Food and drink

There's no better county than Norfolk for a self- catering holiday because of the wonderful local foods available at prices as gratifying as the flavours. Whatever time of year you take a break you can sample delectable produce.

First delicacy of the early summer is asparagus. Its all too short season starts in May, when it appears in shops and at roadside stalls. I think the flavour is enhanced from June, when the sun has had a chance to do its work. In high summer samphire reaches its peak. This slender, succulent plant grows wild on the sandy shore and dunes. It is mainly sold in fish shops, though again, you'll find it at the roadside. Serve it very lightly boiled, tossed in butter.

The sea off Norfolk yields beautiful shellfish. Cromer crabs are famous far beyond the region. The brown crab species sells from spring to mid-winter, either whole for do-it-yourself preparation or ready-dressed. Although Cromer crabs are not particularly big in diameter, you will find a generous portion of the delicious white meat in the deep shell.

Mussels provide a low-cost meal in autumn and winter, served with new crusty bread. They are abundantly harvested from mussel beds off Brancaster and other North Norfolk coastal villages. Local people put huge bags of them at their cottage gates. Just put your money in the honesty box.

Several recipes suggest serving the mussels out of their blue-black shells, but our favourite way is to boil them in dry cider with onions, garlic and butter, and sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.

And the oysters....mmm! The Portuguese variety are sold all year at a price low enough for you to be lavish.

Wells-Next-The-Sea is known for whelks, found far off the coast. Cockles - a big variety known as Stookey Blues - are raked up along the shore when the tide is out. Stiffkey, sometimes pronounced Stookey, is a well-known source.

Several smokeries have opened in the county in recent years. All sorts of meats and fish are smoked. It's worth seeking out plump kippers and bloaters.

And so to meat... Pigs enjoy the outdoor life, rootling happily in fields until the time comes to grace our tables with pork and bacon tasting as it did years ago. Dedicated pig farmers produce roasting joints of pork with a decent layer of fat to give that true pork flavour and crispy golden crackling. Just cut the fat off after cooking if you wish.

Autumn and winter bring a range of game: fresh pheasant, partridge, wild duck, the little quails, could be on your holiday menus. Hares, rarely found now in many parts of Britain, flourish in Norfolk. They are not expensive, and one will feed a large family.

Cheeses made from sheep's milk are being produced in the county. Colman's mustard made from mustard grown throughout East Anglia is produced in Norwich and is world-famous. Lavender from Heacham can be used as a herb, served with meat.

Arable crops grown in Norfolk help feed much of the country. Vast fields of cereals, sugar beet, cauliflower, cabbage, rapeseed and brussels sprouts stretch to distant horizons. You can buy brussels on the stalk very cheaply - often 100 sprouts to the stalk.

The arrival of the first local raspberries and strawberries is eagerly awaited, and later the orchard fruits reach the market, including superb Bramley apples. Cox's Orange Pippins from the royal Sandringham estate and elsewhere, make excellent eating until well past Christmas.

And wild mushrooms? A local expert runs fungi safaris in the county.

Most people who enjoy their beer find Woodforde's Norfolk Ales to their taste. The slightly sweet Wherry bitter and less sweet Nelson's Revenge are popular choices in many pubs. The brewery is at Woodbastick, six miles north-east of Norwich.

Cider is another local product. The longest-established maker is the Norfolk Cider Company, based at Wroxham Barns, Hoveton, just west of Horning. The cider and cider vinegar are made from apple juice with no additives or preservatives. Pure apple juice is produced daily, using a traditional Norfolk apple press.