10 Best Local Dishes from Caen
Famous Food Locals Love to Eat in Caen
The best local dishes in Caen are a delightful blend of traditional Normandy flavours often conjured up in fresh seafood and indulgent desserts. This charming city in Normandy, France, is not just known for its rich history and stunning architecture, but also for its delectable local cuisine.
In the bustling markets and cosy bistros of Caen, you’ll find a gastronomic paradise waiting to be explored. From savoury tripe cooked in the traditional Caen style to sweet, cinnamon-infused teurgoule, every dish tells a story. And don’t forget to wash it all down with a glass of the local L’Embuscade cocktail. A visit to Caen is sure to be a feast for your taste buds.
1. Tripes à la mode de Caen
A historical dish with a unique flavour
Ideal para: Alimentação, História
Tripes à la mode de Caen is a traditional dish attributed to Sidoine Benoît, a 14th-century monk from Caen. This hearty meal is made using all 4 chambers of a cow’s stomach, combined with local cider and calvados, giving it a distinctive taste. It is prepared in a special earthenware pot called a tripière, which is sealed with dough and simmered for up to 15 hours.
Typically served with boiled potatoes or crusty bread, tripes à la mode de Caen is best enjoyed in autumn when local apples are in season. For an authentic experience, visit during the annual tripe-making competition organised by the guild ‘La tripière d’or’. Don’t miss the chance to explore the Abbaye-aux-Hommes, where Sidoine Benoît lived.
Tripes à la mode de Caen
2. Teurgoule
A comforting baked rice pudding
Ideal para: Alimentação, Famílias
Just 4 ingredients are used to make teurgoule, a traditional dessert from Normandy: rice, milk, sugar and cinnamon. This baked rice pudding is cooked slowly to create a creamy texture and is usually served hot, straight from the oven. The name ‘teurgoule’ comes from the Old Norman French phrase ‘se tordre la gueule’, meaning ‘to pull a face’, supposedly because it’s so hot.
Teurgoule is great with a dollop of cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You’ll find it a staple at local festivals and family gatherings, offering a taste of Normandy’s home-cooked traditions.
Teurgoule
3. Scallops and oysters
Fresh seafood from the coast
Ideal para: Alimentação, Luxo
Caen’s proximity to the coast ensures the freshest scallops and oysters make it onto the menu, and they’re often harvested daily. These shellfish are celebrated in gourmet dishes like oyster and scallop stew, which combine them with local vegetables and spices for hearty meals. Many restaurants offer pan-seared scallops with garlic butter or oysters on the half shell, too.
Attend an annual Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques (Scallop Festival) to celebrate and taste the best scallops or visit local seafood markets for an authentic experience and the opportunity to buy fresh scallops and oysters to cook yourself. These delicacies pair well with a crisp white wine from the region, such as Muscadet or Saumur-Champigny.
Scallops and oysters
4. Normandy cheese
A variety of famous cheeses
Ideal para: Alimentação, História
Normandy is renowned for its cheeses, including Camembert, Pont-l’Évêque, Livarot and Neufchâtel. These cheeses have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, ensuring they are made using traditional methods and local ingredients. Pair them with local cider or calvados for a true taste of Normandy.
Follow the Normandy Cheese Route to visit dairies and farms and enjoy tastings. Guided tours give you the chance to see how these cheeses are made and meet the producers. Don’t forget to buy fresh cheeses at local markets, where you can also find other regional products. Try the heart-shaped Neufchâtel, which was traditionally used as a romantic gift during the Hundred Years’ War.
Normandy cheese
5. Brasillé
A unique pastry with a distinctive shape
Ideal para: Alimentação, História
Brasillé is a traditional pastry made with flaky, buttery puff pastry, lightly salted butter, sugar, and eggs. The puff pastry is shaped into an oval, brushed with beaten eggs, sprinkled with sugar and baked until golden brown.
An excellent morning or afternoon snack with coffee or tea, brasillé can sometimes be enhanced with fillings like apples, pears or chocolate. You can taste freshly baked brasillé and other regional pastries at local food festivals. The picturesque village of Clinchamps-sur-Orne, where the pastry was revived, is a beautiful place to visit and explore the local heritage.
Brasillé
6. Madeleines Jeanette
Beloved treats since 1850
Ideal para: Alimentação, Compras
Madeleines Jeannette have been a beloved treat in Caen since 1850. Pure, fresh butter and no artificial preservatives ensure high-quality, delicious products. Enjoying a madeleine with a cup of tea or coffee is a quintessentially French experience. Madeleines Jeannette are available in various flavours, including plain, chocolate and lemon.
Visit the Biscuiterie Jeannette in Colombelles to see the production process and buy fresh madeleines directly from the source. These madeleines come in beautifully designed tins and boxes, making them an ideal gift. As long as you don’t eat them all before you get home.
Madeleines Jeanette
7. Fallue
Richer than your standard brioche
Ideal para: Alimentação, História
If you’re looking for a rich, buttery flavour, but a light, airy texture, you should definitely try fallue. This traditional Normandy indulgence has been a staple in the region for centuries, especially served during festive occasions. Made with Normandy butter and eggs, fallue highlights the region’s high-quality dairy products.
Local bakeries often serve up delicious fallue with cream or jam for an extra treat. Fresh out of the oven, with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, this pastry just melts in your mouth. Attend local food festivals to taste freshly baked fallue and other regional pastries.
Fallue
8. Crêpes à la mode de Caen
A delightful variation on the classic French crêpes
Ideal para: Alimentação, Famílias
Crêpes à la mode de Caen are a delightful variation on the classic French crêpe, incorporating local ingredients and flavours. Of course, this being Normandy, with its long-standing tradition of apple cultivation and cider production, these crêpes often feature fillings made from apples, calvados and rich Normandy butter.
Typically served with a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of honey or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, don’t miss a chance to grab these sweet and tangy crêpes at a local market or food stall in Caen. Quick and delicious, they make a wonderful snack while exploring the city.
Crêpes à la mode de Caen
9. Chocolate
Exquisite treats from local chocolatiers
Ideal para: Alimentação, Casais
Normandy’s rich, high-quality chocolate is rightfully famous, and Caen is home to several renowned chocolatiers. Indulge in some exquisitely crafted treats, from truffles to chocolate bars, there’s a wide range of products to choose from. If you have the willpower, you might even manage to take some of these beautifully packaged chocolates home as fantastic gifts or souvenirs.
Some chocolatiers offer tours of their workshops, allowing visitors to see the crafting process and sample fresh chocolates. After seeing how it’s made, and buying some of your own, pair your chocolate with local cider or calvados for a delightful taste experience.
Chocolate
10. L’Embuscade cocktail
A unique blend from local spirits
Ideal para: Vida noturna, Casais, Alimentação
A more grown-up treat you’ll need to try if you drink alcohol is L’Embuscade. This famous cocktail from Caen is known for its unique blend of white wine, beer, blackcurrant syrup and calvados. Calvados, an apple brandy that is a speciality of the Normandy region, is the quintessential flavour of the area so of course they’ve developed it into a cocktail. Popular among students and locals, L’Embuscade is a staple in Caen’s bar scene.
If you’re out with friends, dip into a bar and order a pitcher, perfect for sharing. If you’re catering, L’Embuscade is simple to prepare and a great option for parties and gatherings. You can find authentic recipes online, but make sure to use local ingredients.
L’Embuscade cocktail
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