Native oysters. There are two types of sea water oyster readily available in the United Kingdom and most of Europe: rock (Crassostrea gigas) and native oysters (Ostrea edulis). Native oysters (known in France as belons) are small, flattish and circular in shape and with a brownish-green, relatively smooth shell. They are difficult to farm, take four to five years to mature and are not disease resistant. Not only are they more scarce than rock oysters, they are also more highly regarded, with firm flesh and a subtle, delicate flavour. Rock oysters are relatively abundant; the meat is held in a deep elongated cup with a flat 'lid' and the shells are rugged and warty, covered in coarse textured bumps and crevices. The flesh is less substantial than that of the natives and the flavour sharper, even metallic. When the word 'oysters' is used alone this will almost always indicate rock oysters as, if they are natives, they will invariably be described as such. Rick Stein's favourite size for a native oyster is No 3 - "Not too big and not too small"
A river in Brittany identified with a prized flat-shelled (plate) oyster. The name is also given to these oysters.
A rock oyster raised in Brittany and then moved to the estuarine waters of the Belon river for fattening.
A light grey to coal-black caviar from the roe of the female beluga sturgeon, the largest of the family. It is the largest grained and most expensive of the caviars.
A disc of mild, semihard cheese made with cow's milk. It has an ivory white paste and a smooth, glossy, golden, washed rind. It is made at the Abbey of Belval in Picardy, north of Amiens in France. This cheese, which is reminiscent of Saint-Paulin and recorded since 1893, is eaten all year round and is made with raw milk. The curds are cooked and pressed. It contains 40-45% fat (dry). It may be found in the following dimensions: 20-25 cm (8") diameter x 3-4 (2") cm deep and weighing either 400 g (14 oz) or 2 kg (4 lb). Affinage is 5-6 weeks. Also made at the Abbaye de Belval is a cheese called 'le flamay d'Artois, one called ‘le ternois’ and another, le trappiste bière, which is washed in beer.
A variety of ortolan or bunting in Languedoc. This is a small bird regarded as a great delicacy in southern France, especially in the Landes.
A variety of apple called Blenheim Orange in the United Kingdom. It is a large, crisp, dry, aromatic, yellowish-fleshed, pippin apple with a sweet, slightly tart flavour and dull, yellow skin washed and speckled with orange-red. It is a good-looking eating apple which cooks well and is preferred in tarte tatin as it is soft-textured but does not lose its shape. It was discovered growing along the wall that was the boundary of the grounds of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock in Oxfordshire around 1740 by Kempster. It was originally named Kempster's Pippin but the name was changed with the approval of the Duke of Marlborough around 1904. It was awarded the Banksian Medal of the London Horticultural Society in 1822. In the 1920s it became widespread throughout Europe and the United States. In France it is known as Bénédictin. A traditional Christmas, mid- to late-season, apple which is harvested from late September to early October in South-East England, is stored and is at its best between October and December. In the United States it is harvested from October to December. It is also a rich almond cake flavoured with Bénédictine.
A liqueur invented by a Bénédictine monk called Vincelli around 1510 and reputed to be the world’s oldest liqueur. The recipe was lost for some time but rediscovered in 1863 by a local merchant. It is distilled at Fécamp in Normandy. Benedictine comprises cognac, honey and 27 herbs, plants, some of which blossom on the cliffs nearby, and peels. The recipe was lost during the Revolution but was later rediscovered by a local historian, Alexander Legrand. The processes are many and complicated and the process takes three years.
