Food and drink play are important part of any holiday in France and Normandy is no exception with the area being particularly famous for its apple and dairy products.

With a long coastline the seafood is abundant and no more so that shellfish. Mussels, oysters, scallops, clams and welks are all found on the coasts of the Manche and Calvados.

Meat also features heavily on menus and in addition to duck you will find chicken, veal and pork frequently cooked using local cream or cider. Pré salé lamb raised on the salt marshes surrounding Mont St Michel is another local speciality and often found on menus in the lower Manche.

For the more adventurous there are other treats in store – Andouille (chitterling), Boudin Noire (black pudding) and of course the tripe for which Caen is famous.

With its lush green pastures it is ideal country for dairies and Normandy's cheeses are famous. The most well known probably being Camembert which should come from a village of that name near Vimoutiers. However there are many others to try including Neufchâtel which comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, Pont-L'Evêque and Livarot. Cheese is traditionally served between the main course and dessert and eaten with a knife and fork.

Many sweet cakes and pastries use another local produce – apples. If you do not have any room left to enjoy them as dessert at the end of your meal, they can also be sampled with morning coffee or afternoon tea. Another local dish is tergoule which is a rich and creamy version of rice pudding.

Other sweet indulgences to try are sucres de pommes which are an apple candy found around Rouen or Isigny caramels, a delicious buttery toffee.

One must not forget the apples and pears which come from the region's many orchards. Both produce cider (Cidre from apples and Poiré from pears) and of course one cannot forget Pommeau and Calvados.

Pommeau is one part Calvados to two parts apple juice and is aged for 18 months in oak casks and served locally as an aperitif.

Calvados is a cider brandy distilled twice and mature in oak casks for 6 – 10 years. Made since the 16th Century, it was granted AOC status during the war to prevent it being taken out of the country during the occupation. It's importance is also evident from Calvados being so named as most other French departments are named after the main river flowing through them. A shot of Calvados between courses is the local way to clear the palate.

There are many opportunities to visit local producers to learn more about how they work and sample the results. In addition to the apple products, there are Camembert and Pont-L'Evêque cheeses, Isigny caramels and oyster farming to mention a few.

There are many choices of places to eat both in Putanges and the surrounding area and we can always recommend somewhere from cheap and cheerful 'Les Routiers' to excellent restaurants.