Boudin blanc de Rethel

Boudin blanc de Rethel is a cooked white sausage produced within the arrondissement of Rethel in the Ardennes, France. It is made exclusively from fresh pork meat, whole eggs and cows' milk, with no starch products, food colouring or phosphates permitted. The specification defines cylindrical, cocktail and barbecue formats, each with fixed weight and diameter ranges, and stuffed into natural casings.

About this designation

Registered as a PGI under file number PGI-FR-0100, with EU protection granted on 20 July 1999, Boudin blanc de Rethel is classified under meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.). The defined geographical area comprises the cantons of Château-Porcien, Chaumont-Porcien, Novion-Porcien, Juniville, Asfeld and Rethel. All production steps from receipt of raw materials to cooling of the boudin must take place within this area. The standard format is a cylindrical portion of 60 to 130 grams and 30 to 36 mm in diameter, stuffed into pig casings. Cocktail and mini formats weigh 8 to 15 grams and barbecue formats 50 to 80 grams; both are stuffed into sheep casings with a diameter of 20 to 26 mm. The raw material composition is strictly defined: pork meat from ham without shank, shoulder without shank, belly and hard fat makes up 55 to 68 % of the mix; whole chicken eggs account for 10 to 20 %; and cows' milk accounts for 20 to 30 %. Sow meat, trimmings from cutting, powdered or frozen eggs, and reconstituted milk are all prohibited. Authorised varieties are 'nature', 'aux champignons ou à une seule variété de champignon', 'forestier', and 'truffé', with only Tuber melanosporum or Tuber brumale permitted as truffle varieties. Chemical criteria for the 'nature' variety include lipids below 30 %, starch at or below 0.4 %, collagen at or below 2 %, and protides at or above 11 %. The applicant group is Les Charcutiers du Pays d'Ardennes, based in Rethel.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 20 July 1999 under file number PGI-FR-0100; eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013311.
• The specification prohibits sow meat, trimmings from cutting, powdered or frozen eggs, reconstituted milk, starch products, food colouring and phosphates.
• Pork meat must constitute 55 to 68 % of the mix; whole eggs 10 to 20 %; and cows' milk 20 to 30 %.
• For the 'truffé' variety, only Tuber melanosporum or Tuber brumale are authorised as truffle varieties; no other species is permitted.

Tasting notes

Champenois white sausage made from milk-soaked breadcrumbs and minced veal/pork, traditionally seasoned with mace, nutmeg, pepper. Pale ivory color, very fine smooth texture, delicately flavored with characteristic dairy-spice profile.

HoReCa use

Pan-fried in butter as Christmas-season classic; served with apples Calvados or Champenois mustard; in cocottes Champenoises.

Packaging

• vacuum-pack-fresh-200g
• vacuum-pack-fresh-400g
• gift-pack-300g

Seasonality