The Charente Walnut
The Charente walnut is an iconic fruit of the Charente region, particularly common in southern Charente and around the Angoumois area. Crunchy, fragrant and plump, it can be eaten fresh or dried and is also used to make oil, flour, pastries and a wide range of delicacies.
The Charente region also includes areas that form part of the official ‘Noix du Périgord’ appellation, which has been recognised since 2002.
History and origin
Walnut cultivation has a long history in the Charente countryside. Walnut trees have thrived particularly well in the rural areas of southern Charente, where natural conditions are favourable to their growth.
Today, walnuts play a significant role in local arboriculture. Agricultural data highlight the importance of walnut cultivation in Charente, partly due to its proximity to the ‘Noix du Périgord’ production area.
In South Charente, certain municipalities lie directly within the production area of the ‘Noix du Périgord’ PDO, notably around Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, Chalais, Montmoreau and Villebois-Lavalette.
Characteristics
The walnut comes in various forms:
- fresh walnuts, harvested before they are fully ripe;
- dry walnuts, kept in their shells;
- kernels, removed from their shells;
- walnut oil;
- walnut flour;
- caramelised or shortbread walnuts;
- pastries and confectionery made with walnuts.
The walnut has a particularly pleasant flavour, which is at once mild, slightly sweet, woody and delicately bitter.
In the Angoulême region, some producers also offer processed products: pastries, shortbread, tuiles, confectionery, caramelised walnuts and even walnut-flavoured drinks.
Tasting
Fresh walnuts are best enjoyed on their own, whilst dried walnuts go equally well with both savoury and sweet dishes.
They can be used:
- in salads;
- with Charente goat’s cheeses;
- in tarts and cakes;
- in biscuits and shortbread;
- with chocolate;
- in stuffings and other dishes;
- as an oil for dressing salads.
It goes particularly well with goat’s cheese, honey, apples, chocolate and certain products from the Charente region.
Varieties
The local walnut is used in numerous artisanal specialities. In the Vouzan area, for example, a walnut farm offers walnuts and various processed products: walnut-flavoured beer, pastries, shortbread, tuiles, caramelised or shortbread walnuts, and walnut terrine.
In southern Charente, walnuts are also used to make oil and flour.
Where can you find this speciality?
To discover walnuts directly from the producers, several farms in the Charente are well worth a visit.
Franquette, in Vouzan, offers visitors the chance to explore an organic walnut farm, with tours and a shop selling walnut-based products.
Les 2 Noix’elles, in Mainzac, cultivate a traditional walnut orchard and produce a range of walnut-based products directly on the farm.
You can also find walnut products in Pillac, notably at Les Vergers du Marquis, which grows oilseeds and offers processed products made from walnuts and hazelnuts.
For visitors to Angoulême, farmers’ markets, farm shops, local grocery stores and food fairs also provide excellent opportunities to discover Charente’s walnut produce.
When are they in season?
The walnut harvest generally begins in September. Dried walnuts and walnut-based products are then available for much of the year.
Autumn, however, remains the best time to try fresh walnuts, bought directly from the producers.
Conclusion
The Charente walnut is a modest product, yet one deeply rooted in the department’s rural terroirs. From fresh walnuts to kernels, from oil to pastries, it offers a wide variety of flavours and preparations.
Around Angoulême, as in southern Charente, meeting walnut growers offers, above all, the chance to discover a local industry that combines tradition, expertise and a celebration of the local terroir.