I was in Bordeaux.  Never been there before.  It was nice.

Ask me before I arrived what I knew about Bordeaux, and I would have said wine.  Now, I wouldn’t have been wrong to say wine but, upon arrival, I quickly discovered that there was something else that Bordeaux was famous for: cannelés.  It is Bordeaux’s local delicacy.

For the uninitiated, a cannelé (Bordeaux spelling), or canelé, is a rum-soaked pastry with a custardy filling and a dark brown caramelised exterior.  They come in a variety of sizes from the single mouthful to the super-size-me.  They sounded delicious.  So, I mean…  When in Bordeaux.  What am I going to do?

I bought a small cannelé.  Good decision not to commit myself to anything larger than a small one.  Rum?  Not sure.  Custard?  Not finding it.  Rubbery.  That was my over-riding impression.  A chewy, brown bit of rubber.

Cannelé?  It is not for me.  But, it got me thinking.  When had I ever enjoyed something described as a local delicacy?  Fermented shark in Iceland?  No.  Kouign-amann in Ouessant?  Not really.  Jellied eels in Hackney.  Not for me.  All were singularly unpleasant culinary experiences.

My advice: steer clear of anything described as a local delicacy.  It is marketing speak.  In reality, it is just the ‘locals’ trying to offload the food they won’t eat themselves.

© E. C. Glendenny

E. C. Glendenny is a bit of a local delicacy herself.