For a country whose cuisine has been officially recognised by Unesco as a "world intangible heritage", it seems only right it should have its own festival, and that is exactly what will take place all over France for the first time this Friday, 23 September. The organisers are hoping the Fête de la Gastronomie will have the same kind of success generated by the Fête de la Musique, and with more than 3,000 events planned, excitement is mounting as the big day approaches. You could turn up at any of the venues and eat well, but here's our pick of some of the very best events of this gastronomic Tour de France. Full information is available on the fete-gastronomie.fr website – but don't expect too much from the English section as little has been translated.
Nîmes
The ancient Roman arena will be transformed for the day into the venue of Gastronîmes, where leading chefs will present dishes featuring locally-produced products during a huge outdoor lunch, accompanied by wines from the surrounding vineyards. There will even be cooking ateliers conducted in English.
Events page (all are in French)
Valence
Valence is the gateway to the vineyards of the Rhône valley that produce some of France's greatest wines – Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Hermitage – but it is also home to the restaurant of Anne-Sophie Pic, the country's only female chef to boast three Michelin stars. She will be taking part in the fête, which will spread over two days, 23-24 September, with culinary demonstrations outside the town hall, a "gastronomic bookstand" with books and recipes dating back to the Middle Ages, restaurants creating a special menu du terroir, and tastings held everywhere from butchers and fromagers to wine merchants and pâtissiers.
Events page
Rouen
The magnificent cathedral of Rouen has been immortalised in the paintings of Claude Monet, but for the day of the Fête de la Gastronomie, food-lovers will be encouraged to give in to the temptation of a gourmet sin which the priest will then symbolically pardon. Brasserie Paul will serve delicious omelettes aux truffes (€15) and omelettes aux cèpes (€10) all day on the steps of the cathedral, accompanied by a free glass of wine from the vineyards of the Abbaye de Frontfroide.
Events page
Bonnieux
All the members of France's gourmet hotel and restaurant association, Relais & Châteaux, are taking part in the event, so the problem is deciding which one to visit. In the picture-perfect Provencal village of Bonnieux, where much of Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence was filmed, star chef Edouard Loubet is preparing a unique lunch, which includes a guided tour of his kitchen, cooking demonstration, tasting menu of entree, plat, fromage, dessert, with aperitive, wine and coffee included in the €75 price.
Events page. Reserve by calling +33 4 90 75 89 78
Fougerolles
Not far from the beautiful Mille Lacs region in rural Franche-Comté, one of the most undiscovered parts of France, the sleepy village of Fougerolles is famed for its lethal fruit brandies – kirsch, prune, poire – and now the mythical Fée Verte absinthe is legally produced here again. The 200-year-old Lemercier absinthe distillery (pictured above) and Chocolaterie Platte are organising a joint degustation and tour of their ateliers to discover how perfectly absinthe, kirsch and chocolate go together.
Events page
Strasbourg
The capital of Alsace has a busy schedule of events on 23 September. As in every market around France, La Soupe des Marchés initiative offers visitors to the place Broglie market a free mug of soup plus a copy of the recipe, and you get to keep the special Fête mug as a souvenir. Down by the waterside, on quai des Bateliers, Cuisine Aptitude is an intense day of cooking courses, costing between €15-45, where you learn how to prepare regional specialities such as choucroute (sauerkraut) or tartare de magret d'oie fumé à la betterave rouge (tartar of smoked goose breast with beetroot), and then sit down and eat the dishes.
Events page
Nuits-Saint-Georges
The vineyards and villages of Burgundy will be transformed into scores of mass picnic spots for the Fête de la Gastronomie. The noble wine-making town of Nuits-Saint-Georges is the ideal destination, with a "city picnic" at lunchtime, with free tours of the historic centre. The town hall hosts an aperitive, and guests are expected to bring food with them. In the evening, there is the same concept, just outside the town, in the park and vineyards of Château de Prémeaux, with a candlelit picnic.
Events page
Sare
The Pays Basque boasts a cuisine that spans the traditions of both French and Spanish cooking, and the picturesque village of Sare is organising a day devoted to the region's traditional products – Bayonne ham, piment d'Espelette (dried red peppers), Ossau-Iraty cheese (pictured above). Local farmers will be on hand to talk about Basque food culture, and at lunchtime there will be a hearty buffet prepared by chefs who will be cooking solely à la plancha, as the best way to showcase the produce.
Events page
La Rochelle
Oysters are cultivated the whole length of France's Atlantic coast, from Brittany down to the Arcachon, and while everyone loves to order a classic seafood platter of oysters, the art of opening these tasty molluscs remains something of a mystery. Down in the grand port of La Rochelle, a local seafood restaurant, Bar André (pictured above), is inviting all-comers from 12-2pm to learn all the secret tips of oyster opening. The event is free, without reservation, and of course, you get to eat the oysters you've opened afterwards.
Events page