Tasting of Vendée ham at the Atelier du Goût

We all know how attached the French are to their regional charcuterie. Many return from vacation to bring home a sausage from Auvergne, rillettes from Tours or secca from Entrevaux. That's why it's so important to identify each specialty by its appellation area. Less well-known than Bayonne or Aosta ham, since October 2014 Vendée ham has been recognized as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), which implies precise specifications and a well-defined production area. This perimeter includes the entire department of Vendée, as well as part of Loire-Atlantique, including Nantes, and part of Maine-et-Loire, corresponding mainly to the historic Mauges region, Cholet included.

How is it made?

It's boned by hand, usually with a gouge, rubbed with brandy and coated with herbs and spices herbs and spices before being pressed, giving it its characteristic, powerful taste. It was this method that enabled charcutiers in the Vendée to overcome the drying problems caused by the oceanic marine climate.

How to enjoy it

Jamon de Vendée is a ham with character that doesn't like to be thinly sliced or crumpled. It's best to have your butcher cut it into thick slices of 1 to 2 mm, and enjoy it in summer with a local product, such as a melon.gion, such as Charentes melon, accompanied by a glass of fresh local white wine, such as Domaine Saint Nicolas' "Vin de Thierry", made from chenin and grolleau grapes. In all seasons, this ham can also be enjoyed hot, just snacked on or laid on the barbecue for a few seconds on each side, in thick slices of at least 0.5 cm. Traditionally, and to stay true to the terroir, it's enjoyed with the famous mogettes vendéennes, white beans that have been browned with the fat of this precious charcuterie. This time, we accompany it with a red wine, again from the Vendée, like a "Bel Canto" from Christian Chabirand, from Domaine Prieuré La Chaume, a 100% merlot with lovely black fruit aromas.

• Tradition de Vendée ❤

Tradition de Vendée ensures involved craftsmanship, from the rearing of free-range pigs (free-range and/or free-range) to their slaughter, respecting traditional methods. Among all the preparations, some of which have won medals in competitions, Vendée ham remains a flagship product. Direct sales from Tuesday to Saturday.

Tasting notes: A lovely, clean pink cut, with a clean, pleasant, non-aggressive aroma and well-balanced spices. Good mouthfeel, with a chewy but not rubbery texture, a soft, supple ham, a hint of salt remaining on the finish, a pleasant meaty taste, well-balanced, with good fat.

16 €/kg approx.

Rue des Acacias 85430 La Boissière-des-Landes

• Charcuterie Vendéenne, Petitgas

Gilles Petitgas, now deceased, created Charcuterie Vendéenne in 1981 to make hams that had previously been produced on Vendée farms. The company now employs 300 people and offers an organic range, sliced products for raw or cooked consumption, and a traditional offering of charcuterie, pâtés, roasts, rillons de Vendée, etc.

Tasting notes:A pink pig's flesh, a fragrance marked by spices, a little cosmetic, a ham worked with a good texture, which requires chewing, like a fresh flesh slightly lacking in maturity, with a little pronounced taste.

9.90 €/kg

La Belle Eau 85220 Apremont

• Charcuterie Paul Begein

Paul Begein founded this family business in 1936. The same recipes, principles and know-how have animated subsequent generations. The carcasses arrive whole, the cuts are made on the premises, and the ham is cold-cured for better preservation... Sold in local stores.

Tasting notes: A beautiful crimson hue, fresh yet matured flesh, an impression of meticulous craftsmanship, with a pleasant nose of meat, herbs and spices in the right proportions, developing smoky aromas. The chewiness is good, the taste pleasant, not too pronounced, of a supple, unctuous, well-seasoned ham.

12.60 €/kg

La Perdriette, rue François-Viette 85590 Saint-Malo-du-Bois