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In 2024, Rochecorbon will once again become the pepper capital of the world.
What is the Festival International des Poivres ?
Erwann de Kerros explains it all!
Why create the Festival International des Poivres
Terre Exotique's mission since its creation has been to help as many people as possible discover the origins, cultures, specificities and uses of the world's peppers and berries. The festival is a natural extension of this approach. This event reveals the universal dimension of pepper and offers a new experience in an authentic spirit, combining knowledge sharing, encounters and multi-sensory experiences!
Who is the festival for?
Open to all! The festival is free and open to all. Young and old, the curious and food-lovers, onlookers and tourists are all welcome. We want this event to be popular, joyful and enriching.
2024 marks the 3rd edition of the International Festival of Peppers. What can we expect?
The Festival International des Poivres 2024 will offer an open-ended stroll through different worlds, in the botanical setting of the banks of the Loire. Once again this year, the festival village will be organized around the Terre Exotique gallery - home to the entire Terre Exotique collection. For the first time, the festival will extend its opening hours to Saturday evening, after the stands and the Galerie have closed, to offer the public an evening in the land of peppers!
Discover the different worlds of the Festival
In the heart of the botanical setting of Rochecorbon, nestled on the banks of the Loire, the Festival International des Poivres invites you to wander freely, exploring a variety of captivating worlds.
The producers' village
The cornerstone of Terre Exotique's history, our producer friends are the source of all our adventures.
Come and meet 12 pepper and spice producers from the 4 corners of the globe, and discover their know-how and share a little of their culture and history with you.
Madagascar, Cameroon, Egypt, Tasmania, Congo, Vietnam, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Nepal, Costa Rica, India, Brazil...
Culinary encounters
Immerse yourself in the kitchen, to the rhythm of culinary demonstrations! For 2 days, one chefafter another will be putting pepper in the spotlight, on the plate. Cooking, patisserie, mixology... the possibilities are endless!
Schedule for Saturday, June 29, 2024:
| Opening hours | Chefs | Producers | Imposed spices | Establishments |
| 10.30 a.m. | Francisco Agostinho | Dr Thomas (India) | Tellicherry pepper | Restaurant Audace |
| 12 p.m. | Frédéric Suter | Purnima Malakar (Nepal) | Timur berry | Créative food by Fred |
| 1 p.m. | Camille Pigot & Christophe Quantin | Mélanie & Jean-Baptiste Magis (Basque Country) |
Piment d’Espelette | Les maisons Marcon / MOF 1994 |
| 2:30 p.m. | Jérome le Minier & Stéphane Jakic | Mima (Madagascar) | Voatsiperifery pepper | Chef du Sénat & formateur / MOF 2004 |
| 4 p.m. | Christophe Hay | Terefe (Ethiopy) | Passion berry | Fleur de Loire* |
|
5:30 p.m. |
Lina Zilevice | Régis Peurey & Enrique (Costa Rica) | Costa Rica White pepper | Toli Namai |
|
6 p.m. |
Monin | Terefe (Ethiopy) | Passion berry | Cocktail demo |
Schedule for Sunday, June 30, 2024:
| Opening hours | Chefs | Producers | Imposed spices | Establishments |
| 10 a.m. | Ambroise Voreux | Nhi Trinh (Vietnam) | Verveine Berry | Cabane à matelot |
| 11:30 a.m. | Nicolas Aubry | Terefe (Ethiopia) | Timiz pepper | Ezia* |
| 12.30 | Stéphanie Hein | Helal Abed (Egypt) / Ly Hay (Cambodge) | Givre de Sel / Kampot pepper | MOF 2023 / Boucherie Millesime |
| 2 p.m. | Ronan Kervarrec | Lucien Favre (Congo) | Likouala pepper | La saison Saint Gregoire** |
| 3 p.m. | Franck Breton | Ly Hay (Cambodge) | Red Kampot pepper | Les Arpents |
| 4:30 p.m. | Thierry Nerisson | René-Claude Metomo (Cameroon) | White Penja pepper | Lycée Notre Dame de la Riche |
The conferences
Pepper is as universal as it is fascinating! Come and hear what our speakers have to say, as they take turns exploring the many fascinating facets of the king of spices.Botany, history, gastronomy, exploration, agriculture, know-how... you'll discover so many beautiful stories written around pepper !
Schedule for Saturday, June 29, 2024:
| Opening hours | Speakers | Expertise | Themes |
| 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. | Erwann de Kerros & Charles-Edouard O’Quin | Terre Exotique founders and management | Terre Exotique: the source of peppers, seeds and other wild follicles. |
| 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Michel Vergé-Franceschi | Naval historian | Surcouf, the end of the privateer world. |
| 2 - 2:45 p.m. | Michel Balard | Medieval historian | History of spices in the Middle Ages. |
| 3:15 - 4 p.m. | Michel Chauvet | Botanist | The history of pepper names across languages |
| 4:30 - 5:15 p.m. | Hirac Gurden | Neuroscientist specializing in the chemical senses | Smell and taste, the brain in action. |
| 5:45 - 6:30 p.m. | Ly Hay | Producer | The story of IGP Kampot, a Cambodian success story. |
Schedule for Sunday, June 30, 2024:
| Opening hours | Speakers | Expertise | Themes |
| 10:30 - 11:15 a.m. | Lucien Favre | Producer | Pepper: Likouala's economic and social engine - Immerse yourself in Congo's primary forest, and discover Likouala pepper. |
| 11:45 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Jean-Marc Montegottero | Artisan oil-maker | One fruit, one oil. Perpetuate the production of virgin oils from dried fruits and oilseeds. |
| 2 - 2:45 p.m. | Baptiste Cochereau | Artisan chocolatier | Cocoa: from bean to bar. |
| 3:15 - 4 p.m. | Lola Tobelem | Food writer and journalist | Dictée gourmande: come and take part in Lola Tobelem's gourmet dictation! |
| 5:15 - 6:30 p.m. | Nicolas Viollet | Artisan confectioner | La confiserie artisanale : sauvegarde d’un héritage familial. |
The gourmet market and dining room
A place for living and sharing, the festival's dining room and gourmet market are the place to be!
Stroll down the aisles of the gourmet market and meet the artisans of taste. Visit local winemakers to discover their work and taste their vintages. Then sit down in the dining room to sample dishes prepared by our chefs and discover the flavors of the world!
The workshops
L'École des Poivres will be on hand at the festival to offer a fun introduction to pepper tasting! Learn all you need to know, and leave with a diploma as a pipérologue!
Talk to the team behind the ÉOLE program - transporting spices by sail - and find out how Terre Exotique is initiating the development of a gentle, environmentally-friendly mode of transport for its spices.
Other workshops on gourmet products (cocoa, syrups, teas)... something for everyone!
The festival will also be punctuated by poetic interludes by artists throughout the weekend!
Festival philosophy and commitment
The Festival International des Poivres focuses on pepper and spices from around the world. The event is also an opportunity to highlight the initiatives of producers, taste artisans, enthusiasts and scholars, whose work feeds Terre Exotique's mission: to connect civilizations & gastronomy.
The festival is an eco-friendly event. Particular attention is paid to limiting waste. Soft mobility is encouraged and facilitated for the public (provision of bicycle parking, public transport to and from the site).
This event is finally made possible thanks to the trust and support of numerous local partners who help Terre Exotique put on this unique festival.
Relive the previous edition
How do I get there?
Free admission - Open to all - Catering on site
Terre Exotique Gallery
60 quai de la Loire 37210 ROCHECORBON (just outside Tours)
1 hour by train from Paris Montparnasse
10 min by cab from Tours or Saint-Pierre-des-Corps train station
1 h20 on foot from Tours' Saint-Gatien cathedral, along the riverside paths of the Loire.
A 20-minute bike ride from Tours' Saint-Gatien cathedral
Free on-site parking
Book your dates, get your taste buds ready, and join us for a memorable weekend in Rochecorbon. Pepper awaits you for an unforgettable taste experience !