from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
The escutcheon of the Confrérie de Saint-Etienne
d’Alsace.
The Confrerie Saint-Etienne d’Alsace honors and defends all Alsatian wines.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Morgan
www.flickr.com/photos/markmorgantrinidad/14452678681/
social and religious organization, it closed in the aftermath of the French Revolution. In 1947, its name was revived for a new confrérie created to restore the reputation of Alsace wines after World War II. Its guiding principle states that Alsatian wine must be judged by its peers to ensure it meets a very high standard. Since 1973, it has been based in the Château de Kientzheim, near Kaysersberg, in the department of Haut-Rhin in the Grand Est.
Confréries
Brother and Sisterhoods.
All French confréries (brotherhoods and sisterhoods) established in the last 100 years, along with a few more ancient ones, are dedicated to the promotion and enjoyment of food and wine. France once had hundreds of confréries with ancient religious or secret craft backgrounds—a few of which still exist and remain limited to men only (shades of The Da Vinci Code) they are left out of this post.
In
France the best confréries devote
themselves to important matters including: brandies, spirits, (and all other
alcoholic beverages), cheeses, cakes, pastries, herbs, spices,
sausages, cattle, sardines, sauces,
snails, fruits, and vegetables, etc. promoting, enhancing and protecting their chosen product.
Confrérie de l'Ail Rose de Lautrec
The confrérie of the pink garlic from Lautrec
Photograph courtesy of Lautrec Tourisme
https://www.flickr.com/photos/22228190@N02/3104153373/
Many
confréries also organize charitable events; despite that, however
sincere they are they mostly social, professional and marketing organizations.
There can be great fun in organizing a parade to march through the town with
all the members in would-be ancient costumes, including clogs and floppy hats. Confréries may
take to the streets to defend the original Tarte
Tatin, the local crop of asparagus or a famous wine; that publicizes the product and keeps it in
the public eye. Confréries also creates friends, and in
France, quite a number of confréries have done wonders for the
economy and social framework of small towns and villages.
Confrerie de l'Andouille de Guemene-sur-Scorff
The andouille is one of France's famous sausages.
Some confréries have
choirs, and others have literary and artistic pretensions. Most are French,
but you will also find some in Belgium, Switzerland and elsewhere. In
a few cases, like the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, they
are international with members in many countries.
Here is a short introduction to seven food and wine confréries chosen from among the many hundreds in France and elsewhere:
Confrérie de la Cagouille:
Confrérie de la Cagouille - The Brother and Sisterhood of the Petit-Gris Snail. The petit-gris snail is the smaller of the two snails commonly found on French menus (the other is the larger Burgundy snail). If you are visiting the department of Charente-Maritime, then consider their annual celebration of this local delicacy on the fourth Sunday in August. (Other regional names for the petit-gris snail include: Luma, Lumas, Chagriné, Carsaulada, Escargot Chagrine, La Zigrinata, and Cargouille . In English- the Grey or common snail. Latin - helix aspersa).
The Fête de la Cagouille et des Traditions (the Festival of the Petit-Gris snail and traditions) is held in the small town of Saint-Sauveur-d'Aunis in the department of Charente-Maritime in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. You may check the exact dates with the French Government Tourist Office before leaving home or look with the Google or Bing translation apps at their French language website below. Saint-Sauveur-d'Aunis is 28 km (17 miles) from La Rochelle on the Atlantic coast. If you are in the area, visit Marans, just 16 minutes away, it’s famous for its amazing chocolate-brown chicken eggs, (In From Russia with Love, James Bond famously had one boiled Marans egg for breakfast every morning).
At the Fête everyone has a good time eating and learning how to cook snails, and as the organizers say in their invitations: it is “the opportunity to enjoy the harmony of flavors and the culinary combinations offered by a good dish of the local snails.” You may also register for the festival’s lunch online; however, during the meal, be ready for another local tradition: long, enthusiastic speeches in French!
The
French-language website of the Confrérie de la Cagouille and the link to
their fete:
http://www.saintseverin.fr/event/fete-de-la-cagouille-et-des-traditions/
Escargots
Photograph courtesy of Kent Wang
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kentwang/20352869949/
La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs
La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs - This Confrérie, mostly just known as La Chaîne,
is an international gastronomic society. It
is based in Paris and devoted to promoting fine dining along with the
camaraderie and pleasures of the table. (Contrary
to what some believe, La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is not an
award given to a great restaurant, but rather its membership is divided into
two groups: one for industry professionals and the other for amateur lovers of
the Art of the Table.)
The Chaîne was
built upon the traditions of a historic confrérie and was
re-created in 1950 by five mid-twentieth-century foodies including the then
celebrated food critic and “Prince of Gourmets” Curnonsky, (Maurice Edmond
Sailland).
Today, La Chaîne still brings together professionals and non-professionals from the world of fine cuisine; it is a global community of over 21,000 members.
The website of La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs
http://www.chainedesrotisseurs.com/
Confrérie de la Truffe de Bourgogne
Confrérie de la Truffe de Bourgogne - The Brother and Sisterhood of the Burgundy truffle. This Confrérie was organized to market and defend the Burgundy truffle which competes with the more famous and more expensive truffle, the Black Diamond, the Périgord truffle. To show that they are politically correct this confrérie vows to harvest truffles solely with the help of specially trained dogs; no pigs are digging with this group! Do not worry; tradition lives on; the truffle pigs are not on the dole or being turned into hams; the truffle of Périgord has its own confrérie, and they permit the use of pigs to search for truffles.
The website of the Confrérie de la Truffe de Bourgogne
https://confreriedelatruffedebourgogne.wordpress.com/
Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin
Confrérie
des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin – The Brotherhood of Knights of the Black
Pudding Sausage. These knights and their confrérie are based in the
town of Mortagne-au-Perche in
Normandy. To become a knight, you must swear by the grill and the long-pronged
fork that you will eat at least one black pudding sausage every week, and woe
to those who do not keep the faith.
You
may meet the confrérie at the annual Foire au Boudin (Sausage
Fair), which welcomes sausages of all types and origins every spring, usually
in mid-March. For a small contribution to the local economy, you can sample an
incredible variety of sausages.
At the heart of this fair, the confrérie welcomes over 100 teams from around the world who arrive to compete in the "International Competition for the Best Black Pudding Sausage." (However, for 2026, the organizers have advised that if you are traveling from the UK and wish to compete there are significant customs difficulties in processing samples following Brexit.)
Their
French language website for the confrérie:
https://www.boudin-mortagne.com/
Boudin Noir on sale at the Foire au Boudin.
Photograph courtesy of Pierre Marcel
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pierremarcel/6994093231/
Confrérie des Chevaliers du Taste-Vin
Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin – The Brotherhood and Sisterhood of the Knights of the Tastevin. The tastevin is a silver cup traditionally worn on a silver chain by many a restaurant’s sommelier, its wine steward, around their neck. The confrérie offers fine food and plenty of wine at its meeting that promote Bourgogne (Burgundy) wine. The Confrérie’s home is Château du Clos de Vougeot just 5km ( 3 miles0 from Nuits-Saint-Georges and 9km (6 miles) from Gevrey-Chambertin in the region of Côte de Nuits Burgundy.
If you are in the region consider join a tour at Fromagerie Gaugry for an introduction to some of the best Burgundian cheeses including Epoisses and Ami du Chambertin, it’s just 2km (1.5 miles) from Gevrey-Chambertin to Brochon (equidistant from the Château).
The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Taste-Vin English language
website:
http://www.tastevin-bourgogne.com/en/
Confrérie des Lichonneux de Tarte Tatin:
Confrérie
des Lichonneux de Tarte Tatin –
The Brotherhood and Sisterhood of the Tasters of the Real Tarte
Tatin. These are valiant
gourmets; they take upon themselves the responsibility to protect the genuine
Tarte Tatin from cheap and inedible imitations. They do this while wearing blue
smocks, red scarves, black hats, and wooden clogs. More power to them!
Their
French language website:
http://stephanevaladou.wixsite.com/lichonneuxtatin
A perfect Tarte-Tatin
Photograph courtesy of Merle ja Joonas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/merlejajoonas/7463115956/
Confrérie Mondiale De L'Omelette Géante De Malmédy-
Confrérie
Mondiale de l'Omelette Géante de Malmédy –
The Worldwide Brotherhood and Sisterhood of the Giant Omelet of Malmédy. This
Belgian confrérie began with French members and now has associated
brotherhoods in the USA, Canada, and France. It has taken upon itself the large
and necessary task of cooking a giant omelet of at least 10,000 eggs in a pan
four meters (13 feet) in diameter for thousands of people every August 14th and
15th in Malmédy, Belgium. Well, someone has to do it! The Belgians, who make
over 600 different beers,
naturally handle a job like this well.
The Confrérie Mondiale De L'Omelette Géante De Malmédy website:
https://www.facebook.com/omelettemalmedy/
Making the l'Omelette Géante de Malmedy
Photograph
courtesy of Confrérie Mondiale des Chevaliers de l'Omelette Géante de
Malmedy
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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
Copyright 2010, 2017, 2025
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