At the foot of the Pyrenees, Ariège asserts its temperament with traditional dishes. What to face the winter.
A land of mountains, hills and valleys, Ariège has land and a climate favorable to a number of cultures. Among them, two varieties of grain beans: the ‘Coco de Pamiers’ (small round bean) and the ‘Lavelanet lingot’, larger and elongated.
Cocos are said to have taken on the roundness of the stones which line the Ariège bed and the taste of Occitan culture. Their very thin skin resists cooking. They're perfect in the Appamean gut. In terms of meat, beef from the Gascon region, adapted to difficult climates, offers tender, marbled and fine flesh.
It is also recognized by an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC).
This territory has developed a rustic gastronomy. There is a wide variety of soups.
Azinat, a local hotpot, is a part of all celebrations. Each village has its variants. Mounjetado or estouffat de mounjes… so we call this regional cassoulet. An ancestral dish whose recipes evolve over time. White beans are cooked with pork as well as goose or duck confit. The Ariège artisanal charcuterie is renowned (hams, sausages, sausages, etc.).
And, as in the South West, the goose and duck confits are emblematic of this terroir.
