A delicious experience at the Halles des Cinq Cantons in Anglet

The streets light up, the shop windows sparkle, the charming little town of Anglet flaunts its fir trees and its decorations ... no doubt, it's festivals in Anglet ! No more time to waste to fill your hood with good products to savor: the 31 traders and artisans of the Halles des Cinq Cantons are on hand to offer you a fine selection of gourmet pleasures for your Christmas Eve tables, from the entrance for dessert, from aperitif to digestive.

Les Halles des Cinq Cantons, temple of flavors all year round

In perfect harmony with the new expectations of consumers and our need to better understand the origin of products and the means used to develop them, Les Halles de Cinq Canton is a real paradise for gourmets ! In the lively district around the Place des Cinq Cantons, this contemporary urban market of over 1,000 m² warmly combines an exceptional traditional market and a restaurant area composed of 8 varied culinary stalls (Asian, Italian, Mexican cuisine, " healthy ”, market, tapas etc).

Excellent catering on site

I cross this vast space of colors and flavors dedicated to honoring local products and gastronomic culture . In addition to the pleasure of the eyes, the Halles des Cinq Cantons are a convivial place that we like to hang out with for strolling, chatting, exchanging, in search of delicious local products. The enthusiasm here for short circuits is obvious.

La Maison Balme, specialist in truffles

Eager for new pleasures and discovery, I find the charming Amaia for a tasting of truffle products . At Maison Balme , the truffle is a family story started in the Vaucluse over a century ago. Four generations of truffle farmers have succeeded each other on the rich and fertile land of the Luberon in Mont-Ventoux. In 2013, Thomas Balme and Mikel Poueyts combine the flavors of their respective regions, the Provencal truffle and Basque gastronomy, to create original and fragrant products: sheep's cheese with truffle , truffle sausage , olive oil with black truffle or white, honey with truffle , mustard with truffle…

The cheese dairy 2 cheese makers

The Fromages et Compagnie cheese dairy

If the cheese platter is a must at your Christmas Eve table, two cheese factories offer a selection of succulent farmhouse cheeses . "Fromages et Compagnie" rubs shoulders with "Lait 2 Fromagers", where Etienne and Jean-Christophe recommend raw milk cheeses according to your tastes and with the greatest respect for the seasonality of the products. These two young craftsmen know perfectly the origin and the manufacture of their cheeses. I let myself be tempted by the tasting of three essential local cheeses: sheep cheese from Estive , Ossau Iraty farmer from the Aspe Valley and Arditik , the farmer "camembert" from sheep. A delight !

The flagship of French gastronomy, foie gras is a prestigious product associated with the holiday season. The Arnabar farm is particularly attached to respecting the traditional recipes of its foie gras and confits made "in the old way". Mixel offers exceptional products directly from its duck breeding in Irissary in the Basque Country.

Over the stalls, I discover all the regional and artisanal specialties : seasonal fruits and vegetables , fish , shellfish and crustaceans, hams , meats and cold cuts , poultry and rotisseries , breads and pastries , coffees ... the taste buds succumb!

A true institution of local Anglet life

Opened in 2015 to revitalize neighborhood life and local shops , the Halles de Cinq Cantons bring together a multitude of excellent producers from the region under one roof. Weekly meeting of the locals all year round, the Angloys (inhabitants of Anglet) like to go there to meet their friends, snack on the spot and do their market. Visitors come to discover the Basque culinary riches . In catering, you can taste typical dishes of the region and satisfy the most demanding palate: axoa, squid to Luzienne, cod with Bizkaina, Tuna Basque, Basque sausage, sea bream with Donostiara, pimientos del piquillo, piperade or the Basque chicken .

Veal axoa, a Basque specialty

In the wide alleys of this authentic palace of flavors, the traders, animated by this unwavering passion for their trades , always know how to give a little extra advice.

Perfectly reflecting the culinary atmosphere of the Basque Country , the Halles des Cinq Cantons is the place to visit to satisfy your indulgence - and get a glimpse of the various gastronomic inspirations of this hectic region.

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Photos and Article written by Lesley Williamson for the Guide to the Basque Country

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