531e Foire de la Crete à Thonon-les-Bains

On the first Thursday of September every year for about 531 years, or so... the mountain folk of the Chablais and indeed a little further afield come down from their mountain retreats and valley hideaways and dragging knuckles in the dust descend upon Thonon to celebrate la Foire de la Crete. Some bustle themselves about the market buying clothes and trinkets and things they could never be without, while others content themselves to lunch at midday on the Crete itself.

Here can be found some of the delicacies that make up the tradional menu of "Cochonaille" which as far as I can find out is more or less anything to be eaten off a pig. Young, preferably, but not absolutely necessary. Some of my favourites are Diots, a sausage cooked in wine and onions and garlic and herbs and peppers and served up in a bun... as sort of French Chablais version of a burger at a State Fair in the US, perhaps or something altogether different in England. Another is Atriaux... or faggots as they are known in the UK. The faggots of the USA bear little resemblance I believe.

One of the main ingredients is of course our little mate, garlic, or l'ail as the French will, and they do...

Oh, go on then... add a bit more. Keep the vampires away... whatever...

and when you've done eating, take a stroll about the remainder of the Foire and have a look at next year's ingredients gently snoozing, snuggling up against Mum...


Make a nice sauce from some fresh black pudding, boudin noir, if you prefer, and if you're like me you will....

Unfortunately, I shall miss the Foire de la Crete this year. I shall be finding out what odd culinary delights might be found in Tuscany... apart from Chianti.