Gastronomy Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Basic Foods Herbs Seafood Recipes Dining Regional gastronomy in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is very distinctive from the rest of French cuisine. A Mediterranean influence brings hot spices and seafoods. Because of the mountainous country, without the rich farmlands and herds of dairy cattle, Provencal cooking uses very little milk, and goat cheeses are predominant. Garlic, olive oil and olives are the leitmotif, and the abundant"herbes de Provence" are the spirit. In this Beyond region there are areas with their own very distinctive styles, and even the more widely-know dishes have local variations. Nice, for example, became a part of France just over a hundred years ago, and Niçois cooking (see below) is special, good, well-respected and considered unique. Alpine regions, such as in the valleys of the Roya, the Tinée, or the Var, have their unique specialties, different from Marseilles, with its emphasis on seafoods such as the bouillabaisse. We are using here the term Provencal to refer to the entire Beyond region. English-French: The text has French words and phrases mixed in with the English. For example, many pastries are classed as either sweet (sucré = sugared) or non-sweet (salée = salted); the English "salted pie" does not do justice to "tarte salée"). [Provencal] equivalents are given in square brackets, in italics. [ French-English Gastronomy Dictionary ] [ Conversions and Abbreviations ] Cuisine Nisarde The following selections are considered authentic by the "Cuisine Nisarde" group of restaurants in Nice. The menus offered by the member restaurants (including Lou Mourelec, Le Don Camillo and L'Auberge des Arts, use the correct ingredients, in the correct proportions and served during the correct season. Pan Bagnat Daube Niçoise Ratatouille Niçoise Salade Niçoise Poche de Veau Farcie Tian de Courgettes ou de Corges Pissaladiere Sardines Farcies à la Niçoise Torte de Blette Raviolis Niçoise Stockfish Ganses Niçoise Gnocchi Niçoise Farcis Niçoise Beignets aux Pommes Raisins Secs