Top 10 culinary specialities in Tours

If you didn’t already know, Tours is recognised as the “International City of Gastronomy”. And you’re about to find out: on every street corner, you’ll discover gourmet bistros, café terraces where you can relax and watch the sun set, and restaurants that let the tempting smell of freshly baked food waft in through their windows… It’s one of the French cities where food is most appreciated, and we all know just how popular French cuisine is, and how world-famous it is! In this article, find out a little more about the dishes of Tours. Let us guide you, so that your stomach feels full. Let’s go on a gentle culinary tour.

What to eat in Tours

1. Rillons de Touraine

This dish, part of the Touraine terroir, is a must if you’re ever in the city. These are small pieces of pork belly that have been spiced with various herbs and browned to give them a lovely colour. Finally, they are candied in their own fat before being served, with the delicious smell of melted coals. This is the charcuterie most eaten in Touraine: with a few slices of bread, a slice of quiche or a fresh salad, it will do the trick!

2. Poire Tapée

This is a much-loved dessert! The pears are peeled, dehydrated and then flattened in what’s known as a “pâtissoire”. They can then be stored for several days before being eaten. Legend even has it that they were given priority in the provisions of fishermen when they went out to sea for a long time, to make sure they didn’t starve. Some people like to eat the pear in wine, and apparently it goes very well with this exquisite drink!

3. Saint-Maure cheese

Some say it’s a cheese beyond cheese. Made from particularly mild and firm raw goat’s milk, you’ll find it without much difficulty in the town of Tours. With a few slices of bread, it makes an excellent aperitif or snack. This is one of the oldest cheeses in the world, originating centuries ago in the Touraine region. Today, with its natural rind and soft texture, it delights the taste buds of young and old alike.

4. Fouée Tourangelle

This is a small, round brioche made mainly with honey, spices and nuts, in addition to traditional ingredients such as flour and milk. As soon as you taste one, you’ll be hooked! Slightly puffed up, they have a reputation for being soft, as if you were biting into a piece of cloud. Created during the Middle Ages, the little balls can be filled with Saint-Maure cheese (the one and only) or other types of sweet filling. But apparently, they’re best enjoyed naturally: when the honey takes hold of your taste buds, you can’t help but appreciate it.

5. Andouillette with Vouvray

If you’re a lover of meat, and more broadly, of charcuterie as a whole, then you’ll be delighted to discover Andouillette au Vouvray. This is a kind of sausage made from tripe cut finely into strips, then wrapped around pork casing. Seasoned with salt, pepper and a few other spices, it’s an essential French dish that has its origins in the city of Tours. The interesting thing is that depending on whether it’s cooked in the oven, on the barbecue or in another way, it never tastes exactly the same. So it’s up to you to decide which way you prefer it!

6. Nougat from Tours

A little bit of sugar to add to this list is not a bad thing! Nougat de Tours is delicious and tasty, and no one will tell you otherwise (unless you hate all things pastry). What does it contain? Shortcrust pastry, concealing apricot marmalade jam and candied fruit (some people like to add the famous pear tapée). Sprinkled with icing sugar, you’ll also taste the unmistakeable almond macaroonade. Enjoy without moderation!

7. Touraine wines

Are you more of a red, white or rosé wine person? In Tours, you’ll have plenty to choose from, as the city is known for its prestigious and exceptional wines from the Touraine vineyards that border the region. This sometimes sweet nectar that goes down your throat goes very well with a delicious meat dish. Vouvray” and “Montlouis” are the most popular red wines. For white wines, why not try the tasty AOC Chinon? We’d love to hear all about it!

8. Touraine Salad

There’s nothing better than a fresh, low-calorie dish if you’re looking for more plant-based than animal-based flavours. Salade Tourangelle is one of the most popular salads in France. At the same time, it boasts so many ingredients that it’s bound to be a crowd-pleaser: potatoes, tomatoes, herbs, crisp lettuce, green beans, rillons, rillettes de tours… It’s a perfect light lunchtime dish, especially in summer, to cool off in the scorching heat of the sun.

9. Beuchelle Tourangelle

This is a dish that needs to be cooked to perfection to be served properly. With veal rice and kidneys, accompanied by a few vegetables, it’s clearly the kind of meal you’ll find at the top of the bill if you go into a restaurant in Tours. What makes it so charming and internationally renowned? The delicious creamy mushroom sauce sprinkled over the meat makes it unique. It’s also a dish that pays homage to the famous French chef Edouard Nignon. One bite and you’ll be swept away in a torrent of flavours!

10. Ballottine de Géline

Made from a breed of hen from Touraine, Ballottine de Géline with truffles is cooked with a cep sauce that only the chefs of Tours know the secret of. This dish has a reputation for being slightly melting in the mouth, especially if accompanied by mashed potatoes. Once you’ve tried it, you’re sure to want to try it again, and maybe even move to Tours just for it!