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Regional
products
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Champagne
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Certain
communes in the territory of the Park benefit from the
Champagne appellation. Thus, the communes of Bossancourt,
Dolancourt and Argançons, situated in the southeast of
the Forêt d'Orient Regional Nature Park, contribute
to the production of this famous drink . In effect, more
than a quarter of French champagne production
comes from grapes from the Aube. A visit to the area is
therefore both the chance to discover the wine making
heritage and the architecture of the the wine growing
villages and towns with their important past. The Aube's
vineyards are located in the southern part of the department
and were originally developed under the aegis of Saint
Bernard of Clairvaux. Without have been canonized by the
church like St. Bernard, Don Pérignon was however a clergyman
famous for having invented the method of making Champagne.
Since then, pinot noir and chardonnay share the vineyards
for the pleasure of our palates. |
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Champagne Tourist Route |
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the Côte des Bar , situated in the south of the
Forêt d'Orient Regional Nature Park, 6,600 hectares
of vines are reserved for the production of champagne.
All year round, many wine growers open their cellars,
their vineyards and their tasting rooms to visitors
following the Champagne tourist route. |
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Candied
flowers
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Coming from a wish to elaborate a gastronomic product
in harmony, both with the environment and the history
of the place, our candied flowers wants to be representative
of the territory of the Forêt d'Orient Regional Nature
Park. Made in Lusigny - sur - Barse at a farm once owned
by the Cistercian abbey of Larivour, this product
was inspired directly by historic recipes based on flowers.
Dandelions, dog roses, dead nettles and acacias, abundant
in the area, are mixed with brown sugar and lemon. Close
in texture to maple syrup, delicious and energizing, candied
flowers is eaten on slices of bread, and can also
be used in a wide variety of recipes. |
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Sauerkraut
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It
is true that Alsace is the first producer of
cabbages for sauerkraut in France, . But where is the
second? It is the plain of Brienne - Le - Château!
Situated in the north east of the Park, the alluvial
plain of Brienne - Le - Château is characterized on
the one hand by a large number of sandpits, and on the
other hand, by its large fields of white cabbages the
most suitable variety for making sauerkraut.
There are today about 200 ha of cabbage fields,
and about fifteen producers. The cabbages that weigh,
3 to 4 kilograms , are transformed into sauerkraut by
a process requiring several operations. Specialized
firms make a large amount of sauerkraut. Nevertheless,
small producers continue to manufacture their own sauerkraut.
The production of sauerkraut in the Brienne area has
become so important that a " Sauerkraut Festival
" is organized every year, during the third weekend
of September, in Brienne - Le - Château, where 20
metric tons of sauerkrauts are eaten during the two
days. In 1999, this festival attracted more than
35 000 people and was a great financial success for
the exhibitors: some caterers made 40% of their annual
turnover during these two days.
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The
" Champ-sur-Barse "
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In
Champ - sur - Barse, situated in the south of the Park,
a farmer has begun to produce, small cheeses made from
cows milk so as to allow an enhancement of his dairy production,
and thus benefit from an important added value . These
small cheeses, barely refined, are seasoned with pepper,
herbs from Provence,spices and a special mixture of herbs
and olive oil. It is possible to taste them plain, on
a simple piece of bread. |
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The
andouillette
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| Famous
not just in France, the andouillette of Troyes
comes from specific skills, the fruit of several centuries
of experiments and innovation. The craftsmen of the Forêt
d'Orient Regional Nature Park continue to make andouillettes,
in the traditional way, by hand, that is to say, made
on a table and tied with string. The proportions of the
ingredients remain unaltered since the beginning and a
good andouillette contains 2/3 of pork intestines and
1/3 of the stomach , without forgetting salt, pepper,
and a little onion. Don't forget that, the flavour
and aroma of the andouillettes produced in the territory
are the fruit of wise combinations, and every craftsman
has his secret to make them even better! |
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Chaource
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Chaource cheese, produced in the south west of
the department, benefits from a controlled origin appellation.
This distinction guarantees a product of constant quality
and an important fame. It implies an intimate link between
the product, the environment and mens' skills.
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