Brandade de morue
A Nîmes speciality, brandade combines salt cod, olive oil and milk, with garlic, lemon and herbs. Its name comes from the Provençal "brandar", to stir. The recipe appeared in 1786 and became popular around 1830 thanks to the cook Durand. Cod reached Nîmes through fishermen from the Atlantic and the North Sea, who traded it for salt from the region. The traditional Nîmes recipe contains no potato.
The Villaret croquant
In 1775, the baker Claude Villaret took over a bakery on rue des Barquettes, today’s rue de la Madeleine. His son Jules created an almond biscuit flavoured with lemon and orange blossom. His granddaughter Léonie took over the business in 1893 and made the croquant known beyond the region. The shop is still at 13 rue de la Madeleine.
The picholine olive
A variety native to the Gard, the picholine owes its name to the Picholini brothers, who settled in Saint-Chamas in the 17th century and spread a recipe for making olives edible while keeping their green colour. It is mainly eaten as a table olive and falls under the Olive de Nîmes appellation. Its oil is fruity and green, with a slight bitterness.
Pélardon
This small goat’s cheese made from raw whole milk comes from the Cévennes, across around 500 municipalities, mainly in the Gard and the Hérault. It weighs 60 grams on average and is matured for at least eleven days. It has been protected by an AOC since 2000 and a European PDO since 2001.
The Costières de Nîmes
The vineyard covers 24 municipalities in the Gard, between the Rhône valley and the Camargue, on rounded pebbles lying over clay and limestone soils. Recognised in 1986 under the name costières-du-gard, the appellation became costières-de-nîmes in 1989. It produces mainly rosés (47 per cent) and reds (42 per cent), made from Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache.
- Brandade
- recipe recorded in 1786
- Maison Villaret
- since 1775, 13 rue de la Madeleine
- Pélardon
- AOC 2000, PDO 2001
- Costières de Nîmes
- 24 municipalities, about 2,558 ha