The Carcassonnaise table

Here, although it is no more and no less than a variation on the Castelnaudary cassoulet, the Carcassonne cassoulet is an institution. This family dish is prepared at home, in a Castelnaudary terracotta casserole dish in which lingots - or mogettes du Lauragais - generous white beans reminiscent of coconuts, pork (shoulder, shank, loin, sausage, ham), leg of mutton and red partridge meat, the local signature, are simmered when in season, on a generous bed of lard or bacon rind. And on top, some fine Toulouse sausages.

It will be baked in the oven, slowly and gently, to bring out all its flavours. And don't forget that you'll have to slip into the oven several times to break the crust.

Cassoulet is thought to have originated during the Hundred Years' War, when Castelnaudary was under siege from the English. The French soldiers were starving because they were locked in their homes, so they poured all their food - pork, fat, herbs and beans - into a large pot. Full and recharged, they were able to defeat the English army. And the impromptu meal will always be remembered.

More than a century later, Alexandre de Médicis brought back beans from South America, unknown in Europe at the time, in his many trunks filled to the brim. His sister Catherine de Médicis, a gourmet, was seduced by this new legume and decided to grow it in the Lauragais region. As a result, the bean, which was a little hard to the bite and took longer to cook, was soon replaced by the mogette in every good cassoulet.

Prosper Montagné, the famous French chef and co-author of the Larousse gastronomique, who claimed that you can only make good food from very good food, called cassoulet "The God of Occitan cuisine". To enjoy it to the full, there's nothing like a good Languedoc red wine, racy, fruity and long on the palate.

As you can't eat cassoulet every day, your appetite will give you the opportunity to try other dishes. Fréginat, for example, is a fricassee of wild boar or pork simmered with onions, shallots and tomatoes. A very simple recipe, with a little garlic and white wine.

Another must-try dish from the region is foie gras. Cooked or semi-cooked, this delicious dish is generally enjoyed as a starter, with a good glass of champagne, or on its own, so rich and delicate is it. Raw, it can be prepared pan-fried, in escalopes, with apples, grapes, figs or apricots. Popular the world over, legend has it that it originated in the south-west of France. In fact, the ancient Egyptians were already force-feeding figs to their geese so that they could enjoy the livers soaked in milk. Then the Romans introduced it to Europe. Needless to say, the recipe has undergone many changes. Here's a tip: look out for local restaurants that add pieces of foie gras to their cassoulets. A real treat.

More powerful and distinguished than foie gras, the black diamond takes our taste buds to new heights. The black truffle is often enjoyed as a condiment, raw or cooked, in juice or essence form, or grated over pasta or any noble dish that lends itself to it. The luckiest, or wealthiest, eat them whole, raw like the mushroom they are, or cooked under the ashes, accompanied by a characterful dry white wine.

The town of Carcassonne offers a range of truffle-related activities and holidays to help you learn more about truffles, visit truffle markets, meet truffle-growers and enjoy the delights.

Finally, don't come to Carcassonne without taking your little ones to a confectioner's for a taste of the Ecus de la Cité, the little chocolates bearing the image of the walled city, or without taking an interest in the many cheeses typical of the region: Bethmale, Croseta, Bûchette du Tarn and also goat's cheese, and theEcu and Ecusson du Pays Cathare in the shape of a coat of arms.

Carcassonne is surrounded by vineyards, and to the east lies the Minervois, one of the largest vineyards in Languedoc-Roussillon. Its grape varieties are those of the Pays d'Oc, giving structure to wines of character. So here we have some very nice wines that offer everything we love in a wine - fruit and depth, minerality and tannins, and even a surprise effect - at very affordable prices. We're a long way from Bordeaux.