The mysteries of the Cauterets berlingot

Discover Toulouse Ariège & Pyrénées

We thought it was a little outdated, out of fashion, even downright out of date. However, the multi-flavored berlingot, prized by our grandmothers, still tantalizes the taste buds today. This artisanal confectionery is the essential delicacy of the small spa town of Cauterets, in the Pyrenees. Made with respect for traditional recipes, this candy is very much like a moment of escape, an inimitable little pleasure. Direction the heights of Cauterets to unravel the secrets of its authentic berlingots and together discover the world of these sweets that have survived the centuries.

Berlingots Marinette confectionery continues this tradition

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Cauterets, the Mecca of Pyrenean hydrotherapy

Cauterets, colorful

In the heart of the Pyrenees National Park, the mountain range deploys horizons combed with mountains, peaks, canyons and superb valleys. Nestled at the bottom of one of them, Cauterets is a pretty village perched at 967m where icy torrents rush and where springs of hot and sulphurous water gush out at 55 °. The mountain spa village owes its name to this paradox between the hot "caut" and the cold "ret". It is known since the sixteenth century in particular by Marguerite of Navarre, sister of François ^1st who regularly came to take the waters. Cauterets experienced a real craze in the nineteenth century : you could meet illustrious characters such as Victor Hugo, Georges Sand, Chateaubriand or Gustave Flaubert in its alleys. The thermal spa is gaining in popularity and the face of the village is gradually transformed to welcome the many social figures, the spa guests as well as the thousands of pilgrims from Lourdes who go up to stay in Cauterets to visit the nearby Pont d'Espagne. Thus the city is adorned with pretty walks, a colorful bourgeois architecture, unobstructed viewpoints to the delight of visitors. At the start of the 20th century, Cauterets even became the most important spa town in France. But, and the berlingots in all this?

A luxury product closely linked to the thermal baths

Photo @ Confiserie Marinette

What could be better than a sweet note to reduce an unpleasant taste in the mouth? Indeed, specializing in the care of respiratory ailments, the hot and sulphurous water of Cauterets is used to treat the throat and gives the curists who drink it a feeling of bitterness in the taste buds. Doctors then recommend sucking on a sweet candy to remove this bad taste and optimize the benefits of the cure. This multicolored candy becomes the very first sugar confectionery in Europe. At the start of the 19th century, all the spa towns had their own berlingot factories, a highly prized luxury candy that had become inseparable from cures. In Cauterets, around ten manufacturing workshops were created, producing thousands of cartons under the eyes of passers-by attracted by the smell of sugar and the friendly atmosphere.

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Visit a berlingot shop

Today, the berlingot continues to make Cauterets famous! Made from water, sugar and glucose syrup to which 100% natural flavors and colors are added, its recipe has not changed. The few manufacturers gathered in the avenue du Mamelon Vert, proudly perpetuate the tradition with talent, attached to craftsmanship. I meet Eric Millet, confectioner for almost 20 years, to reveal some secrets of its manufacture in the Confiserie Marinette. Lemon, cherry, blackcurrant, blueberry, bergamot, liquorice, raspberry, mandarin… The master confectioner offers a wide range of flavors based on fruits, plants and natural essences. Similar to caramel, the sugar preparation is put on the fire until it reaches 150 °C, then the syrup is poured and worked on a marble table. The mixture is used to obtain nuances of colors and stripes. While cooling, it is rolled and stretched until a homogeneous dough is obtained which is "corded". The last step is to cut the candy to give it its tetrahedron shape with a "pillow". Very fun to watch, young and old can even participate actively in these demonstrations in front of the amazed eyes of visitors!