Cotignac is a Quince paste; an ancient delicacy from Orléans . The most famous of these pastes is the one made industrially at Orleans. It is commonly found

in Orleanais and is served with cheese or cut into squares and served as a sweet. Cotignac is also known as Membrillo inn Spain and Pate de coings.

The name "Le Cotignac" comes from a Pâtissier who came from the provençal village of Cotignac and settled in Orléans in the 14th century. His speciality was the creation of a quince jelly that would melt on the tongue. Since that time, Cotignac became a source of pride for the city elders of Orléans’ city elders and the jelly was given to all the luminaries who visited the city. and soon this ancient Orléanais delicacy became the French Court favorite . History said that Louis XV once asked the Bishop of Orléans to find some for his daughters because they were almost addicted to it.

The Orléanais Cotignac is contained in little spruce boxes that adorns the image of Joan of Arc as Orléans is always linked with her - who liberated the city from the English. The ancient etiquette of eating the Cotignac is bound up in its unique container. The cotignac box is made of thin shavings of spruce that contribute to Cotignac's flavor, the same way as oak barrels add to the flavor of wine. The traditional way of eating the Cotignec is to remove the lid and break a sliver of wood from it. This sliver of wood is use this as a spoon to plunge into the delicious jelly.

Orléansis the capital of Loiret department and of the Center Region of France and is a city situated in north-central of France.

Cotignac is pronounced "koh-tee-nyahk"