Brittany Andouille de Guémené
Brittany Andouille de Guémené is a pork speciality that may surprise your palate! The Andouille de Guémené is indeed a typical Breton sausage made from pork meat, chitterlings, pepper, onions, wine and seasonings, and it can be served either hot or cold. Lovers of authentic French Charcuterie - pork products - will definitely enjoy it!
This French regional meat dish dates back to the 18th century, when the Breton Andouille began to be part of the Breton rich gastronomy. The Andouille de Guémené only appeared in the 20th century but rapidly became a speciality of Brittany's meals and popular feasts.
This speciality of Guemene (a town located in the historical Brittany region that once encompassed the Loire Atlantique department) is different from the other recipes. The Breton pork sausage is indeed made of the typical "chaudins", the large intestines of the pig which are rolled up the ones on the others - 20 to 25 guts are required for one andouille! That is why the Andouille de Guémené is recognizable when sliced, thanks to its concentric circles.
The Breton andouille is finally wrapped in beef casing, smoked and then dried (up to nine months sometimes) before being cooked slowly in stock flavoured with hay. Such recipe has made the Andouille de Guemene one of the tastiest dishes of Brittany!
Top Tip! Popular festivals and village gatherings in Brittany, and especially in Guemene, celebrate this much-neglected pork speciality. Combining conviviality with gastronomy, the lovely Bretagne has much to offer to visitors - who may indulge their taste buds tasting a hot Andouille on a bed of mashed potatoes!
Like many pork products and cooked meats, you can enjoy the Breton Andouille in different ways. In plenty of recipes, the sausage is complemented with herrings, warm potatoes and French vinaigrette.
Nevertheless, Breton people also like to eat the traditional Andouille de Guimene cold - since in the past, the sausage leftovers used to be eaten the day after. Thus meat lovers from the Brittany region of France have now got into the habit of buying the tasty sausage and eating it on its own. Even in restaurants, it is common to see Bretons enjoying slices of sausage, as an appetizer, on bread and butter and with a glass of Muscadet, the famous French wine.
