The Mogette and the 3rd most popular French ham
The Mogette de Vendée and the traditional Jambon de Vendée are a delicious combination well appreciated by the local population and better known as “jambon mogette”. These two local specialities are an absolute must when visiting the Vendée. The Jambon de Vendée is the third most popular French ham.
Vendean ham an iconic French speciality
"Jambon de Vendée" is a raw ham, cured by hand in dry salt, then rubbed with wine, brandy and natural aromatic herbs which includes cinnamon, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf.
Each ham is then wrapped in cloth or a sealed bag and pressed between two boards, thus giving it a rectangular shape. In contrast to most cured hams, the drying stage is short, due to the ham being pressed. Cut in thin slices, grilled, and served with mogettes, Vendée ham is an iconic dish.
In October 2014, Vendean ham was awarded a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) a European label that certifies the origin and quality of the meat, as well as the use of a specific local production method. The "Jambon de Vendée" is the third most popular French ham, after those of Bayonne and Aoste.
The Mogette de Vendée – traditional white beans
A classic ingredient from the Vendée is la mogette (a white haricot bean), which was traditionally grown in the Bas Bocage, although today they are found throughout the region. These white Mogette beans have earned the European PGI (Protected Geographic Indication) quality label on 9 October 2010. This protects the "Mogette de Vendée" name across the European union.
Generally, they are eaten with a knob of butter and the classical Vendean ham or as a vegetable side dish to accompany duck or a leg of lamb. Connoisseurs, however, will have them on a slice of toasted bread, which is then rubbed with garlic, buttered, and covered with piping hot mogettes.