The Menton cuisine is typically Mediterranean and the all the ingredients can be found in the surrounding soil and sea : sun-kissed vegetables, exotic Mediterranean fish, home-produced olive oil, mountain cheeses and an abundance of fruit including of course the “Menton Lemon”...
Mentonese Specialities
Similar to Niçoise and Italian cuisine, Menton’s neighbours, the recipes are the fruit to innovation and invention developed over the centuries, by a rural population of modest means, but blessed by nature ! Menton shares many specialities with the surrounding region :
socca (chick-pea flour and olive oil which is baked in the oven), panisses (fritters made with chick-pea flour cooked in olive oil), pan bagna (loaf of bread split in two and filled with tomatoes, anchovies, lettuce, bell peppers, black olives, and finally sprinkled with olive oil), stuffed vegetables, raviolis, omelette de poutine (an omelette made with tiny fish fry caught in springtime), soupe au pistou (a thick soup with a mixture of fresh vegetables seasoned with garlic and sweet basil), brousse (mountain cheese macerated in a very strong and aromatic brandy, eaten with olive oil on toasted bread), bagna cauda (an assortment of vegetables accompanied by an anchovy paste served on a hot plate)...
Some typical Menton specialities
Pichade is Menton’s most famous speciality, a tart made of dough kneaded by hand and covered with tomatoes onions and anchovies, sprinkles with garlic and black olives and baked in the oven.
Tian is an unique dish of little “stuffed vegetables” served as an ensemble using tomatoes, onions, aubergines and courgettes, which are hollowed out and filled with purée of potatoes, beans, aubergines and courgettes and topped with bread crumbs and grated cheese and finally sprinkled with olive oil and baked in the oven.
Barba Juan (meaning “Uncle John” in the local “Mentonese” dialect) is a kind of large rectangular ravioli, filled with blettes or red gourds, chopped cooked meat, eggs, cheese, oil and rice. The Barba Juan is then fried until crisp and golden.
Mentonese fougasse is cake flavoured with orange blossom, covered with sugar, dragées (sugar coated almonds) and aniseed. Lemon tart is a shortbread pastry tart covered with lemon cream and topped with meringue.
