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PGI — Label Rouge — Champagne-Ardenne
Created in 1626 by an officer of the king on the run, with neither breadcrumbs nor artificial binders — pure prime pork, fresh eggs and fresh milk — Boudin blanc de Rethel is the understated nobility of Ardennes charcuterie, the only boudin blanc protected by a PGI in France.
Charcuterie speciality from Champagne-Ardenne, PGI (IGP) since 2001.
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The history of Boudin blanc de Rethel is inseparable from a delightful historical anecdote. At the beginning of the 17th century, Cardinal Richelieu banned duelling. An officer of the king, Jacques-Augustin-Henri Chamarande, having flouted this ban, was forced to take refuge in Rethel, a small town in the Ardennes, in 1626, to escape arrest. To make a living, he opened a charcuterie shop and reworked the recipe for boudin blanc, drawing on the local abundance of pork and milk. Such was the quality of this boudin that it quickly gained a reputation extending far beyond the borders of the Ardennes — the speciality was even said to have been served at the court of England.
This "accidental" origin — born of the necessity of a man on the run — forged the identity of Boudin blanc de Rethel as an exceptional product, far removed from ordinary fare.
From its inception, Boudin blanc de Rethel was distinguished by an essential characteristic that sets it apart from all other French boudins blancs: the total absence of binders — no breadcrumbs, no potato starch, no starch. Where most boudins blancs rely on a binder to hold the meat together, Boudin de Rethel relies solely on pork and egg albumen, which coagulates during cooking to give the product its characteristic white colour. This purity of composition makes it a product of rare finesse.
Boudin blanc de Rethel first obtained a Label Rouge, certifying its superior quality, before being entered into the register of European PGIs in 2001. This PGI guarantees that only artisans established in the arrondissement of Rethel may produce and market Boudin blanc de Rethel under this name. The product specification was amended for the first time by an order of 7 February 2017, and then a second time by European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1199 of 22 August 2018. Today, it is the only boudin blanc holding a PGI in France.
Appearance
White to ivory, cylindrical, in a natural casing.
Aroma
Discreet, with notes of pork and subtle peppery and spicy flavours.
Taste
Marked by pork and shallot, soft and juicy filling.
Texture
Smooth and melting, with neither graininess nor perceptible binder — the coagulation of the albumen yields a silky texture, free of starch or potato starch.
The pork (belly, ham) is cut into pieces.
Salt, pepper and shallot are incorporated into the mixture.
The meat is minced, then mixed with the whole eggs and fresh milk until a homogeneous mixture is achieved.
The mixture is stuffed into natural casings.
After cooking, the boudins are rapidly cooled and packaged for sale.
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Pan-fried (classic method): cook for around 10 minutes over a gentle heat in butter or lard, until the boudin is golden-brown, without letting it burst.
Oven-baked: around 20 minutes at 180°C, ideal for even cooking.
Since: 2001
Area covered: Arrondissement of Rethel (08) — cantons of Chaumont-Porcien, Château-Porcien, Novion-Porcien, Juniville, Asfeld, Rethel
Key requirements: Pork, fresh eggs, fresh milk, natural casings, no artificial binders, immersion cooking, production in the arrondissement of Rethel
Amended 2017 and 2018.
Area covered: Arrondissement of Rethel (08) — cantons of Chaumont-Porcien, Château-Porcien, Novion-Porcien, Juniville, Asfeld, Rethel
Key requirements: Certified superior quality; maintained alongside the PGI (IGP)
Prior to 2001.
Boudin blanc de Rethel is the only boudin blanc in France to hold a PGI. It combines two official recognitions: the Label Rouge, awarded before 2001 for its superior quality, and the European PGI since 2001, which ties the product to the arrondissement of Rethel and prohibits any artificial binder.
Artisanal manufacturer
Artisanal industry
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