Marché de Saumur

The market in Saumur is the weekly gathering that brings the countryside of Anjou into the town, and it is the best way to taste what the Loire valley around Saumur produces. The main market is usually held on a Saturday morning, with stalls spreading across a central square, and visitors should check with the tourist office for the current days, places and hours, since the arrangement can change with the season. Pets are tolerated on the leash, which makes it easy for families to come together, and entry costs nothing.

The produce reflects the generous soil and mild climate of the valley. Stalls display fruit and vegetables in season, from asparagus and strawberries in spring to melons, tomatoes and peaches in summer, and apples, pears and walnuts in autumn. Cheese sellers offer goat's milk cheeses of the Loire valley, many of them small, with ash-coated or natural rinds, and there are cow's milk cheeses too. Charcuterie is another strength, with pâtés, hams and a local speciality called rillauds, pieces of pork belly cooked slowly in fat, which are typical of the region and best eaten warm. Fish, shellfish, bread, pastries and flowers fill other stalls, and some traders sell household goods and clothing alongside the food.

Saumur has several traditions that can be found at the market or nearby. The town is the centre of a wine region where sparkling wine is made by the traditional method, and where the red wine of Saumur-Champigny, made from Cabernet Franc, and white Saumur from Chenin Blanc are produced, so bottles can often be bought directly from producers. Mushrooms are another speciality, because the cool, damp caves cut into the soft limestone, the tuffeau, around the town have been used for growing them since the nineteenth century, and the white button mushrooms known as champignons de Paris were often produced here. Another local food is the fouée, a small round bread, baked in a wood-fired oven and filled with rillettes, beans or cheese, which is eaten warm and was traditionally cooked in the troglodyte houses.

The market sits within easy reach of the main sights. The Château de Saumur, on its hill, houses the Musée du Cheval, and the Place du Château and the Vieux Saumur are lively in the morning. The Caves de Saumur offer tastings, the Pont de Saumur gives a view of the Loire, and the Théâtre de Saumur is the main venue for performance.

A morning at the market followed by a stroll up to the castle makes a pleasant half-day. It suits food lovers and families, and early arrival gives the best choice.