The saying goes: You are what you eat. Europe has always had a strong culinary tradition. Each region has its own specialties that have become a part of the fabric and help define the area. Whether it’s foie gras in southwest France or jambon persillé in Burgundy, each destination has its own gastronomic heritage that has grown to represent the area and give a feel for what the region is all about. Learning about, learning how to prepare, and eating each region’s specialty food items is an important part of each Sandquist Europe program or trip. A visit to the Loire Valley wouldn’t be complete without a goat’s cheese tasting in the same way that a trip to Tuscany wouldn’t tell the whole story without a tasting of several different Pecorinos. Below are just a few of many other examples of regional specialities:

	Alsace = kugelhoff
	Burgundy = oeufs en meurette
	Brittany = oysters
	Normandy = camembert
	Dordogne = confit de canard
	Veneto = radicchio rosso
	Tuscany = fagioli
	Loire = geline
	Andalucia = gazpacho
	Jura = comté
	Provence = tapenade

Below are some gastronomic highlights:

	Burgundy: Ma Cuisine, Le Benaton, Lameloise
	Loire Valley: La Giraudière
	Provence: Bistrot du Paradou, La Mirande Cooking Lesson
	Puglia: Poeta Contadina
	Tuscany: Podere le Rose, Ristorante Arnolfo, Giovanna Folonari