France · Forest craft; Agricultural craft; Landes heritage
Gemmage des Landes
The tapping of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) for resin in the Landes de Gascogne forest — the largest planted forest in Western Europe, created in the 19th century partly to supply the resin industry. The résinier (resin tapper) works a circuit of trees, cutting a fresh channel (carre) into the bark every 10–14 days and collecting the resin (gemme) that flows into a clay pot at the base. The trade was abandoned industrially in the 1960s but is undergoing revival for natural turpentine and rosin supply.
Risk level: Endangered · Not listed; gemmage included in Inventaire du Patrimoine Culturel Immatériel français
Point de Beauvais is a Parisian hand-embroidery technique that forms a chain stitch using a fine hook — historically called a Lunéville hook — worked on fabric stretched taut across a frame, rather than the needle used in most European…
Épernay, in the Marne department, is home to the last operating corsetry workshop in France — the Chantelle factory, where roughly 85 seamstresses hand- and machine-construct structured lingerie using techniques with no remaining external…
The heritage craft techniques underlying Michelin tyre production — specifically the manual construction and vulcanization skills that preceded and in specialist applications still accompany industrial production.
The management of the volcanic mineral water sources of Vichy — the thermal capital of France — including the maintenance of the source galleries; the seasonal collection of specific waters from different springs (each with distinct…
The making of Pineau des Charentes — a mistelle (grape juice mutage) produced by blending fresh unfermented Ugni Blanc grape juice with Cognac eau-de-vie in the proportions 3:1, then aging the blend in Limousin oak barrels for minimum 18…
The double distillation of white wine in the alambic charentais (Charentais pot still) — the most tightly regulated distillation tradition in France.
The pressing of Mallorcan olive oil in the traditional tafona (stone mill) from the indigenous Mallorcan olive varieties — particularly Arbequina; Mallorquina; and Arbosana.
The distillation of anise spirit from green anise seeds (Pimpinella anisum) in the town of Chinchón — 45km south of Madrid — whose anise production has been continuous since the 15th century.
The making of Toledo marzipan — a paste of raw almonds and sugar (no other ingredients in authentic Toledo marzipan) molded into figures; baked to a characteristic golden surface; and painted with egg wash caramelization.
The Turkish pekmez (grape molasses) tradition — the reduction of fresh grape juice to a thick syrup by long boiling, producing the Anatolian natural sweetener that preceded sugar cane and remains one of the most ancient Anatolian food…
The making of Quesucos de Liébana — small pressed cheeses (quesucos — literally 'little cheeses') from the Liébana valley in the Picos de Europa mountains of Cantabria, made from a blend of cow; goat; and sheep milk.
The Turkish simit making tradition — the production of the circular sesame-crusted bread ring that is the most universally consumed Turkish street food, whose specific combination of pekmez (grape molasses) dipping before sesame coating…