Jean Monnet at the table

In Cognac and the Charente region, the table of the merchant bourgeoisie follows a sober but careful sequence: a nourishing preserved dish (often fèves or mojhettes), a festive meat flambéed with the house eau-de-vie on special occasions, accompanied by local sweet butter, and the meal opens or closes with a glass of chilled pineau. Sweets are taken separately, as a snack or afternoon treat, in the form of sturdy cookies that travel well.

The Monnet family lived off the cognac trade: Charentais wine eau-de-vie and pineau (grape must fortified with cognac) are the absolute signature of this terroir. They are drunk, but also used to flavor sauces and sweet pastries.