Country cooking
Food production
Duck and Goose – A Long Tradition
The Gers is famous for its cuisine based on duck and goose: confit of duck breast and foie gras (goose or duck liver). The county is France’s main producer of traditional foie gras. Selecting, raising and feeding the geese and ducks are just some of the skills which have been passed down from generation to generation.
Foie gras was discovered in Egypt at the dawn of the third millennium BC, and was made using the migrating geese which winter in the marshes of the Nile delta. The Egyptians understood that the birds created foie gras naturally by overfeeding themselves in readiness for their long-distance flight. Simply by simulating this behaviour with farmed birds, man could produce foie gras as required.
The dish was served by the Romans, who fattened the birds with figs. (The Latin for fig, “ficus”, was the root of the word “foie”).
Geese were farmed in the Béarn (in the south-west corner of France) in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, fattened with maize brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus.
Foie gras had its heyday under Louis XVI in the 18th century. Chefs at the time were discovering the great qualities of the livers of fattened animals.
Today foie gras is popular in all regions of France, and connoisseurs come to the Gers for their supplies.
Preserving food
The Gers is home to nearly 250 food canners and bottlers. About a hundred are members of the professional body called the Syndicat des Producteurs à la Ferme - Foie Gras du Gers. They produce foie gras, from bird to bottle or tin, on the farm.
We have three members in the Coeur de Lomagne:
Jean-Pierre BRENTA à MAGNAS ;
Irène LADOUCE à MAUROUX ;
Laurence RICAUT à MAUROUX.
Founded in 1986, the “Producteurs à la ferme du Gers”, another trade association, offers foie gras, confit, cassoulets (traditional casserole dish), fillets of duck breast, pâtés and rillettes, which are genuine local products, the results of Gascon tradition and experience. The label "Indication Géographique Protégée Canard à Foie Gras du Sud-Ouest" (rather like the "appellation contrôlée" label on wine) guarantees that you are buying the authentic product. This means that the ducks are raised, fattened, slaughtered and processed only in permitted areas. You can buy these products on the farm at the Garlic Museum:
Francis GAMOT at the Garlic Museum located at Barban, just outside Saint-Clar.
Soirées gourmandes (Gastronomy evenings)
In July and August, several producers and restaurateurs in the Coeur de Lomagne and surrounding area organize "gastronomy evenings" in Saint-Clar.
These evenings take place on Thursdays and feature a meal in the square, using local farm products, and with live music until midnight. They are suitable for families with children.
For dates of gastronomy evenings, please refer to the "Festivals and events" page « Fêtes et manifestations ».
Visiting farms and farm markets
A number of producers in the Gers have chosen to join the national “Bienvenue à la ferme” ("Welcome to the Farm") scheme, for farmers offering not only hospitality on their farm, but also opportunities to discover the countryside.
In our area we have two farms offering tours and direct sales:
Jean-Pierre BRENTA in MAGNAS ;
Francis GAMOT at the Garlic Museum located at Barban, just outside Saint-Clar.
Close by, a winery partner of the Coeur de Lomagne tourist office is also a member of the same organisation:Sandrine et Nathalie MENEGAZZO at the Domain d’Embidoure, Réjaumont.
This same network organises farm markets: in summer, producers arrange a welcome a different farm each week, and include a meal and an activity. Venues and dates on request at the Tourist Office. Finally, several producers offer picnic bags for less than 9€ per person. All products except water and bread come from a farm in the Gers. You can buy the picnic packs at the Garlic Museum and at the Domaine d’Embidoure.
Monday welcome evenings
In summer the Tourist Office and local producers organise a welcome evening for holidaymakers every Monday at 6pm.
You can watch a video presentation of the area, taste farm products, and access all the information you need for a wonderful stay in the Coeur de Lomagne.
Interactive map
