seigle

Seigle (rye) is an important grain crop in France after wheat, but as a food it traditionally was never very popular. Rye bread, pain de siegle was considered the pain noir, the black bread of the poor.

It was especially grown in the foothills of the Massif Central, in regions known as the ségalas, rye lands, that were too cold to produce a guaranteed wheat crop. Today much of it is raised for cattle and horses, and for its excellent straw for hats, chair seats, straw bale building and to form the axis in a Sainte Maure de Touraine goat cheese.