The Tarn was long called the land of plentybecause its wealth, that of Lauragais and Albigensian, was based on the culture of pastel. Pastels is a plant, which produces a unique blue, used in the past to dye textiles, and it was in the form of balls, which were called “cocagnes”.
From there, was born this appellation of Pays de Cocagne, for the Tarn, whose ingredients and gastronomic specialties perfectly embody the myth of a marvelous region, where good food and abundance dominate, described by Rabelais in his work.
Pink garlic soup from Lautrec, chichoulet or fresinatwithout forgetting the sweet dishes like apple crisp and Jeannots : in the Tarn, nature is generous and the cuisine a feast.
To introduce us to this Tarn cuisine, Nathalie Helal is with Pascal Sudrepresident of the Logis du Tarn and head of theHostellerie des Lauriers in Villeneuve-sur-Tarn, Sandrine Caramellirestaurant manager The Lautrec in Albi, Marie Deymierof the Biscuit Deymier in Carmaux, and Sylvain Lanconrepresenting Salted Lacaune (PGI).