pâtés. These are delicious dishes that you can enjoy, as a starter or main course. There are several farms where you can learn about the process and where you can see that these farmers treat their animals in an animal-friendly way.
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Kim and René: "We regularly went out for dinner in the restaurant with the kids. Great food!"
