Although many French people have become influenced by the global trend towards mass-production and live off of frozen and canned edibles during the week, that does not mean that they have buried their culinary roots in the soil for good. Neon-lit hypermarkets and multi-level parking garages have cropped up across the French countryside.
Not all meals linger over two or three hours. But the French do still truly appreciate a carefully prepared meal made from fresh ingredients. The idea of terroir β locally produced ingredients or products β has become popular again, as much with older generations who only ate simple cuisine du terroir in their youth as with the young adults, seeking an alternative to open-heat-serve cooking.
Grenoble and it's Y-shaped agricultural zone abounds with rich alternatives to the supermarket. Whether you want to taste the magic that local chefs work on regional staples, try a morning of market crawling, or preview what's to come at future markets, the Grenoble Y connects you to the French terroir experience.
The ADAYG, which counts urban planners, farmers, and scientists among its membership, works to maintain a delicate balance between the internationally attractive metropolis and the rural zones tilled by families or small businesses. Truly linking the city and the country, the association organizes agricultural festivals rhythmed by the harvest seasons. Go native and enjoy the veined cheese served on a slice of fresh walnut bread and topped with a carefully shelled walnut.
For the curious who prefer the company of a knowledgeable farmer, the ADAYG also compiles a list of farms that welcome visitors for snacks. Conviviality characterizes the country life. In the fields, the farmers spend time sharing their trade with visitors before serving the fruits of their labor. While handling a beehive frame at L'abeille gourmand bee farm, listen closely. Maybe the worker bees will buzz the secret of the honey sorbet or spiced bread that beekeeper Jean Sereni rewards brave visitors with after a tour of the hives.
