Canelé: A Must-Try Treat For Those Visiting Bordeaux

The very first thing that I do when planning any trip, is to figure out local foods and eateries that I need to try and then I slot in my activities around eating. It's the most important part of travelling, right? Of course, when visiting France, in particular, this is an even more pressing concern. If you're planning a trip to a wonderful vacation rental anywhere in Aquitaine then you'll need to head to Bordeaux for a day trip to get your hands on a canelé at some point during the visit. Just find a nice café and order a coffee and one of these delicious cakes and enjoy a moment of peace in beautiful Bordeaux.

Canelé are small striated cylinder-shaped, rum and vanilla flavoured pastries with soft custard centres and dark caramelised crusts. It is believed to have been created in the Couvent des Annonciades in the Bordeaux region, though the exact details of these origins have been obscured by history and it is uncertain whether this was in the 15th or 18th centuries.

At some point in the early 20th century, the canelé took off as an adaptation of the antique recipe for canauliers, to which rum and vanilla were added by some unknown chef and the pastry became popular, soon being made all over the region and then France. Today it can be found in French bakeries and patisseries all over the world but it is at its best when enjoyed, at your leisure and on holidays in its birthplace of Bordeaux – but, then, isn't it true that most things are far tastier when enjoyed on holidays?