foodie tour
Carpentras is a little town with a rich history that’s just a short hop from Avignon by train and it's a go-to place for foodies. Why?
Let’s find out.
It’s Friday, and that means market day - a typical French market.
But from November to March, you’ll also find people selling these.
As you’ve probably guessed, they're not lumps of mud - the price tag’s a clue.
Yep, they’re truffles.
And for the connoisseur, these are the decidedly superior Tuber Melanosporum - that’s black truffle to you and me.
If you're wondering why there’s a little bit sliced off each one - it’s so that those in the know can check out the 'gleba' - that’s the pattern of black and white which gives a clue to the quality.
Trading in truffles is a serious business, and Carpentras also has a professionals-only market, regulated by government officials.
Sales are closely monitored and provide a benchmark for the pricing elsewhere in the country - think of it as a FTSE for fungi.
And keeping order in this particularly pungent commodity market is the Siffleur, André Desserre, who’s been opening the market with a siffle on his whistle at nine o'clock sharp for the last 30 years.
A typical local truffle dish is Brouillard aux Truffes and they do tastings at the tourist information office on Fridays (you'll need to book in advance).
You could also check out Chez Serge for the full restaurant experience, or just pop in to the bar for a truffle-based croque monsieur.
As the truffle season ends in March, another Carpentras speciality is just starting - there’s even a film crew here to share the moment with the nation.
By the way, they were the best strawberries I’ve had in a while.
It isn’t just the locals that get a first taste of spring. Even the President gets a punnet or two, thanks to the Confrérie de la Fraise de Carpentras
But there's another reason for coming here.
A raison d'être.
Wine buffs have marked out the local AOC Ventoux as a go-to appellation
...and that seems to be because recent changes in climate have meant top grape varieties now get a chance to fully ripen. You can explore the wines from the 35 estates with Thierry Marcelin at the Espace Terroir behind the tourist information office, along with other local produce.
But here’s something you might not expect in a top notch wine region.
Beers like IPAs, triples and rich stouts are popular with cyclists who like to follow in the tracks of their Tour de France heroes up the slopes of nearby Mont Ventoux.
Maybe on their ride up the slopes they should take some of these. Berlingots are the local sweets made from the fruit not scoffed in the summer or shipped off to the Élysée palace.
And that’s about it for our trip around the foodie side of Carpentras. Maybe next time we can have a little look around the town
...and find out why Carpentras has the oldest synagogue in France
and three very different kinds of donation...
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