As part of the French May programme, French GourMay each year features a region of France — this year, the protagonist is Burgundy. Last month, UbiFrance co-organised the Bourgogne Grand Tasting at Langham Place Hotel, Hong Kong, showcasing the fine wines of 30-plus producers from Burgundy.
Wine-lovers might be easily carried away – physically and mentally – by the likes of Bonnes-Mares, Clos-Vougeot, Corton-Charlemagne, and Grands Échezeaux… Yet, Burgundy is much more than “just” fine wines: Moutarde de Dijon, escargots, and numerous cheeses, but to name a few. CLOSER has chosen two Burgundian gems for you to discover and savour.
Contact
Shirley Wu I UbiFrance I [email protected] I +852 3752 9130
Crème de Cassis


Are all things in Burgundy centuries old? Was everything there created and produced by clergymen? Well, maybe…
Produced exclusively in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain – voted as one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France – in Burgundy, Anis de Flavigny are an antique and exquisite sweet, each candy made of a whole anise seed, coated with sugar with various flavourings, roughly one gram apiece. Quite hard in texture, connoisseurs let the sweets, two by two, melt in the mouth to unveil the aniseed.
Anis de Flavigny have been produced for centuries, following the authentic recipe dating back to 1591. First mentioned by the ancient Roman traveller Flavinius (who reputedly brought aniseeds to Gaul from Syria), hence Flavigny, the sweets were first made by Benedictine monks of the neighbouring Abbaye Saint-Pierre, founded in 719. By 1814, one year before Napoleon’s final defeat by the Seventh Coalition, there were eight producers. Today, all but one is left — Maison Troubat, which has been family-owned for generations.
As Brand Manager Vanessa Labaume explains, “with a dedicated 30-strong team, we have been able to distribute in numerous countries around the world. For us, Anis de Flavigny are Burgundian tradition in the form of sweets, and we are proud to continue the craft, even if single-handedly”.
Intriguing as they are, Anis de Flavigny are unpretentiously affordable — it is no wonder that, through good times and bad, many people in France grew up with these sweets as childhood treats. To discover the charm and allure of Les Anis de Flavigny, visit: www.anis-flavigny.com