If a friend returned from a trip to Burgundy, my first questions would be, “What wines did you bring back, and when can we open them?” I always like to stash a bottle or two in my luggage, but heavy wine isn’t practical to pack in any great quantity. Fortunately, Burgundy offers numerous lighter-weight (and less expensive) culinary temptations that make excellent gifts. On this trip, we sought out strictly local provisions worthy of the most discerning palates. These are the finds I packed for sophisticated friends back home — and for myself.

Nonnettes

Family-owned Mulot & Petitjean has been producing exceptional pains d’épices (gingerbreads) and nonnettes (jam-filled gingerbread rounds) since its founding in 1796. I find most nonnettes to be too dry and heavy; Mulot’s, however, deliver a crisp crust and a tender interior. A visit to the company’s factory-museum, a few minutes outside the city center, tells the story ingredient by ingredient — the honey, the flour, the jam — and how wartime rationing forced substitutions that changed the recipe. Antique equipment fills one room, set alongside videos of employees whose anecdotes bring the craft to life. Mulot’s candied-orange gingerbreads and raspberry nonnettes turn up readily at regional markets, but my personal favorites — the cassis nonnettes, a marriage of two Burgundian specialties, and the fig-layered pain d’épices — are harder to find. I stocked up on treats here, and when I got back home, I hosted a dinner party starting with pure-honey bread served alongside foie gras and cassis nonnettes paired with goat cheese.

Mulot & Petitjean 
6 Boulevard de l’Ouest, Dijon. Tel. (33) 03-80-61-42-22