Fougerolles – Cherry Doughnut Festival

Fougerolles (70 Saone, ARA) on the edge of the Vosges mountains southwest of Alsace holds its annual Foire aux Beignets de Cerises (Cherry Doughnuts)and Kirsch (Cherry eau-de-vie) tastings – annually on 3rd Sunday in September – 20 September 2015

Fougerolles is called “the land of cherries” because as soon as 1650, some people in Fougerolles discovered the art of distillery cherry juice.
The Fougerolles orchards cover approximately 35 000 cherry trees established in the fields, the meadows, the gardens. The local varieties belong to the family of the guignes, they are cultivated for the manufacture of kirsch, jam, of syrups, food desserts and other uses.
The principal varieties of guignes met in Fougerolles result from the wild cherry tree “cerisiers des oiseaux ” (prunus cesarus avium). They are named: “la Bêcha” (very black juice) “la Jean Blanc” (earliest), “la chapendu” (beyond 500 m of altitude and easy to gather), “la Marie Jean Diaude” (red later) and some others the large tail (black or red) , “la Tinette”, “la Auchâteau” (very frail).

For more info see www.otsi-fougerolles.net