A Food Lover’s Guide to Normandy: What to Eat & Drink

A bit about Normandy 

Normandie, known as Normandy in English, is a historic region of northern France. Normandy juts out into the English Channel to the west and stretches from the World War Two landing beaches of its northwestern shores all the way to Monet’s garden at Giverny in the east. In between, you’ll find the medieval capital Rouen, charming villages and plenty of apple and pear orchards, lush pastures and dairy farms. This landscape provides Normandy with some of its best produce. Meanwhile, the cool waters off of Normandy’s 600km coastline provide the region’s fishermen with excellent fish and seafood. 

Normandy’s food and drink specialities 

Normandy is rightly famous for its cheese. Camembert hails from Normandy and authentic Camembert de Normandie has a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), meaning that it is made with local raw milk ladled into a round mould in five separate layers, then aged according to traditional methods. Pont l'Evêque PDO, is a square-shaped cheese with a pale-yellow rind. It is aged for 21 days, during which time the cheesemakers brush the rind with salted water. The rind develops a distinct hay-like aroma, but aficionados know that cutting into the cheese reveals a creamy interior with a subtly sweet flavour. Fancy something stronger? Livarot is a must-try for cheese lovers. It hails from Normandy’s picturesque Pays d’Auge area, and is known for its pungent smell and intense, meaty taste.  

Normandy has a strong farming heritage, and its excellent butter and cream are an integral part of the region’s hearty, meaty cuisine. Think fish stews with creamy broths, chicken in creamy cider sauces or buttery apple cakes. Crème fraiche is a key ingredient in many Norman dishes, and the best is Isigny Crème Fraîche PDO, made with local milk and matured over a 16-18 hour period for that distinct, tangy flavour.  

Seafood is another Normandy speciality. The cool waters off its long coastline provide a bounty of oysters, lobster, mackerel, sea bass and herring. Normandy King Scallops have a Label Rouge quality mark and are prized for their plump, sweet meat and creamy orange coral. Granville Bay Whelks PGI are another regional treat. Once in danger of extinction due to overfishing, these nutty, briny whelks now have PGI after local whelk fishermen joined forces to introduce quotas and commit to harvesting with sustainable methods. Bouchot mussels are also harvested traditionally and are grown on tall wooden poles off the Normandy coast.   

Normandy’s lush countryside is dotted with apple and pear orchards. The fruits go into some of Normandy’s famous cider, pear cider (poiré) and spirits. Pays d’Auge Cider PDO is made with a blend of sweet and tangy apple varieties harvested in the bucolic Pays d’Auge and naturally fermented without carbonisation. For something stronger, try Calvados. This apple brandy is one of Normandy’s most famous exports. Calvados Pays d’Auge AOC is made with distilled local cider and aged in oak barrels for a minimum of two years. 

Unmissable Normandy activities for food lovers 

There are many delicious ways to engage with Normandy’s food culture on a trip to the region. Here are some of our favourites… 

• Follow the Normandy cider route (La Route du Cidre), a 25mile trail through the lanes of the beautiful Pays d’Auge with plenty of optional pitstops at cider farms
• Graze your way around one of the region’s many food festivals. Annual highlights include a celebration of Normandy’s PDO products in Cambremer, The Honfleur Shellfish and Fishing Festival, and Rouen’s huge ‘Belly Festival’ (Fête du Ventre) each October
• Savour a big bowl of moules marinières at a seaside restaurant in picturesque Honfleur or Étretat
• Tour a Calvados distillery and create your own blend to take home
• Feast at some of the many excellent restaurants in Rouen, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy
• Shop for delicious souvenirs to bring back in your suitcase. Must-buys include buttery sablés biscuits, jars of apple jelly, soft Caramels d’Isigny, and a well-wrapped bottle of Calvados 

How to experience Normandy’s food and drink culture at home 

It couldn’t be easier to add a touch of Normandy to your table. Set the scene for a Norman supper that wouldn’t look out of place in a harbourside bistro or rustic Pays D’Auge farmhouse with simple checkered tablecloths or creamy linens, seasonal flowers in vintage jars, low lighting and plenty of candles. Start with seafood. Serve the classic gratin Coquilles St Jacques, made with Normandy King Scallops. Or try Bouchot moules simmered in a Pays D’Auge Cider PDO broth. Your options for a traditional Normandy main include salt-marsh lamb, Veal Vallée d'Auge (veal in a rich Calvados cream sauce, served with sauteed apples), or roast chicken with a Pont L’Evêque potato gratin on the side. 

For pudding, dish up tarte tatin served with Isigny crème Fraîche PDO, or a boozy Calvados apple cake. Don’t forget the cheese: baked camembert makes the ultimate easy sharing starter. Or, serve a board of iconic Norman cheeses for your cheese course. 

To break up your hearty meal, follow the ‘Trou Normand’ tradition and serve small glasses of Calvados or Calvados-drenched apple sorbet between courses to refresh the palette.