Comté and Vin Jaune, two essential Jura specialties © Adobe Stock
Cheeses, cured meats, typical wines and renowned artisans: head for the Jura massif, for a gourmet stroll full of flavors! Whether you are taking a spa treatment in the centers of Divonne-les-Bains, Lons-le-Saunier or Salins-les-Bains, take advantage of it and follow the guide.
Morteau sausage, divinely cured
It's difficult not to succumb to the smoky taste so characteristic of Morteau sausage, recognized by a protected geographical indication since 2010. With its amber color, its wooden attachment and its aromas of spices and aromatics, this specialty of meat from pork has carved out a special place in the hearts of gourmets. The origins of Morteau sausage date back to the 16th century, when local farmers used wood from fir forests to build their “tuyé” farms, equipped with a chimney room necessary for curing and giving charcuterie that special aroma. Gold medalist for best Morteau sausage 2023, Tuyé de Mésandans carefully perpetuates this know-how: an address to discover during a stay in the foothills of the Jura. Also to taste during your wanderings, Montbéliard sausage and bresi, braised and dried beef.
Morteau sausage has been recognized by a protected geographical indication since 2010 © Adobe Stock
Cancoillotte, melted paste with character
Made in the Jura massif, cancoillotte is a specialty that is as tasty as it is comforting. Semi-liquid, this traditional cheese made from curdled skimmed milk (the “metton”), water, salt and butter can be enjoyed hot with potatoes or cold on toast. Light and not very fatty, this distant cousin of The Laughing Cow (also from the Jura) goes wonderfully with Morteau sausage or Montbéliard sausage. A figure in Franche-Comté gastronomy, Fabrice Piguet is working to restore the nobility of cancoillotte, by combining it with vin jaune, wild garlic or morels. Singular creations to bring back in your suitcase or to give as a gift, to which the chef now adds salt from the large saltworks of Salins-les-Bains, whose production he relaunched in 2021.
Cancoillotte is a traditional cheese made from curdled skimmed milk, water, salt and butter © Adobe Stock
The county, an undeniable star from Jura
Matured between 4 and 24 months, this PDO cheese made from raw cow's milk benefits from a vast network of maturing houses, where each wheel reveals different aromas when tasting. The enormous size of the wheels (some weighing up to 45 kg and 75 cm in diameter) partly explains the grouping over the centuries of milk producers into cooperatives, the famous “fruitières”. For the most curious, the Maison du Comté in Poligny is the ideal place to learn all the little secrets of making this emblematic cheese. More itinerant, the Route du Comté invites you to stroll through the fruit farms, meeting artisans. Near the spa resort of Lons-le-Saunier, head to the Rivoire-Jacquemin maturing cellar in Montmorot and the Coteaux de Seille fruit farm in Lavigny, open to the public. For melted cheese, don't forget to stock up on morbier, also produced in the Jura: with its fine line of vegetable ash and its fruity taste, it can be enjoyed as a raclette, morbiflette or plain.
Matured between 4 and 24 months, Comte is an AOP cheese made from raw cow's milk © Adobe Stock
A wine estate rich in traditions
No less than seven appellations of controlled origin are the pride of the Jura: Château-Chalon, Côtes-du-Jura, l'Etoile, Arbois, Crémant, Macvin and Marc du Jura. Between classic and local grape varieties, such as Poulsard and Trousseau, the region has no shortage of assets. More unexpected, vin jaune (nicknamed “the gold of the Jura”) stands out as a specialty that must be tasted, or found in the recipe for Bresse chicken with vin jaune and morels, a must! Another Jura flagship, straw wine: sweet and syrupy, with scents of candied fruits, its name comes from the straw on which the grapes are left to dry. Among the many possible experiences, a visit to the Sarmentelles estate, not far from Salins-les-Bains, for a tasting according to the rules of the art in the company of passionate winegrowers, or a reservation at the Château de Germigney at the table of the Maison Jeunet (2 Michelin stars) to delight in local products enhanced by a wine list mixing vintages and atypical gems.
Vin jaune, nicknamed “the gold of the Jura”, is a specialty that must be tasted © Adobe Stock
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