Winter in the south of France can be colder and wetter than many visitors expect. As the weather shifts, so do eating habits. This is when cassoulet in southern France traditionally appears—served during the colder months as a slow-cooked, sustaining dish designed for the season.
For travelers interested in the food history of France, cassoulet offers a clear example of how everyday cooking reflects geography, climate, and long-standing practice.
Medieval Roots in the Southwest
Cassoulet developed as a rural dish in medieval southern France, long before recipes were standardized or widely written down. It emerged from agricultural life shaped by seasonality and preservation, where dried legumes and salted or cured meats were essential for feeding households through winter.
The dish is most closely associated with the area around Castelnaudary, in today’s Occitanie. A long-standing local tradition links cassoulet to the early years of the Hundred Years’ War, which began in 1337, when Castelnaudary was reportedly under siege. According to this tradition, residents pooled dried beans and preserved meats into a single slow-cooked dish to feed the town’s defenders.
Historians generally treat this account as regional folklore rather than documented military history. Its value lies in what it reflects accurately: medieval communities relied on ingredients that could be stored, shared, and cooked communally during periods of conflict and scarcity. Cassoulet fits within that broader historical reality.
A Different Bean Entirely
Early versions of cassoulet would not have used white haricot beans, which define the dish today. Haricot beans were introduced to Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, following the Columbian Exchange. In the 14th century, cooks in southern France would instead have relied on broad beans (fèves) or other locally available legumes.
Cassoulet is therefore the product of adaptation rather than invention. As agriculture changed, new ingredients were incorporated into an existing cooking method. The structure of the dish—slow cooking, shared preparation, and seasonal use—remained consistent.
A Dish Named for Its Pot
One of the most clearly documented aspects of cassoulet is its name. Cassoulet is not named after a modern “casserole,” but after the cassole, the earthenware cooking vessel traditionally used to prepare the dish.
The term comes from the Occitan cassolet or caçolet, referring to a wide, gently sloping clay dish designed for slow, even cooking. Cassoles were historically produced near Issel, close to Castelnaudary, and were already established by the late Middle Ages.
The shape of the cassole plays a practical role. It allows gradual evaporation and even heat distribution, encouraging the formation of the thin crust that develops during baking and is traditionally broken and stirred back into the beans. This affects the cooking process directly.
Mas-Saintes-Puelles: A Working Tradition
This connection between dish and vessel remains visible in Mas-Saintes-Puelles, a village located directly along the Canal du Midi, between Toulouse and Carcassonne.
After lunch at Hostellerie Étienne — a restaurant long associated with cassoulet — I crossed the canal to visit Poterie Not,
Poterie Not continues to produce traditional cassoles. The pottery has been operated by the Not family for generations and remains focused on functional earthenware rather than decorative pieces. The workshop functions as a working space, not a display.
The clay body, proportions, and firing process have changed little because they continue to meet the same need. These pots are made for regular kitchen use, not for demonstration. The pottery’s significance lies in its continuity rather than its age.
The most revealing part of the visit was watching the young potter at work, shaping cassoles using established forms and methods.
Cassoulet in Southern France Today
In southern France, cassoulet remains a seasonal dish, typically served in the colder months. It appears on menus without explanation and is prepared with an expectation of familiarity. While individual kitchens may adjust ingredients or proportions, the basic structure of the dish remains unchanged.
Cassoulet is also associated with shared meals. Portions are generous, service is unhurried, and leftovers are common. In many households and restaurants, the dish is considered better after resting overnight.
Coming from the American South, this approach to food is familiar to me: family-style meals, dishes shaped by practicality and repetition rather than novelty, maintained because they continue to serve a purpose.
What Is Traditionally Served With It
Cassoulet is commonly paired with wines from the surrounding regions, selected for balance rather than prestige. Reds from Corbières and Minervois, often blends of Carignan, Grenache, and Syrah, are typical.
These pairings reflect the same regional logic as the dish itself. (Photo Domaine Lou Colombier, Montoulirs)
A Tradition in Use
Cassoulet has endured because it has remained part of everyday life. In Mas-Saintes-Puelles, cassoles continue to be made because cassoulet continues to be cooked. Along the Canal du Midi, the landscape that once supported these practices still frames them today.
For a visit of your own, enjoy the video! Bon appétit!
Locations: Mas-Saintes-Puelles, Occitanie Restaurant: Hostellerie Étienne Pottery: Poterie Not, Domaine Lou Colombier Winery, Montoulirs
One Response
My husband is a huge fan of cassoulet and we were fortunate to taste it several times while staying in Bram near Castlenaudary a few years ago. I do love hearing about the Hundred Years War connection and the photos from the cassoule pottery workshop are so interesting! Well done, Deb, another Blog triumph!