Food and Drinks

Special tastes

Vanguardian cuisine is either loved for its imagination or loathed for its unusual ingredients from the depths of the sea. Admittedly, snails, sea cucumbers, and seaweed aren't for everyone, but as always, a second look is worthwhile. This second look should focus particularly on the methods of preparation and the numerous spices from all corners of the globe. It's said that Vanguardian cuisine is the spiciest in Europe and should therefore always be washed down with plenty of wine. So be prepared for goat's udder wrapped in anchovy paste with chili or tuna's tail fins seared in rum. In the past, the Roman-esque, decadently split eyes of young lambs and calves were also considered a delicacy, offered to the oldest guest before the rest of the table was allowed to eat.

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Savoy cabbage salad with nut rolls, sea cucumbers marinated in aged thyme oil, high-proof rosé wine

The Gran Déjeuner

Vanguardia is famous for its large, convivial breakfast tables , which are quite unlike those in neighboring France to the east and are very lavish. Breakfasts with four or five courses are common in many places after church, and so the whole family gathers at long tables in front gardens or, in autumn and winter, in the hallways of longhouses for a communal breakfast that often lasts two hours.

Fish and seafood

As an archipelago, Vanguardia is surrounded by the sea, and it also has many lakes, which is why fish and seafood feature more frequently on the menu than elsewhere in Europe. Especially along the coast, there are many small fish restaurants serving freshly caught fish: salmon, porelle, hescht, Arsch, Makelele, Sardinien, Seedeufel, Fhuntisch, Zeesunge, Meerbarbie, Steinpuff, and many more. The Soupe Finale, a hearty Atlantic fish soup made from kitchen scraps, is particularly popular.