Andouille de Vire, its history and a good place to find it

Marc Esquerré | 12/16/23

How is andouille de Vire made? Where can you find a good one? Gault&Millau takes you on a tour of this tasty delicatessen.

The fundamental difference between andouille de Vire (Normandy) and Guéméné (Brittany) lies in its visual appearance. Guéméné is made with concentric cauldrons, and is therefore cut with a very regular pattern of interlocking circles. Andouille de Vire, on the other hand, is free-range in its casing, and its composition - stomach and pork casing - is classic. Smoking, with beech wood, gives the product its beautiful dark color, and lasts several weeks. Once sliced, andouille de Vire has an irregular, natural appearance.

How is it eaten?

It's best eaten cold as a charcuterie, but also goes very well with a number of hot preparations, notably apple or cider. Creamy andouille and cider sauces, for example, go well with fish or scallops.

Production stages

The supposed Gallo-Roman etymology of andouille has nothing to do with its current, outdated derivation of "poor fellow", which has done a disservice to the reputation of this still choice dish. On the contrary, since the dolium designates an ancient jar, the word "andouille" comes from its bouncy shape and, by extension, from the meticulous preparation process. Cleaning and degreasing of the chaudins, menus and panses, salting, assembling, draining and seasoning, preparation of the coat, coating and smoking... Steps that the Confrérie de la véritable andouille de Vire scrupulously follows to promote the product.

Amand Terroir ❤

Since 1947, Amand Terroir has specialized in the processing of pork offal, notably in the manufacture of andouillette and andouille de Vire. The company follows the recipe for andouille de Vire to the letter, seeking a balance between pork belly, chowder, stomach, pork menu, throat, spices... all wrapped in pork casing.

Tasting notes: A beautiful pinkish cut, under a black skin, with an artisanal, smooth and well-made appearance. The smoking is powerful, very clean, the andouille seems to have just come out of the smokehouse, with a pleasant nose, a supple texture, a pleasant chewiness, bringing out a taste that is both tender and fruity, with great typicity and character.