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Local produce
The fruits and vegetables of Provence soak up plenty of sun!il!
With an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, the land of the Vaucluse benefits from a generous amount of sunshine, which is very favourable to agriculture!
The land alternates between mountains and hills of varying degrees of limestone and alluvial plains carved out by rivers and streams, which have allowed for extensive irrigation.
All this has allowed the development of a variety of crops (lavender on the plateaux, strawberries or fruit trees in the plains, vines, etc.).
Welcome to the kingdom of flavour!
The black truffle
70% of the national truffle production comes from the Vaucluse department.
In season, it's the market of Carpentras, one of the most important in the region, and the oldest truffle market with the market of Richerenches, which sets the prices at the national level. Count on between 400 and 1000€ per kilo, depending on the year and the period!
The truffle is harvested between November and January, with the help of a dog which, thanks to its powerful sense of smell, detects and digs this luxury mushroom!
Olive oil
Emblematic of Mediterranean landscapes, the olive tree was brought to Provence by the Greeks over 3000 years ago, so it is safe to say that olive oil has been produced in Provence since Antiquity.
Olive orchards are characteristic of the Luberon and Haut Vaucluse region.
Olive harvests, known as "olivades", take place in November and December, after the first frosts. The olives are then brought to the mill, where they are pressed to extract their precious olive oil.
Worth a visit: La Balméenne olive mill, in Beaumes de Venise: Web site labalmeenne
The Cavaillon melon
Melon is the quintessential summer fruit!
Found on market stalls everywhere, on every table during summer...
The best kind? The Cavaillon melon in Beaumes-de-Venise is a gastronomic marriage of two star products from the Comtat Venaissin.
The Monts de Venasque cherry
The Vaucluse is home to the biggest production of cherries in France.
The trees are in flower in April and the first cherries arrive in May and can be found on the market stalls until mid-July.
The Vaucluse cherry is a must among local products.
The Carpentras strawberry
Cléry, Ciflorette or Garriguette... The Carpentras strawberry is renowned for its gustatory qualities, due to the exceptional sunshine and ripening conditions.
In May, the Strawberry Festival takes place, with its sales of strawberries from producers, its workshops for children, its culinary demonstrations, its musical entertainment ... a delicious and jovial moment.
The Muscat du Ventoux grape
A dessert grape with a classic and very sweet flavour, among the first to ripen from the end of August!
Near Méthamis, it is also the last muscat around at the end of the season, due to the altitude.
Ventoux saffron
Four producers located at the foot of the Ventoux share the production of saffron, the most expensive spice in the world, in the Vaucluse region:
•L'Aube Safran in Barroux,
•Safran Soleil in Pernes les Fontaines,
•Le Mas de Gouredon in Caromb,
•L'Or Rouge des 3 Rivières in Entrechaux.
Flowering takes place in October. Harvesting is done by hand, an intense and meticulous task when you know that 100 flowers need to be picked to obtain 1g of saffron...