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Discover the specialties of the Vendée
It's good to eat well!
Discovering a region also means tasting its specialties to soak up its flavors. The Vendée draws its riches from the ocean: fish, seafood and salt. But don't miss out on authentic local brioches. Les Jardins de l'Atlantique is committed to promoting local producers and fresh produce. Don't hesitate to ask us for advice!
Unmissable specialties
Do you know the difference between brioche vendéenne and gâche? The first clue: brioche is braided, gâche is not. Both are the object of traditional customs rooted in the Vendée heritage.
Vendée brioche: its origin is guaranteed by a label. Traditional weddings still feature the “dance of the brioche”, around a 20kg braided brioche, which is eaten together at midnight.
Gâche: its origins date back to the Middle Ages, when it was made with the surplus eggs left over from Lent. It was then shared among neighbors.
Fish and oyster beds
Hake, cuttlefish, albacore tuna, red tuna, squid and pollack are just some of the fish caught on our coasts. If you love oysters, head off to La Guittière, in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, to meet the oyster farmers, or take a trip along the the oyster route!
Don't miss a visit to Escale Pêche in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire: a true immersion in the world of fishing, offering enthusiasts a privileged setting in which to live out their passion. Whether at sea or on foot, this is the place to capture the riches of the sea while enjoying magnificent landscapes and unspoilt nature.
But if you don't go fishing, don't panic, fishing will come to you: the Jardins de l'Atlantique reserve a seafood tasting evening for you every week!
The salt marshes, the salt route
An insignificant yet essential condiment, salt has been an indispensable ingredient in cooking since time immemorial. But do your children really know where it comes from? And do you know how fascinating its history is?
Talmont-Saint-Hilaire is the perfect place to discover the salt marshes, a unique landscape shaped by man for centuries. Through guided walks or visits to the saltworks, visitors can explore this living heritage, learn the secrets of salt harvesting and appreciate the biodiversity that inhabits these wetlands, between nature and history.
Or head to Sallertaine for a guided canoe tour. You'll learn all there is to know about the trade of the saunier. Closer to your club, in Les Sables d'Olonne, Les Salines, the Salt Adventure Park, takes your children on a magical exploration of the salt marshes and lets them take part in the harvest.
Local produce markets
The Vendée region is full of flavors to be discovered. Here's a short list of the many local farmers' markets:
In Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, a stone's throw from the Jardins de l'Atlantique:
- Covered market: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, Place du Payré. Taste our local produce: fruit, vegetables, oysters, wines...
- Night market: every Wednesday evening in July and August, from 7pm, on the Bourgenay harbor. In addition to the products already mentioned, discover local crafts
In Jard-sur-Mer :
- Gourmet Wednesdays: from 9am to 2pm, every Wednesday in July and August. Tastings, discoveries and good deals, you'll find it all in the rue de l'Océan.
In Les Sables d’Olonne :
- Halles Centrales market: 60 producers and traders in a two-storey building dating from 1890. If you're looking for quality and authenticity, you've come to the right place.
