Chestnuts can be eaten fresh or left to dry, they are then called “châtaignons” or “blanchettes”. They can also be grilled in the fireplace.
Nowadays, the local producer have begun to develop their chestnut trees and to privilege the traditional varieties thanks to marrons, jams, pastry, flours, icecreams, etc.
A request for a “Cevennes Chestnut” AOC ( controlled designation of origin) is under way since 2003. The board of inquiry inspected the territory in 2009 and the request should be examined by the national committee during the first semester of 2010, before another visit.
Each autumn, chestnut fairs take place everywhere in the Cevennes, one of the most important being Saint-Paul-la-Chaque’s, a little town of 225 inhabitants which receives more than 3 000 people on the occasion in September!

Brandade de morue is a dish made of cod-fish (called morue in French once it has been salted and desalted), olive oil, creme fraiche, lemon juice, and herbs and spices (thyme, garlic, bay leaf, etc.).
Its history is fascinating since salted cod doesn’t exist in the Mediterranean Sea. On the other hand, salt was mined there and the salt mounds of the Salins were exchanged for cod with the fishermen of the Atlantic Ocean and of the North.
This is how brandade was created. Charles Durand, cooker of the archbishop of Alès, born in 1766 in Alès, invented the recipe by mixing the salted cod with the ingredients used in Mediterranean cooking. During the preparation, the bits of cods had to be stirred with a wooden spoon called brandar in Provençal, after which the dish was named. This is why Alès claims the brandade de morue as being an Alesian product. Moreover, Coudène enterprise, the European leader in brandade de morue, is settled in Saint-Christol-lez-Alès since 1936. (www.coudene.com)

The Cevennes Sweet Onion is cultivated in nurseries in February. It is a traditional product in the Viganais Cevennes. Onions are planted by May on the well-exposed hillsides and eventually pick up by hand from August to September. Sweet and pearly, the Cevennes sweet onion stands out for its very soft texture and subtle taste which make it an upscale product. This variety of onion is produced in the cantons of the southern Cevennes, and has made a request for an AOC.

Olives: the Cevennes piedmont numbers several olive groves. Green olives are picked up fom September to February. As they grow mature, the fruits grow richer in oil and change color from green to black. Olives are then collected and stocked in a mill where they are directed toward crushers that are going to reduce them into a thick paste. This paste is put under cold mechanical pressure and then left to settle. The virgin olive oil is only obtained thanks to mechanical process. The pure fruit juice has undergone no chemical treatment.
The tapenade, which is one of the most famous specialties in the South of France, is made out of olives and is used in gastronomy or for aperitif. This Provence specialty is made of black or green olives, crushed with anchovy fillets, mustard and spices. It is served on grilled canapés or on tartlets.

The Cevennes wines: vine-growing is the main agricultural activity of the Cevennes piedmont and of the Vallée de la Cèze: it represents 32123 acres of vines that is 20% of the wine-producing area in the Gard.
Red vines are largely represented with wines such as Syrah, Grenache, Carignan or Cinsault, but also Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Traditional white wines usually represented by Grenache blanc and Clairette are now enriched with Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Viognier.
At the foot of the Cevennes, the microclimate and its particular hydric conditions and its range of temperatures during the period of maturing of the grapes enable to produce wines characterized by their aromatic vivacity and intensity – Vins de pays “Duché D’Uzès”, AOC wines only made of southern vine varieties. Grenache, Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault for red and rosé wines; Viognier, Grenache, Roussanne, Rolle for white ones.
- Vins de pays des Cévennes: a combination of different varieties.
- Vins de cépages: vins de pays d’Oc: Merlot, Cabernet, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Viognier…
You might also taste la Cartagène, a local specialty which has a sweet and subtle flavor remembering of dried fruitw, walnuts, and figs. This wine is usually served for aperitif or for dessert. You can also taste le Pitchoun, a fizzy aperitif tasting of Cartagène.

You will meet those authentic and natural local flavors in any local market or restaurant of Alès and its surroundings.