Behind the French Menu: Savoie

Showing posts with label Savoie. Show all posts

Noix – The Walnut. France’s Beloved Nut. The Walnut on French Menus.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

The Walnut.

Photograph courtesy of INRA DIST

https://www.flickr.com/photos/inra_dist/23047141914/ FF

The Noix de Grenoble AOP and the Noix du Périgord AOP.

France loves nuts, but above all, they are nuts about walnuts. Other nuts are good, but for the French none can compete with walnuts. Noix is the French word for nut and also the word for a walnut. (Noix is pronounced nwa).

Other nuts will have a second name that clearly identifies them, for example, Noix de Macadamia is a macadamia nut or the Noix de Pékan, the pecan nut. When the single word noix is on your menu, or on sale in a market, it is a walnut, and there will be no prefix or suffix. The walnut is THE nut. Nevertheless, just to keep us on our toes a walnut can also, very occasionally, be called a noyer.

Two French nuts have AOP ratings, and both are walnuts. These are the Noix de Grenoble AOP and the Noix du Périgord AOP.

The Noix de Grenoble AOP

Grenoble is a city at the base of the Alps in the region of the Rhône-Alpes and the capital of the department of Isere. Grenoble despite being an industrial city has a walkable center and a great cable car up to the mountains with incredible views.

Grenoble gave this walnut its name and the nuts are grown in three departments of the Rhone-Alpes. Isère; Drôme and Savoie.

Grenoble Walnuts on sale in the market.

Photograph courtesy of Glonadine

https://www.flickr.com/photos/toussaintconseil/27303500436/ FF

France had its own walnuts, and they were probably brought by birds and the wind and when the Romans arrived they cultivated the French walnuts and brought more cuttings from home. The AOP walnuts of Grenoble have achieved their unique taste and consequent fame over hundreds of years of careful attention and selection.

The cable car: Teleférico Grenoble - Bastille

Travel over 800 meters vertically from the center of Grenoble.

Photograph courtesy of Vinicius Pinheiro

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vineco/6349089610/ FF

Walnuts from Grenoble on French menus:

Carpaccio de Veau Mariné à l’Huile de Noix de Grenoble, Algue « Wakamé » et Graine de Sésame – A veal Carpaccio marinated in Grenoble Walnut oil along with Wakame seaweed and sesame seeds. Walnut oil is not used for cooking, like an excellent virgin olive oil that would destroy its distinctive taste.

Crumble à La Noix De Grenoble – The traditional English dessert that the French learned to appreciate England during WWII and took home. The French learned about apple crumble and have since developed many French versions of the English crumble. This is a walnut crumble.

Les Scampi Sautés aux Noix de Grenoble sur un Nid de Salade - Dublin Bay Prawns lightly fried with the walnuts from Grenoble and served on a bed of salad.

Salade d'Avocats, Pommes et Noix de Grenoble - Avocado salad, prepared with apples and Grenoble Walnuts.

Salade de Roquette avec Fruits de Saison et Noix de Grenoble Rôtis, Vinaigrette au Cidre de Pomme. A rocket salad made with the fruits that are in season and roasted Grenoble walnuts. Served with an apple cider vinaigrette.

Gâteau aux Pommes et aux Noix de Grenoble – An apple and Grenoble Walnut cake.

Picking the walnuts.

The walnuts of Grenoble are treated like the best wine grapes. As with vineyards belonging to a particular appellation, grape vineyards have their Ban de Vendange. The Ban de Vendange is the day when the grape picking can begin. Even if one vineyard is ready ahead of time, it must wait with all the growers must wait until the announcement of the Ban de Vendange. In the same manner, the walnuts of Grenoble have their Date de Récolte, the time the walnuts may begin to be picked.

All stages of the walnut

Photograph courtesy of Seb Perez-Duarte

Drawings by Pierre-Joseph Redouté.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sbprzd/279326314/ FF

Tension builds from the beginning of September and when the Date de Récolte is announced then the whole area goes wild. Then farmers work into the night and if they could work 25 hours a day they would. In a big year, the older kids are taken out of school to help. If that year’s quality is good, the whole region celebrates, if it is poor, the entire area may have a very tough year.

Visitors to the area look at their Routes de Noix, nut routes that are set up throughout the region. They have separate routes planned for car or foot, as well as mountain biking and horseback riding. Plan your day with routes that will take you to visit farms that make walnut oil and or walnut wine while others offer local cheeses and wines. Then, of course, there are restaurants of all types, and they all will have at least one dish with Grenoble Walnuts on the menu.

Despite the city of Grenoble giving these nuts their name, the small town of Vinay in the department of Isère considers itself the birthplace of the French walnut industry. It is a short drive from Grenoble to Vinay, only 44km, 28 miles, and that is a beautiful drive. As the crow flies it is just 20 km, (13 miles) but the road takes you around the mountains, and allows you to enjoy the valleys between.

The Grenoble Tourist Information Office has an English language website

http://www.grenoble-tourisme.com/en/

The Vinay Tourist Information office website is in French. Nevertheless, using Google or Bing translate apps, it appears in nearly perfect English:

http://paysdevinay.com/

Vinay alone claims over 300 km (190 miles) of walnut hiking trails including a route called Les Sens en Émoi, the way that will awaken the senses; this route highlights the sheer beauty of the area. In Vinay and other villages and towns and throughout the later part of the year there are celebrations and fêtes, all in honor of their walnuts. The dates may change slightly from year to year; however; the local tourism office will provide the routes for walking, mountain biking, horse and pony riding and driving. The Tourist Information Office also sells a book with maps for planning ahead. Unfortunately, the book is only in French: Promenades et Randonnées Pays de Tullins Vinay à pied, à VTT, à cheval» You may order it by email from the Tourist Information Office. Last time I looked it was not on sale at Amazon France,

Noix du Périgord AOP

Perigord Walnuts

Photograph courtesy of INRA DIST

https://www.flickr.com/photos/inra_dist/23566745802/ FF

Noix du Périgord AOP – The other French AOP walnut. These nuts are grown in communities in the departments of the Dordogne, Lot, Corrèze and the Charente.

Here, as in Grenoble local chefs prepare dishes with their walnuts on the menu. This is Perigord, and Cuisine--la-Perigourdine is one of France’s most admired cuisines.

The Perigord Walnut on French Menus:

Crème Brûlée au Bleu du Vercors et Noix de Perigord, Sorbet Poire - Crème Brûlée made with the Bleu de Vercors Cheese and the Perigord Walnut all served with a pear sorbet. The Bleu du Vercors Sassenage AOP cow’s milk blue cheese, is sweet, creamy and has a slightly nutty taste of its own.

Croustille de Cantal AOP aux Noix du Périgord - A crispy cut of warm Cantal cheese served with Périgord walnuts. Here the Cantal cheese, an AOP cheese from the Auvergne will have been lightly grilled and then sprinkled with the nuts.

Figs roasted with the chayote marrow,

the Grenoble Walnut and iced cream

Photograph courtesy of the Hotel de la Paix Genève

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoteldelapaixgeneve/6542912495/ FF

Dos de Cabillaud en Croûte de Noix du Périgord – A thick cut of cod cooked inside a covering of Périgord walnuts.

Magret de Canard de Noix du Périgord (et Cèpes Poêlés en Persillade) – Duck breast cooked with the Périgord Walnuts along with French porcini mushrooms lightly fried in a mixture of parsley and garlic. When the persillade is cooked separately, as it is here, then it will probably be fried in butter and breadcrumbs may be added.

Salade de Roqueforte aux Noix de Perigord - A salad with Roquefort Cheese and Perigord walnuts,

Jerusalem artichoke soup, walnut oil and lumpfish roe.

Photograph courtesy of Frédérique Voisin-Demery

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vialbost/5519058399/ FF

Saucisse de Morteau Tiède à l'Huile de Noix de Perigord – Morteau sausage served warm in Périgord Walnut oïl. Morteau is a smoked pork, salami style sausage. Walnut oil cannot be heated as it loses its unique flavor while the Morteau sausage, as a salami-style sausage, may be eaten cold. Lightly heating the sausage in walnut oil is a nice way to enjoy both.

Walnut oil press

Photograph courtesy of JPC24M

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cjp24/5769561845/ FF

Walnut oil has a delicate flavor and like virgin olive oils heating removes that special flavor. Heating walnut oil also reduces the oil’s antioxidants. In France you will see walnut oil added just before a hot dish is served or used in a vinaigrette dressing.

The Périgord Walnut farmers’ organization is well organized, and they have a website that is very detailed. Unfortunately, it is only in French. However, a click on the Google or Bing translate app and everything is translated into English.

www.noixduperigord.com

For the routes of the Perigord Walnut all you need is one click on the website, you may also write ahead for printed maps.

Routes are laid out on both sides of the Dordogne (the River), east of the Dordogne (the department), and south of the departments of Corrèze and north of Lot. That is one of most beautiful parts of France. Apart from the natural beauty, the area has ancient castles, churches, and beautiful villages.

Walnut oil

Perigord has a number of Fetes that celebrate the Perigord nut, and the website above and local Tourist Information Offices will point them out.

Connected Posts:

Algue or Algue de Mer Seaweed, Edible Seaweed. Algue or Algue de Mer on French Menus.

Cabillaud and Morue. Cod, the Fish; Cabillaud or Morue de l'Atlantique on French Menus. Morue and Stockfish Rehydrated Cod.

Cantal and Salers; Two of the Best Cheeses From the Auvergne, France.

Carpaccio on French Menus.

Crème Brulée. The History of the dish and the Man Who Created or Re-Created Creme Brulee.

Cuisine à la Périgourdine - Dining in the Four Colors of the Dordogne-Perigord.

En Croûte on French Menus.

French Ciders, Including France's Fabulous Sparkling Ciders.

Jerusalem Artichoke on French Menus. This is the Artichaut de Jérusalem or Topinambour in France.

Langoustine – The Dublin Bay Prawn, Scampi or Norwegian Lobster on French Menus.

Duck Breast- Magret de Canard or Lou Magret, Duck Breast Dishes and Recipes on French Menus.

Ordering an Avocado in France, an Avocat on French Menus

Roquefort AOP. The King of French Cheeses.

The Cèpe, The Porcini Mushroom, Grows Wild in France. The Mushrooms Of France III.

Vinegar, Vinaigrette and Verjus in French Cuisine.

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Reblochon Cheese AOP. One of the Great Cheeses From the Savoie, France.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

A Reblochon de Savoie AOP.

The green label indicates a farm made cheese.

Photograph courtesy of Vercors Lait

Reblochon AOP - A great 26% fat, soft, creamy, mild, unpasteurized cow's milk cheese. Aged for four to eight weeks and just spreadable (when ripe), the cheese is ivory-colored, lightly nutty-tasting, with a light beige edible rind.

I had enjoyed Reblochon on a restaurant’s cheese plate or trolley in many parts of France, and it was always on the list of cheeses to be bought home. Then some twenty-plus years I was to enjoy it in its home in the two departments of the Savoie that are set in France’s Rhône-Alpes.

The Reblochon Laitier

There are two types of Reblochon. The cheese we usually see is the Reblochon Laitier, also called the Reblochon Fruitier, produced by dairies; these cheeses have a round red label on the packaging. The other and more expensive version is the Reblochon Fermier, where a farmer will have made his or her own cheese; they are marked with a green label,

The Reblochon Fermier

The Reblochon Fermier cheese is made with the milk from a single herd, during the period the herd grazes in the high pastures from May through October. Reblochon Fermier cheeses are marked with a green label pressed into the rind. The cheeses are collected once a week by specialists called fruiters who will age them in caves as well as above-ground heat and humidity controlled aging stores. The Reblochon Fermiers are aged separately from the dairy produced cheeses. During their aging, both cheeses are turned and washed every two days to prevent the growth of mold, which might affect the taste (More about the Reblochon Fermier in the latter part of this post).

During the winter, the cows eat the same grasses, herbs, and wildflowers that will have been collected from the high pastures and stored, but no cheese produced in the winter may be labeled Fermier, farm-made.

A member of the production team.

Photograph courtesy of Wolfgang Jung

www.flickr.com/photos/wolfgangjung/2470963810/

The Reblochonade and the Tartiflette

the most famous cheese dishes made with reblochon.

To begin with, there were two recipes; the Reblochonade was made with a whole Reblochon cheese baked in the oven with onions and served over boiled potatoes with most recipes adding crème fraîche to the cheese. Served alongside the Reblochonade will be local dried meats, sausages, bacon, or cured ham. Other traditional accompaniments that are eaten with a Reblochonade are cornichons and small white pickled onions.

The recipe of a Tartiflette was the same as the Reblochinade but made with added lardons, smoked or salted bacon pieces, in the recipe. Today, the two dishes have become one, and any differences depend on a particular chef’s preferences. Both are sometimes made with the cheese poured over bread or toast as well as or instead of potatoes. Under one name or another, these dishes will be on menus all over the Savoie.

A Reblochonade/Tartiflette with potatoes,

ham, salami type sausage, and salad.

Photograph courtesy of Le Fiacre

There is more to a Reblochonade or Tartiflette than just the cheese as the Savoie region has many exceptional dried meats and cured hams that may accompany them. Ask for more information about the meats served; otherwise, you may be missing something very special. One of the best-known hams is the Jambon de la Savoie, a cured boneless ham made in both Savoie departments. The ham is salted and steamed before being air-cured for at least nine months. These ham are aged for a minimum of 12 months and takes place in Alpine curing sheds at an altitude of 650 m. The sausages can include pork, veal, wild boar, duck, and more.

The original Reblochonades/Tartiflette were baked in a particular oven called a Berthoud made for the purpose, though that is rarely seen today. Still, the name may be on a menu and now you will know what it is.

A Lakeside Annecy hotel and restaurant.

At a lakeside restaurant near Annecy, there was a listing for a Tartiflette Végétarienne, a vegetarian version of the traditional dish with various fresh and cooked vegetables replacing the ham, the bacon, and cold meats. So for all those who believe you cannot find great vegetarian dishes in France, visit the Savoie.

Photograph courtesy of Guilhem Vellut.

www.flickr.com/photos/o_0/15152905578/

Other Reblochon dishes on menus in the Savoie:

Croustillant de Reblochon de Savoie sur Son Lit de Mesclun - Crispy grilled Reblochon served on a bed of a mesclun salad. A traditional mesclun is a green salad made with at least five different salad greens, but do not been surprised to find France’s favorite Haricot Vert, green beans, and other additions incorporated.

Filet de Poulet Sauce Reblochon – Chicken breast with a Reblochon flavored sauce.

Omelette des Aravis au Lard et au Reblochon - An omelet in the manner or the Aravis served with bacon and Reblochon. The Aravis Massif, mountains, apart from being one of France’s most popular winter skiing areas are, in its valleys, where they make Reblochon cheese. In the summer, much of this area is a center for people touring, hiking, and looking at the incredible countryside, beautiful villages, and enjoying many of the Savoie cheeses. This omelet will not be a French breakfast dish, most likely it will be on a light lunch menu.

Savoie Pizza 4 FROMAGES: Tomates, Jambon, Champignons, Persillé des Aravis Chevre, Reblochon, Mozzarella – A four cheese pizza. This pizza shop offering was clearly the Savoie take on the Italian pizza Quattro Formaggi, a very popukar four-cheese Italian pizza. Here the four kinds of cheese are all from the Savoie, Reblochon, Persillé des Aravis, a blue cheese, Chevre, a local goat’s cheese, and a local mozzarella. The Italian influence is felt in the Savoie area as these two departments were part of Italy until 1860 . Then as part of an agreement that created the modern State of Italy together with the Mediterranean city of Nice they became part of France. Still today, there are family and linguistic connections across the valleys.

Tartiflettes are often baked over bread or toast like this one.

Photograph courtesy of Clayton Parker

www.flickr.com/photos/claytron/160812791/

Velouté de Petit Pois au Reblochon - A velvety soup of petit pois peas made with added Reblochon cheese.

The milk comes cows in from the high pastures

in the Savoie mountains

Photograph courtesy of Evim@ge ON/OFF

www.flickr.com/photos/jetef2/45892139781/

Burger Savoyard: 180 gr Steak Haché, Rösti, Reblochon, Salade, Tomate, Oignons, Cornichons, Sauce Blanche.- A Savoyard 180-gram cheeseburger made with Reblochon and accompanied by rösti and a salad of salad greens, tomatoes, onions, cornichons, and a white butter sauce, Rostis are originally a Swiss creation of grated and fried potato pancakes that often contain onions and some herbs. There are different versions of rostis, some sweet and others salted, and some are very close to a Jewish Latke.

Skiing in the Aravis Massif.

Photograph courtesy of https://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/

The sizes of a reblochon cheese

The standard Reblochon cheese weighs approximately 450 grams (16 oz) and measures approximately 14 cm (5 ½”) across and about 3–4 cm (1 1/2") thick. Marketing demands have also created a market for smaller cheeses called a Petit Reblochon de Savoie. These smaller cheeses weigh about 250 grams (9 Oz) and are about 9 cm in diameter (3.5”). The Petit Reblochon size is nearly perfect for making a Reblochnade for two diners. Other shapes are made using halves of the regular large-sized cheese.

What makes the farm made Reblochon special.

The Reblochon Fermier (farm-made) with the green label is one of only three French AOP cheeses made in the high pastures where the cows graze. Each farmer makes his or her own cheese and cannot work with the milk from other farms. It is only available, at most, eight months a year. And made on fewer than 150 farms: fewer and fewer farmers want to spend five to six months of the year, making cheese in the mountains. That means less farm-made cheese and higher prices.

Reblochon on sale in Carrefour
The red label indicates a cheese produced in a dairy.

Photograph courtesy of Carrefour

The two other French AOP cheeses that must be made on the farms in the high pastures They are the Salers AOP that comes from the department of Cantal and the Beaufort Chalet d'Alpage AOC, also from the Savoie departments. Like the Reblochon Ferrmier, when these cows come down from the mountains for the winter, their milk cannot be used for cheeses that are called farm-made. Other AOP cheeses may be produced on farms in the mountains, but that is not a condition of their certification.

For more about the meaning of AOC/AOP labels on France’s foods, click here. For the labels on France’s wine, click here.

Nearly all of the Reblochon cheese is produced in the department of Haute-Savoie, in the valley of Thônes in the Rhône-Alpes of Eastern France bordering Italy. The rest comes from the Val d’Arly in the department of Savoie. Since 1-1-2016

the Rhône-Alpes is part of the super region of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

The history of Reblochon cheese and its name.

Reblochon is one of the oldest cheeses in the Savoie, and indeed its history can undoubtedly be traced to the 14th century. At that time, the farmers rented grazing lands (alpages) from landowners and paid their rent as a percentage of milk. From that tradition comes the cheese’s name; the farmers would have a second milking after the rent collectors had left, and Reblochon was made with that milk.

Choose your Reblochon

Photograph courtesy of Nicolas Vigier

www.flickr.com/photos/boklm/6993614719/

Visiting where Reblochon is made

Most Reblochon cheese is produced in the beautiful Thônes valley in the Aravis massif. The attractive small town of Thônes has a population of approximately 6,000, and there are other beautiful small villages in the area. The area has an English language website.

http://www.thones-valsulens.com/en/index.htm

On the website above, click on the menu bar. Discover and then click on the drop-down menu on Country and Taste. From that page, you will be able to see information on farms, dairies, markets, and where to eat. Not to be ignored when dining in the area is the local cider called Biscantin, which goes well with all the cheeses of the region.

Biscantin Cider.

Photograph courtesy of Thones Tourist Information Office

The language spoken, at that time, was Savoyard, a dialect containing French, Italian, and Occitan, and the word reblochon, in Savoyard, means to milk again. The Savoyard language is vanishing though it's still used by some of the residents of the Savoie who still speak the original dialect. There are also groups working to make Savoyard a familiar language again; Savoyard is one of twenty languages still spoken apart from French. Over fifty percent of French citizens, as well as speaking perfect French, speak or understand a second traditional language. The most well-known local languages are Occitan and Occitan dialects that include Provencal and Nicoise.

The town of Thônes in its valley.

Photograph courtesy of Travelazzi.

There are many other excellent cheeses made in the Savoie, with the most famous being Abondance AOP, Beaufort AOP, Chevrotin AOP, Tome des Bauges AOP, and Reblochon AOP. Then comes the Emmental de Savoie IGP, Raclette De Savoie IGP, and Tomme De Savoie IGP. However, when you travel in the area, you will find that local fromageries, specialized cheese shops, and farmers' markets have many other wonderful local cheeses. They include the cow’s milk blue cheeses Persillé des Aravis, Persillé de Tignes and the semi-soft pale yellow cow’s milk Tamié made by the monks of the Abbaye de Tamié. Many cheeses have limited production, and that means they cannot apply for exclusive labels, but they still are wonderful cheeses.

Local market in Thônes

Photograph courtesy of the Tourist Information Office Thônes

If you are going to be in the Savoie, consider visiting one of the 60 fairs and exhibitions that celebrate different Savoie cheeses and wines along with eve more that celebrate other foods. Most of these cheese fairs and other celebrations are held between May and September. The web site below gives dates and places; it is in French, but the Google and Bing Translation programs will provide you with a clear picture of what is happening along with where and when to go and join in a Savoie cheese celebration.

http://www.fromagesdesavoie.fr

Wines to accompany a Reblochon

To accompany your meal, choose one of the fine Savoie white wines for a total Savoyard experience. Choosing a white wine in the Savoie will not be difficult as the two Savoie departments produce very few reds. I am not a wine maven, but I know what I like, and on a week’s vacation near Annecy, I had the opportunity to try three different wineries versions of the Roussette de Savoie AOP white wine. The wines were from different grades, years, and their prices varied a great deal, but all were enjoyed. Finding the best Roussette de Savoie AOP white wine will require another trip to the Savoie; I think for a month, at least.

Aging Reblochon cheeses

The small round green label seen here of every cheese shows they are farm-made cheeses.

Photograph courtesy of the Tourist Information Office Thônes.

Bringing Reblochon home

For more about buying cheese in France, taking it home and storing it when you get back, click here.

--------------------------------

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

--------------------------------

Searching for the meaning of words, names or phrases

French menus?

Just add the word, words, or phrase that you are searching for to the words "Behind the French Menu" (best when including the inverted commas), and search with Google, Bing, or another browser. Behind the French Menu’s links, include hundreds of words, names, and phrases that are seen on French menus. There are over 450 articles that include over 4,000 French dishes with English translations and explanations.

Connected Posts:

AOC and AOP on France's Foods and Wine labels? Why is the AOC becoming an AOP?

AOP, IGP and Vin de France. The Labels on French Wines.

Abondance AOP - One of the Most Celebrated Cheeses of the Savoie, Rhône Alps, France.

Bacon in France. Bacon and Salted Pork on French Menus. Lard in French Means Bacon in English.

Beaufort AOP, One of France's Finest Cheeses. Beaufort Cheese on French Menus. Beaufort in Fondue Savoyarde and Other Classic Dishes.

Breakfast in France and the French Breakfast Menu. Le Petit Déjeuner.

Buying Cheese in France. Bringing French Cheese to Take Home and a Lexicon for buying French Cheese.

Canard – Duck. Duck on French Menus.

Cantal AOP and Salers AOP; Two of the Best Cheeses From the Auvergne,France.

Champignons on French Menus. The Champignon de Paris, the Button Mushroom in French Cuisine. The Mushrooms of France I.

Chèvre and Chevreau or Cabri – Goat’s Cheese and a Young Goat, a Kid, on Your French Menu.