Biltoki covered market

This is the city’s covered marketis known as the Halles de Biltoki, or Halles Cœur de Maine. The project was commissioned by the Basque group Biltoki and opened in 2023. Nowadays, the covered market is home to around twenty stalls covering an area of 1,000m², where you can buy fruit, vegetables, charcuterie, fish, wine, cheese and a whole host of other products. Let’s use this opportunity to tell you about the good things you should try before you leave! There are plenty of them, as you’ll see. Let’s start with the savoury specialities. Here you’ll be able to eat fish freshly caught from the Loire, such as pike, pike-perch and eel. For those who prefer meat, try rillauds d’Anjou. These are small pieces of candied pork belly, which can be eaten on their own or in a fouée, a small hollow loaf that can be filled with meat, butter or cheese. The region also has a lot to offer when it comes to mushrooms, with galipettes d’Anjou, a variety grown in the tufa quarries of the Saumur region, and the delicious recipe for gouline angevine, a pie that combines rillauds d’Anjou, Saumur mushrooms and tomme. A real treat! The cul de veau à l’angevine, understand veal’s butt in angevine style, is also a must-try. There’s plenty of choice when it comes to desserts. The most famous of all is undoubtedly the crémet d’Anjou, a fresh cream whipped with egg whites and served with red fruit coulis, hot chocolate or honey, depending on your taste. For those with a sweet tooth, try Quernons d’Ardoise, made from squares of nougatine with almonds and hazelnuts, coated in bluish chocolate; Caramandes, slivered almonds caramelised with salted butter and covered in dark chocolate; or pâté aux prunes or bottereaux, delicious doughnuts. Accompany all this with a good glass of Cabernet d’Anjou, and finish your meal with a small Cointreau, a liqueur made from a blend of sweet and bitter orange peels. It’s up to you to try it all!