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Burgundy
“Since the 9th century, within the walls of the Carolingian abbey of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, a green aniseed waits patiently — fifteen days of sugar layers to be born a sweet.”
Confectionery from Burgundy.
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Perched on its rocky spur overlooking the Burgundian plain, the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Flavigny-sur-Ozerain was founded in 719 by Wideradus, also known as Waré. In 812, Charlemagne ordered that green anise should be cultivated in the convents and monasteries of the Empire — and it was perhaps on this occasion that the Benedictine monks had the idea of coating the seed in successive thin layers of sugar syrup, thus inventing French artisanal dragée-making. The Carolingian crypt, listed as a Monument Historique, still bears witness today to this founding era.
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For centuries, the recipe remained a jealously guarded monastic secret, handed down unaltered: the aniseed, alone, patiently coated. As early as 1591, the abbey's Benedictines were already distributing these sweets to passing churchmen as a token of hospitality and savoir-faire. Then came the French Revolution: Church property was seized and the abbey stripped, its stones reused in building houses in the village. The recipe could have disappeared along with the monks; instead, eight village confectioners set about making them according to the original recipe, perpetuating the tradition at the very heart of the former abbey.
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Since 1591, successive confectioners in Flavigny have remained faithful to the original recipe. Maison Troubat, founded in 1923 when Jean Troubat installed his machinery there after taking over the factory from the Galimard family, is today the only house to carry on this tradition artisanally within the abbey, still in the family fold. The factory still occupies part of the former abbey's buildings — an exceptional setting where copper dragée pans rotate amidst thousand-year-old stones. While the sweet has remained unchanged for centuries, its packaging has become an icon in its own right: the small oval metal tin, each adorned with a different design, recognised worldwide and prized by collectors.
Appearance
Small, round, smooth dragées, perfectly spherical, weighing around one gramme — from a starting seed of just two milligrammes. Pearlescent white in the classic version, or pastel depending on the flavour.
Aroma
Fresh, plant-like, characteristic of green aniseed, subtly sweet with notes of liquorice.
Flavour
Delicate and gradual. The sugar shell gives way to reveal the whole aniseed at its centre. Sweet notes of green aniseed, with no harshness.
Texture
Hard shell of crystallised sugar that cracks under the tooth, followed by a tender and fragrant seed.
Classic aniseed — The original version, with the whole green aniseed. White, iconic.
Natural flavours — Violet, rose, mint, lemon, liquorice, orange blossom, blackcurrant, mandarin, and ginger, among other variations. All crafted around the same central aniseed, with natural flavourings added to the sugar syrup — with no artificial flavouring or additives.
Special editions — Maison Troubat regularly offers illustrated limited-edition tins with new designs — such as the ‘Week-End à Paris’ tin launched for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Selected green aniseed (Pimpinella anisum), weighing approximately 2 mg each
The seeds are sorted to guarantee the uniformity of the finished dragées
The seeds are placed in heated copper pans rotating slowly
The confectioner applies the first layers of hot sugar syrup in a steady stream, very gradually
Natural flavouring is incorporated into the intermediate syrup layers
The dragées are polished to achieve their smooth surface and pearlescent lustre
Packed by hand into the iconic small oval metal tins
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Catherine Troubat, head of the house since 1990, recommends taking these sweets two at a time, letting them melt slowly in the mouth without biting into them. Their delicacy pairs well with a light tea (Darjeeling, floral oolong), a glass of dry white Bourgogne, or simply as a digestif after a meal. Their iconic packaging makes them a cherished gift for collectors, distributed in some forty countries.
Anis de Flavigny enjoy no official geographical protection (neither PDO (AOP) nor PGI (IGP)); their renown rests on the antiquity of their production and the uniqueness of the setting — the abbey itself. Maison Troubat holds, however, two state distinctions recognising artisanal excellence, awarded to the business rather than the product: the Site remarquable du goût label, obtained in 1992, and the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV) label. Anis de Flavigny were also awarded the Ruban bleu Intersuc in 1988, honouring the confectionery's longevity.
Flavigny-sur-Ozerain is listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France. The abbey of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain celebrated its 1,300th anniversary in 2019. The Carolingian crypt, where part of the production still takes place, is listed as a Monument Historique. The factory can be visited all year round — production workshops, museum, and Carolingian crypt are open to the public.
Historic artisan confectionery and dragée maker
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The Fabrique des Anis de Flavigny presents itself as perpetuating the same recipe since 1591: each aniseed is coated in fine layers of syrup, delicately flavoured. The house thus claims more than four centuries of existence, which would make it one of the oldest brands in France.
Production takes place at the heart of the former Benedictine abbey of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, the sole production site of the Anis. The website offers a tour of the factory, described as a « gourmet tour rich in history », as well as an online shop.
| Address | 4 Rue de l'Abbaye, 21150 Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France |
| +33 3 80 96 20 88 | |
| anis-flavigny.com | |
| Facebook page | |
| @anisdeflavigny | |
| Visits | Yes — tour of the factory in the abbey |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2001. |