Charentais gastronomy
AOP butter, fragrant melon, cagouilles à la charentaise, buttery biscuits and artisan chocolate: Charente feeds its residents and visitors generously. Angoulême is the ideal gateway to a region that cultivates good eating with quiet pride.
Specialities not to miss
A survey of the Charente's emblematic products, from table to shop.
Galette charentaise
A rich, buttery shortbread biscuit, the galette charentaise is distinguished by its melt-in-the-mouth texture and fresh butter fragrance. Round, thick and lightly golden, it is found in every bakery in the region and in delicatessens. The traditional recipe uses only butter, flour, sugar and eggs — no artificial flavouring. The ideal gift to take home.
Cagouilles à la charentaise
Cagouilles are petit-gris snails in local Charentais dialect. Prepared 'à la charentaise', they are slow-simmered in a sauce seasoned with garlic, parsley, lardons and often a dash of Cognac. This is one of the most deeply rooted festive starters in local culture, served at traditional bistros and restaurants. They are also sold in jars in groceries for taking home. The ideal season is autumn.
Beurre Charentes-Poitou AOP
Beurre Charentes-Poitou has held a Protected Designation of Origin since 1979. Made from matured (fermented) cream from cows on Charentais meadows, it has a slightly tangy aroma and a very creamy texture. Identified by its golden-yellow colour and rich flavour, it is far removed from industrial butters. It is the central ingredient in the galette, local sauces and regional pastry-making. Available in all supermarkets and from the cheesemakers at markets.
Charentais melon
The Charentais melon is recognised worldwide for its exceptional fragrance and its sweet, melting orange flesh. The Charentais variety, with its ribbed gold-streaked grey-green skin, has been grown in the region since the 16th century. In season (July–September), it fills the stalls of the region's markets. The local tradition pairs melon with Pineau des Charentes as a starter: a slice of chilled melon with a glass of off-dry white Pineau is as simple as it is refined.
Mojhettes
Mojhettes (or mogettes) are the white beans of Poitou-Charentes, close cousins to those of the Vendée. Dried or fresh depending on the season, they are slow-cooked with butter and herbs, or served alongside ham and rillettes. A modest and nourishing country dish, mojhettes are embedded in the region's peasant memory and are making a comeback in gastronomy as veloutés, lighter cassoulets and refined garnishes. Found fresh in July–August at markets.
Cognac & Pineau
Forty kilometres away, the great Cognac houses are unmissable. Pineau des Charentes — a blend of fresh grape juice and Cognac — is the region's signature aperitif: white or rosé, it pairs with melon and seasonal fruit. Both can be bought direct from local producers, at specialist wine shops and in Angoulême's delicatessens. For everything you need to know, the Cognac & Pineau page is dedicated to these two treasures.
Angoulême, a city of chocolate
Less well known than its comics reputation, Angoulême's chocolate vocation is nonetheless very real. The city is home to several artisan chocolatiers whose creations are celebrated well beyond the region. Two names stand out for any visiting chocolate lover.
Chocolaterie Letuffe
Founded in Angoulême, the Letuffe house is a local institution. It is celebrated for its duchesses d'Angoulême — fine pralines coated in dark chocolate — and for its Cognac ganaches, which elegantly marry cacao and Charentais brandy. The shop in the upper town is a place of pilgrimage for sweet-tooths, especially at Easter and year-end. Gift boxes make the ideal souvenir.
Chocolaterie Marquis
The Marquis house is known for its marguerites d'Angoulême, a delicate milk chocolate and praline confection shaped like a flower. Founded in the 19th century, this chocolaterie perpetuates an artisan expertise passed down through the generations. The seasonal collections — chocolate figures at Christmas, eggs at Easter — attract a loyal clientele. Worth discovering on a stroll through the old town.
Eating well in Angoulême: a guide
To enjoy Charentais specialities in the best conditions, here are the right addresses and times. The restaurants of the upper town regularly serve local dishes — cagouilles, poultry fricassee in Pineau, buttery millefeuille — at reasonable prices (lunch menu around €14–18). The cafés and bars offer a chilled glass of Pineau in late morning served with Charentais nibbles. Finally, the markets are the best place to meet producers directly and stock up on local products.
The markets: soul of local gastronomy
The Halles d'Angoulême, the upper town's covered market, is open every morning Tuesday to Sunday. This is where market gardeners, butchers, cheesemakers and charcutiers from across the agglomeration bring their produce. Saturday morning is the liveliest day: Charente limousine goat's cheese, seasonal melons, Marennes-Oléron oysters (a few hours' drive away), and the inevitable rillettes, pâtés and terrines de la maison. The Sunday morning market, on Place Victor-Hugo, also welcomes local producers and artisans.
Drinks & local wines
Charente is celebrated for its spirits, but the region also produces Charentais country wines (IGP) in red, white and rosé, generally light and fruity. Craft-beer lovers will find a handful of local breweries that have developed in recent years. Charente grape juice, unfermented, is also sold as an alcohol-free alternative. On the digestif front, Cognac is of course king, available as Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies and Fins Bois according to appellation zone. For the curious, some producers offer vintage cognacs or very old eaux-de-vie (XO, Extra) of remarkable complexity.