Awaken your taste buds

Mushrooms, the star of Saumur!

Did you know that half of button mushrooms come from… Saumur?! Yes, despite foreign competition, mushroom cultivation remains a great love story in the Loire Valley! We “raise” it, we taste it, we reinvent it… Here, we are all fans of mushrooms!

The little history of mushrooms in Saumur Val de Loire

It's a century-old tradition… In the 19th century, button mushrooms were grown in the Parisian catacombs. But at the time of building the metro, these underground occupants became troublesome! At the same time, the activity of quarrying tufa was abandoned: the Saumur region was thus home to an important network of vacant troglodyte galleries. The high humidity in the cellars, combined with a constant temperature of around 13°C, provide ideal conditions for growing mushrooms.

In the middle of the 20th century, production was modernized: sheds and mechanized harvesting replaced troglodyte mushroom houses and hand picking.

But… the Saumurois do not abandon their traditions!

Where to discover and taste mushrooms?

Come on, for once, we are happy to give you our best mushroom spots!

To discover all the secrets of mushroom cultivation, there are still several mushroom farms in operation and/or transformed into places for educational visits.

Au Mushroom Museum in Saut au Loups mushroom farm, or even at the Cave Vivante du Champignon, Paris mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and other species will reveal their manufacturing secrets to you.

In the region, passionate artisans still produce their mushrooms in the traditional way. They can be found in high-end restaurants and boutiques and… in our markets!

By the way, have you tasted our famous somersaults?!

Weekends & stays