Haricots tarbaisLong, white and flat, this is considered to be the tastiest of bean varieties. It owes its refinement to the quality of the soil, the shady areas where it sprouts, its thin skin and its flesh that melts in the mouth.
Haricot Tarbais Label RougeThe original species (Fario), or the more recently introduced species (Rainbow), which are caught wild in our mountain lakes and rivers or farmed locally, are part of our local gastronomy. Cooked in various ways and transformed into exceptional products, it appears regularly on the fishmongers’ stalls at the Halles de Lourdes and in the town’s restaurants.
Trébons is a small village just 20 minutes from Lourdes. The onion produced there is remarkable for its mildness and sweet flavours. These onions can be eaten fresh from May to July. Transplanted in autumn, the “cébards” are slightly sweet regrowths that go wonderfully with omelettes and meat.
Discover them at the Halles de Lourdes!
A meat with exceptional gustative qualities: smooth, tender and juicy with a unique flavour characterised by the scent of wild thyme and liquorice. In the summer months, the sheep go to Pays Toy for the summer pastures, where they find a very fragrant grassland diet. In-between seasons, they move to lower altitude pastures between 1,000 and 1,800m, whereas in winter they stay in the barns in the valley and are fed with the hay made during the summer. Food-lovers head to St. Michael’s Fair in Luz Saint Sauveur to enjoy this speciality in a festive atmosphere.
Foire aux côtelettes de Luz
Transhumance dans les Pyrénées
A nourishing vegetable and bean soup, with confit and the famous “camayou” (cured ham bone) cooked in it, this takes a good hour to prepare and a full day to cook on a low heat. The recipe for garbure differs from one valley to another. Traditionally, people used to make it go further by adding red wine to the warm bowl (“faire chabrot”).
Assiette foie gras restaurant à LourdesIn foie gras, confits, stews, salmis, pâtés, rillettes, smoked duck breasts… The tradition of breeding and force-feeding is very widespread here, as it is all across the South-West.
These are a Hautes-Pyrénées classic. Made from duck or goose and preserved in their fat, they are served at any special occasions or when a friend comes round, along with cep mushrooms or “Tarbais” beans.
In the face of competition from intensive farming in the 80s, the Noir de Bigorre breed of pig nearly died out due to being too fatty and growing too slowly. With only about 30 sows and less than 5 males left, a small number of enthusiasts decided to continue to breed these pigs, which are recognisable by their black coat and horizontal ears. Pork from these pigs is now a famous and luxurious product, known for its tasty fat, unique flavour and distinctiveness. This 100% local species, reared in small herds between Gers, Hautes-Pyrénées and Haute-Garonne, feeds solely on cereals and what is found in the Pyrenees depending on the season (chestnuts, acorns etc.).
Our characterful mountain cheeses, made from sheep‘s, cow‘s or goat‘s milk, are popular with everyone who tries them. Tomme-making is an ancestral skill: this cheese tastes different according to the milk or mixture of milks used, while the ripening process determines its strength. In summer the herds are guided to the high pastures during the transhumance. In this new environment their choice of food increases (flowers, fruit, etc.). This changes the flavour of the milk and therefore of the cheese, which is sold under the name “fromage d’estive” (summer pastures cheese). It has more flavours, especially fruity ones, and the gustative notes vary according to the season and the location where the sheep are feeding.
Tip: Enjoy a nice slice on a hunk of bread with a dab of black cherry jam, you won’t be disappointed.
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