Food in Normandie France

I'm going to take a guess that there probably aren't any tours available, as the hygiene standards for most food and beverage producers usually rules out the feasibility of inviting guests into the facility. I've stopped checking out local breweries in Germany for visitors to tour, as they're all closed to the general public. One food that often gets overlooked in Normandy is the lamb. It has a unique salty flavor that comes from the animals grazing on salt water pastures. Even the otherwise forgettable restaurants on Mont St. Michel do this dish right.

Thanks so much, Tom! I hadn't heard anything about the lamb in Normandie. It sounds similar to lamb in Wales-- grazing along salt marsh.

There is website that list the market days in France. Here is the link to the market days in the Calvados Region. I don't know about which is best, I would think any are worth a visit. (I never met a french market I didn't like!!!) http://www.frenchmarketdays.com/calvados-14/calvados-14/ I did a google search and I think there are probably several cheese manufacturers that you can visit. Here is one example I found: http://www.graindorge.fr/visite-presentation.php I've been on tours of goose farms/foie gras producers, so I would think that there would be tours of cheese producers, also. Ask at the market... Have a great time!

Linda-- Thanks so much! That is GREAT information!!
I will check it all out. Jenny

Cheese Factory: Livarot is a small village about thirty-five miles southeast of Caen. A half/quater mile south from the main intersection on Rue LeClerc is the Graindorge (sp?) cheese factory. It's kind of ho-hum, but they make all of the four or five kinds of Normand cheeses. The place is set up for stop-in tours, but, like Tom said, you can't get in there and touch the stuff. You walk along a gallery with big windows between you and what's going on. It takes about twenty minutes and I wouldn't do it again. They also have a store/shop with samples. General Markets: Caen has two. One on Friday and one on Sunday. I can't remember which is where/when, but one is in the center of town and one on the outskirts on the road to Bayeux. Both will have the traveling flea market junk, but both will also have a food, produce and dead chicken/rabbit section. Fish Market: The best fish market around is probably the one at Trouville, on the coast about two-thirds of the way to Honfleur. The markets above will also have some fish, especially cold-water shellfish. Misc Grub: If you get closer to the border of Brittany, you can get some really good crepes. I hate the steet-food crap you get in Paris, but these are really good. You can spot them since they're darker, being made with buckwheat rather than white flower. I've unremembered the name, but it's real close to sarin. The cider sucks, the brandy ain't that good.

Ed-- Great info. Valuable to know that the cheese factory is not worth the effort (bummer, though). Like your term, 'unremembered' so much because it could be an active or passive verb... Thanks!
Jenny

it's real close to sarin. You're right - what you unremembered was "sarrasin". Even at "87 pounds" my memory hasn't completely packed up...