One of the French regions with the biggest presence at this year’s Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre is Midi-Pyrénées, located in the southwest and a rich storehouse of typical products and excellent wines.
“We are an agricultural region of small farms and artisanal producers,” said Martin Malvy, the region’s president, visiting the Salone today. “We have chosen a policy of identification and promotion to recognize these small productions, and we have 107 products with a denomination of quality. And these are not unknown, niche products. In fact they make up 20% of our gross agricultural product. This has been a region which had a Slow Food spirit even before Slow Food France was set up.”
Two of the region’s newest Presidia are represented in the Lingotto’s Oval pavilion, the Gascon chicken and the Gers Mirandaise ox, and they are joined by the Barèges-Gavarnie Mouton breed of sheep and the Noir de Bigorre pig, whose meat is used to make excellent hams. Meanwhile over in pavilion 1 of Salone del Gusto, a row of stands showcased some of the region’s other specialties, such as pink Lautrec garlic, Chasselas de Moissac grapes, Laguiole and Roquefort cheeses and duck foie gras.