Prés-salés du Mont-Saint-Michel

The term pré-salé has appeared in dictionaries since 1732: it refers to a sheep fattened on coastal pastures periodically flooded by the sea, and by extension the meat of this animal. The practice itself is far older: it is recorded in the Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel as early as the 11th century, where the abbey's monks held a right known as brebiage, allowing them to choose the finest ewe from each flock on neighbouring farms. The same period saw similar sheep farming develop along the havens of the Cotentin, attested by the foundation charter of Lessay Abbey (a donation of two sheepfolds), and subsequently in 1181 by the charter of Henry II Plantagenet fixing the abbey's tithe at two-thirds of local sheep's wool.

The growth of pilgrimages to Mont-Saint-Michel spread the renown of this delicacy far beyond the region, carried by pilgrims' accounts. Until the first half of the 20th century, sheep were herded in small groups of two to four head tethered together — with the exception of the Mont-Saint-Michel polders, where larger flocks were already tended by shepherds; from the second half of the century onwards, more specialised farms equipped with sheep sheds were established. In the 20th century, the arrival of the first tourists, followed by the post-Second World War era, firmly anchored the image of Mont-Saint-Michel to this local gastronomic product. The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) was recognised by Decree No. 2009-1245 of 15 October 2009; European PDO status followed under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1184/2013 of 12 November 2013.

As early as 1691, the Rouen scholar Pierre Thomas du Fossé, passing through Pontorson, already bore witness to this renown: "The grass by the sea is like wild thyme; it gives the sheep's meat so exquisite a flavour that one would forsake partridge and pheasant, so delicious does the meat seem." This longstanding reputation was confirmed much later by a ruling of the Caen Court of Appeal on 24 January 1986, which recognised a distinctive quality in the meat of sheep grazed on pastures periodically covered by the sea.

The growth of pilgrimages to Mont-Saint-Michel made this delicacy known far beyond the region as early as the Middle Ages. In the 20th century, the arrival of the first tourists in turn fostered the renown of prés-salés lamb; since the Second World War, the image of Mont-Saint-Michel has remained enduringly linked with this local gastronomic product.