Les Niçois Truffle-Flavoured Cashews 110g

These cashews put fragrance first. Truffle flavour gives the nut a savoury, earthy direction, while the cashew itself brings gentle sweetness and a rounded, creamy richness. The crunch keeps the bite lively; salt draws the nut and its seasoning together. It is an appealing combination for anyone who enjoys an aromatic snack with a little more personality than a plain salted nut.

The cashew is a particularly good partner for that flavour. Its mellow character leaves space for the savoury fragrance, and its substantial bite gives you something to enjoy after the first aromatic impression. The result belongs very naturally at the beginning of dinner, when a small, interesting nibble can make the first drink feel like an occasion.

Keep the accompaniments fairly clean and you can enjoy the changes between them: a cashew, a sip of dry wine, a bite of fresh cheese. You could also put the nuts to work on a plate, roughly chopped over warm potatoes or a soft egg. Their crunch adds another layer, and the seasoning gives a familiar ingredient a more fragrant finish. Start with a few pieces, taste, and add more as you please.

• Fresh cheese and a crisp drink: Pair a few cashews with a mild fresh cheese and dry white wine or sparkling water. The cheese gives you a soft, tangy bite beside the nut, while the drink refreshes the palate between the savoury mouthfuls.
• Warm potatoes with a little flourish: Dress small boiled potatoes with olive oil and chopped chives, then finish with roughly broken cashews just before serving. Keep the rest of the seasoning restrained at first; the nuts already bring salt and truffle flavour, as well as a welcome crunch against the soft potato.
• A soft egg on toast: Spoon a softly cooked egg onto toast and scatter a few chopped cashews over the top. The yolk, bread and nut make a generous little supper. Add some green leaves with a sharp dressing alongside to keep the plate lively.

When Les Niçois opened on rue Lacharrière in Paris in 2014, it brought more than Mediterranean food to the neighbourhood. There was pétanque, an apéritif to linger over and the easy feeling of a table where the conversation might run longer than expected. The pleasure was as much in the pause as in the plate.

The grocery range carried that idea into spreads, baked snacks and seasoned nuts for home. Tata Arlette’s truffle-flavoured cashews make an easy invitation to take the same kind of pause: something fragrant to nibble while dinner is still taking shape. You need neither a restaurant reservation nor a pétanque court to enjoy the useful part of the idea. Pour a drink, put a few good things on the table and give the evening time to begin.

Store in a dry place away from light. Keep the packet closed between servings and follow the best-before date on the packaging.