Lyon's true gastronomic heart is the historic market Paul Bocuse. On its shelves, you can find the most popular and interesting regional products. Many come here specifically to taste rare varieties of sausages and cheese. You can even find rare truffle cheese, which is only sold in two places in the city. Several small cafes operating at the market invite its visitors to try popular regional dishes. It serves fresh oysters and snails, as well as a variety of seafood and the best French wines.
An original local product is "rosette de Lyon" sausage made from selected pork. It should be aged in the open air at a certain temperature for at least two months. Special spices make the taste of the sausage very rich. A popular dish among locals is the salad "salade lyonnaise". It's believed that its recipe was invented here in Lyon. It is based on fresh lettuce leaves, to which fried pieces of bacon, crackers, and boiled eggs are added.
A more original version of the common salad is “groins d’âne” prepared with dandelion leaves. Fans of hearty meat dishes should order Tablier de sapeur made from beef tripe in Lyon restaurants. This specialty dish is prepared in a rather unusual way - the meat is pre-marinated in white wine and then boiled with herbs for several hours. Boiled meat is cut into thin slices and then deep-fried until crisp. The original dish is typically served with various sauces.
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