Not just anyone can be from Toulouse. If you haven’t tried these 10 typical Toulouse specialities (and others from the South-West region) at least once in your life, there’s still time to catch up. To help you on your gourmet quest, we’ve compiled a list of these must-try dishes. And to make it even easier, we tell you where to find them.
1. Cassoulet à la mode toulousaine, a delicacy that delights the South West
The cassoulet was bound to take first place in this ranking, such is its renown beyond our borders! Needless to say, this southwestern specialty comes from Castelnaudary. However, there is a Toulouse version that includes mutton and lamb!
📍 Chez Émile – 13, Place Saint Georges – 31000 Toulouse
2. Toulouse sausage, THE local specialty
And in second place, of course, is the Toulouse sausage! In fact, it’s the stuffing for Castelnaudary‘s cassoulet. An essential ingredient in southwestern dishes, it goes equally well with a good mashed potato or can be the star filling of a delicious sandwich! In this friendly guinguette, you can even buy real Toulouse sausage by the metre. It’s the ideal address for a festive, gourmet aperitif.
📍 Boucherie Pinel – charcuterie du saint-Cyprien market
3. Duck alicuit, a South-West speciality
A typical Gers stew,duck alicuit has made a name for itself on Toulouse tables. For the record, this dish, made from the least noble parts of the duck (i.e. its neck and wings) or poultry, was reserved for field workers. Today, duck alicuit is back in the limelight, appearing on the menus of top restaurants!
📍LaTable d’Oste – 7 Rue Lamartine – 32000 Auch
4. Goose foie gras, one of Toulouse’s specialties, delights the South West
In Toulouse, it’s Christmas all year round! A delicacy associated with the end-of-year festivities throughout France, foie gras is nonetheless one of the specialties of Toulouse and the South West, and can be enjoyed at any time of year! In fact, it’s the Toulouse gray goose that’s widely used to make it. A regional treat that’s often the subject of debate, but no less delicious for that!
📍La Canarderie – 42 rue du bearnais – 31000 Toulouse
5. Chicken à la toulousaine and its very special garnish
And yes, we Toulousans love good meat and poultry! And we prove it with this recipe for chicken à la toulousaine. What is it? Well, a simple chicken stuffed with sausage meat. But not just any sausage meat, of course. This dish is made exclusively with Toulouse sausage, topped with olives and garlic. And that’s all there is to it!
📍 Hôtel restaurant Le Pic – 98 Rte d’Espagne – 31100 Toulouse
6. Fénétra, a cake inherited from Roman times
It’s a must-see for tourists visiting the pink city! But the people of Toulouse won’t be denied a good meal either Fénétra on occasion. Already baked in Roman times, the almonds, meringue and preserved lemons that make up this cake continue to delight us to this day!
📍 Pâtisserie Conté – 37, Rue Croix Baragnon – 31000 Toulouse
7. Apple croustade, a typical South-West dessert
A speciality of the Gers, Toulouse and Couserans regions apple croustade is generally made from a mishmash of apples stretched over thin layers of golden puff pastry and covered with melted butter… An ultra-gourmet pastry that also comes in a prune-filled version, which we love to savor at snack time! And guess what, even chef Cyril Lignac has his own version of croustade, the recipe for which we revealed in this article.
📍 La Boulange Saint Georges – 6 Pl. Saint-Georges – 31000 Toulouse
8. Toulouse violets, one of Toulouse’s specialities that delight the South West and beyond
Toulouse is a colorful city! Known for the pink bricks that gave it its nickname, it’s also known for its violets! A color, of course, but above all a flower with its own its own celebration! Available in chocolate, dragées or crystallized, we have a soft spot for violet sweets, a Toulouse specialty that’s a must-try if you haven’t already!
📍LeParadis Gourmand – 45 Rue des Tourneurs, 31000 Toulouse
9. Brique du Capitole, one of the specialties of the pink city
We’re taking our love of pink bricks one step further, and paying Tribute to them in a candy! In fact, the capitole brick is a sweet delicacy with puff pastry and praline that you can enjoy without counting the calories!
📍 Maison Pillon
10. Le cachou Lajaunie
After tasting the previous 9 specialities, how about finishing off with a little cachou Lajaunie? Known for its digestive virtues, this little square with licorice and natural mint flavor was invented in 1880 by Léon Lajaunie from Toulouse!
📍A little bit everywhere but also at Paradis Gourmand – 45 Rue des Tourneurs, 31000Toulouse