Thursday, March 28

Gastronomic Brittany: a journey of flavours, markets and festivals


There are destinations whose gastronomy deserves a separate mention. Destinations in which ingredients, flavors, recipes and cuisines are among the priorities of its visitors. And where the markets tell you as much about their culture and traditions as their most historic monuments do. The Brittany region in western France is without a doubt one of those places. And here we tell you why.

To whet your appetite, we suggest a journey through its most characteristic products, through its best markets and through festivals that celebrate good eating. A short introduction to one of the richest cuisines in Europe in which local and nearby producers play a fundamental role in making your trip a tasty and unforgettable experience. Always full of flavor.

Brittany is particularly conducive to oyster farming, both north and south. There are all kinds and they are divided into up to 12 varieties, whether flat or concave, cultivated or wild. And they are consumed throughout the year, since some producers even cultivate sterile variants to avoid milky oysters during the reproduction period. You can taste them both in restaurants and directly from producers, and even in all Breton markets, oyster farmers set up a gourmet aisle. To soak up this world well there is experiences in oyster farms in which to know your breeding from start to finish with tasting included.

  • Buckwheat, crepes and galettes

The crepe is without a doubt the star dish of Brittany. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s sitting in a creperie or while walking through a market, because the tempting aroma that it gives off on the grill convinces anyone. But it is important to differentiate, because if in Lower Brittany the crepe is made with wheat or buckwheat, in Upper Brittany the crepe is salty and is known by the name of galette. Its importance is such that throughout the year several festivities are celebrated around crepes, such as the Chandeleur (La Candelaria), on February 2, or the Pancake Festival in Gourin the last weekend of July.

  • Breton butter and kouign-amann

Butter is basic in Breton cuisine, whether on good bread or as an ingredient in most of its dishes. Salted butter stands out, which although it was originally born as a way to preserve the product for longer, today it allows all the flavors of cow’s milk to be displayed. foot noir with which it is made. A good example of its application in confectionery is kouign-amann, which literally means “butter cake”. A delicate puff pastry, caramelised and crunchy on the outside but soft and tender on the inside, with as much sugar as salted butter. A delight for the sweet tooth.



Five markets to discover and taste local products

The markets become an essential visit when we want to know the gastronomy of a place. And not only because of the range of products that unfolds before us, but also because in many of them we can take the opportunity to snack on one or another and so on, between appetizers and appetizers, snack on the most local gastronomy.

In Brittany there are five markets that should be noted down before leaving home. The Marché des Lices, in Rennes, is the most famous of all. Here every Saturday morning between merchants and producers you have at your disposal about 300 stalls to browse among all kinds of fresh products. For its part, the Dinard market is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and combines streets of clothing with others of fruit, vegetables, fish and roast chicken, as well as stalls where you can start to whet your appetite at mid-morning. But if you’re looking for something totally different, it’s well worth spending a Monday morning at the 16th-century Questembert market, listed as a Historic Monument, to visit the stalls of its local merchants and producers. To find the best local catch you have to go to the Merville market, the gastronomic center of Lorient, which is the first fishing port in France. And on Saturday mornings, the Old Market Square in Saint-Renan brings together local producers, fishermen and artisans who are proud of their products.



And three gastronomic festivals to take into account in Rennes

But if gastronomy is one of your priorities on your travels, then it is important that you do not overlook the various gastronomic festivals that are held in Rennes, the capital of the Brittany region. You may want to take advantage of and experience some of them from the inside to learn more about the local gastronomy, its ingredients and the chefs who shape it. In addition to many more things that do not only involve eating.

Mythos It is a festival that lasts 10 days, with its 10 nights, which in 2022 celebrates its 25th edition from April 1 to 10. In it there is room for everything, but above all for music, theater, words, entertainment and gastronomy. They meet in it 70 chefs from all over France and each one bets on a different gastronomic proposal to which you can sign up by reserving a table for both lunch and dinner.



  • Les snackées de la Criée

Also at La Criée, Les snackées de la Criée is another gastronomic event that takes place on the third Friday of each month from 6pm to 10pm. Its concept is different and it offers an alternative plan (here you have a 360º video) equally attractive: taste appetizers prepared by chefs and merchants while enjoying the rhythm of the music of a DJ.

Every first Sunday of the month Le Marché à Manger (MaM), at the La Criée market, brings together 14 chefs and 4 food trucks at the central market of La Criée, in Rennes. Here you will enjoy live cooking, a wide variety of dishes for less than €7, meetings with the chefs and large shared tables where you can share experiences with other visitors. Here everything invites you to discover the richness of the local gastronomy immersed in the relaxed atmosphere of an authentic market.



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