Behind the French Menu

Regions - On the 1st of January 2016 Many of France's Mainland Administrative Regions and Their Borders Changed. Keep This List With Your GPS and Map.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

The 22 regions of France until 31-12-2015.

Photograph courtesy of cefi.org

The new administrative regions of mainland France since 1-1-2016.

There are now thirteen administrative regions.

Photograph courtesy of www.France-pub.com

The internal borders, on the mainland map of France, are changing. There is some possibility of confusion where old maps and or guide books are used; however, that should not seriously affect the visitor. When traveling around France and looking for addresses the names of France’s departments are more important, and they remain unchanged.

What is a French Administrative Region?

From 1^st January 2016 from 22 departments in mainland France, including the island of Corsica, the number of regions has been reduced to 13. These 13 are France's new super regions. In certain administrative and geographic forms, a French region is similar to a US State or UK County, and the reduction will diminish the number of officials with their separate bureaucracies. Hopefully, this will create savings for the French taxpayer and reduce the government’s bureaucratic contact with its citizens.

In this post are the new mainland region’s names and the names of the old regions they include. I have also used the names they have chosen, and they will be confirmed by the central government by the end of October 2016; I do not expect any changes. The borders of the other six mainland departments and France’s five overseas departments are unchanged.

Until last week all my posts in this blog and in my book used the old names. It will take quite a while to go through all those posts and make changes in the book as well, but it will be done.

The old regions: The new region's names:

Alsace, Champagne-Ardenne, and Lorraine become: Grande Est

Strasbourg in the department of Bas-Rhin is the regional
capital.

The meaning of the Grande Est is the “Great East.”

Grande is a reference to the region’s importance

and East to its position in the North-East of France.

The new super-region of the Grande Est.

Photograph courtesy of latribune.fr

Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardie become: Hauts de France

Lille in the department of Nord and is the regional capital.

The meaning of Haute de France is

"The Heights of France." A reference to the region’s

importance and position in the North of France.

The new super region of the Hauts-de-France.

Photograph courtesy of leparisien.fr

Haute Normandie and Basse Normandie become: Normandie

Rouen in the department of Seine-Maritime is the
regional capital.

Most visitors will hardly notice this change, the two regions of

Haute Normandie and Bass Normandie have become one.

The new super-region of Normandie.

Photograph courtesy of linkparis.co

Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées become: Occitanie

Toulouse in the department of Haute-Garonne is the
regional capital.

The name Occitanie points to the historical country of Occitania

and the language of Occitan. When the French Kings

searched for a single language to unite France, there

were two languages in contention D’oc and its

dialects and D'oï and its dialects. D’oc indicated the language of Occitan

and D’ouil indicated the language of Paris and the areas round about.

D’oil, the language of Paris won out but still today there are

millions of Frenchmen and Frenchwomen who know or speak
some Occitan or where Occitan is the language behind

their local dialect. Provencal is an example of a dialect of Occitan.

Clearly, a single language is vital to rule a country. A the time of the

French revolution only 50% of the population spoke

French. By 1914 most of the population understood French

even if at home they spoke one of over 50 local languages

and dialects. Today every high school graduate speak excellent French.

In one or two generations most of the local languages and
dialects will be restricted to those who have studied them
in the universities. Many groups are working to keep the old
languages alive but their's is not an easy task.

The new super-region of Occitanie

Photograph courtesy of francebleu

Aquitaine, Limousin and Poitou-Charentes become: Nouvelle Aquitaine

Bordeaux in the department of Gironde is the

regional capital.

The new super-region of Nouvelle Aquitaine.

Photograph courtesy of France-pub.cpm

Auvergne and the Rhone Alps become: Auvergne- Rhône-Alpes

Lyon in the department of Rhône is the regional capital.

The new super region of Auvergne-Rhone Alps.

Photograph courtesy of chrisodile.eu

Bourgogne and Franche-Comte become: Bourgogne – Franche-Comte

Dijon in the department of Côte-d'Or is the
regional capital.

The new super-region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

Photograph courtesy of lpe-asso.org

The Unchanged Regions:

Bretagne (Brittany).

Rennes in the department of Ille-et-Vilaine is the
regional capital.

Centre- Val de Loire (This department did not change its borders,
it just changed its name from Centre to Centre -Val de Loire

Orleans in the department of Loiret is the
regional capital.

Corse (Corsica).

Ajacio in the department of Corse-du-Sud is the
regional capital.

Île-de-France
Paris is both a department and a city and
is, obviously, the regional capital.

Pays de la Loire

Nantes in the department of Loire-Atlantique is
the regional capital.

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Marseilles in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône
is the regional capital.

France’s overseas regions/departments are unchanged.

Guyane (French Guiana )

On the Atlantic coast of South America just above Brazil.

Cayenne is the regional capital.

Guadeloupe a group of islands in the Caribbean.

Basse-Terre is the regional capital.

Martinique an island the Caribbean

Fort-de-France is the regional capital.

Mayotte is composed of two islands in the Indian Ocean

Mamoudzou is the regional capital.

Réunion is an Island in the Indian Ocean.

Saint-Denis is the regional capital.

What are the French “Regions”

France administers the lives of its citizens both directly and indirectly through its “regions.” Regions can be thought of Countrywide geographical divisions dividing the country in a somewhat similar way to States in the USA and Counties in the UK. Each French Region administers its own area through "departments." While certain regions on the map of mainland are France changing, the names of France’s departments have not changed. On maps and websites departments are more important, they are more likely to tell you where you.

What are the French departments

France’s regions are divided into 101 Departments. Departments and regions were created during the revolution in the 1790’s to break up unmanageable areas, or huge landholdings called provinces. Only a few changes have been made since then. The departments are managed by the regions.

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Parmesan, the Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano is an Important Ingredient in French Cuisine.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

A whole 39 Kilo Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Marked so that each wedge cut from the wheel may be identified.

Photograph courtesy of anacenumesimplu

https://www.flickr.com/photos/anacenumesimplu/3373504963/ FF

Parmesan cheese;

Genuine Paremsan is the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard cheese, dry and easily grated; it is made from slightly skimmed pasteurized cow's milk. The cheese has a light yellow pâte and its rind while edible is best left for the birds. The cheese has 25% fat and a unique grainy and flaky texture. Its flavor is distinctive but accommodating so that it stands ahead of French cheeses as a flavor component in French cuisine. If you are visiting Italy and want to take a whole Parmesan cheese home you may experience some difficulty with the airline's checked baggage rules; an entire wheel of Parmesan weighs approximately 39 kilos (86 lbs).

Parmesan in French cuisine

Parmesan is essential in French cuisine and used for much more than pasta. Many French dishes use Parmesan for a grilled topping, making a sauce, or as part of the main recipe.

Wedges cut from a 15 month-old Parmigiano-Reggiano. Photograph courtesy of Pascal Cardonna

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pascalcardonna/6942399010/ FF

Within the European Union, (28 members, the number as I write this) this is the only the cheese that may use the name Parmesan. Parmigiano Reggiano is produced in specific areas of Reggio Emilia, Modena, Parma, Bologna and Mantova, Italy.

French Parmesan cheese.

The French produce some excellent Parmesan type cheeses themselves, but they cannot sell them as Parmesan. Most French restaurants use the genuine Parmigiano Reggiano though you will rarely know that from the menu, usually only the word Parmesan is noted. Despite possible legal problems, quite a number of restaurants choose a good local imitation. You will probably not suffer from either the taste, aroma or the texture of the French version. Nevertheless, those that do suffer when imitation Parmesan is used are the Italian dairies and their bank managers.

Italy itself has some cheeses very similar to Parmigiano Reggiano; try that excellent cheese called the Grana Padano, it is different but, it is similar. However, Grana Padano will never be sold as Parmesan and it will not pass as Parmesan. It is a very good but different cheese.

Grana Padano

Photograph courtesy of Bruno Cordioli

https://www.flickr.com/photos/br1dotcom/4320435465/ FF

Taking Italian Parmesan home.

To take Parmesan Reggiano home, whether you buy it in Italy or France, buy a one-kilo wedge and have the shop cut it into smaller wedges for you as the cheese is not always easily cut at home. Have each wedge plastic wrapped, and then all vacuum packed for travel. Parmesan will survive a two or three-day trip home in your suitcase unless you are in the tropics. When you arrive home keep the plastic wrap on and Parmesan will keep well in a refrigerator for months. Nearly all good cheese stores in France and Italy offer vacuum packaging for travel but check before you buy. N.B. A cheese shop is a Formaggeria in Italian and Fromagerie in French.

Mixed salad with grated Parmesan.

Photograph courtesy of T.Tseng

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68147320@N02/14521526274/ TT

Keeping the cheese wrapped in plastic wrap will prevent the cheese from absorbing tastes from other elements in the fridge. One of the very few cheeses that you may store in a freezer is an old Parmesan, carefully wrapped in plastic wrap. Old Parmesan has little water and will not suffer too much. However, you may suffer; old Parmesan is quite a bit more expensive than the regular one-year-old Parmesan Reggiano. For more about buying cheese in France and taking it home click here.

Parmesan Cheese on the French Menus:

Salade Sucrine, Poulet Grillé, Œuf Mollet, Parmesan – This will make an excellent salad lunch. Sucrine is a baby Romaine lettuce, crisp and sweet; it is sold as the “Little Gem” in North America. The centerpiece of this salad is grilled chicken, here it will be served cold, or possibly warm. All are accompanied by an œuf mollet, a shelled soft-boiled egg.

Pappardelle with Perigord truffles.

Pappardelle is a pasta noodle that looks like a wider and thicker

version of fettuccine.

Photograph courtesy of Edsel Little

https://www.flickr.com/photos/edsel_/6613804233/

Carpaccio de Bœuf Vieux Parmigiano Reggiano Affiné 24 Mois -
Beef Carpaccio served with a 24-month-old Parmigiano Reggiano. Apart from the sauce, there are only three ingredients in the traditional Carpaccio de Bœuf. The first is the beef, the second the Parmigiano Reggiano and the third the sauce. In this listing, the Parmigiano Reggiano is two-years-old, a Parmigiano Reggiano Vecchio. N.B. This menu listing reads like the original Carpaccio.

Aubergine Confit , Ratatouille de Légumes, Gratinée au Parmesan Poulet Fermer de Licques, Tomates, Croûtons, Copeaux De Parmesan, Sauce Tiède Au Parmesan. The is the Label Rouge, red label, chicken from Licques in the northwest of France in the department of Pas-de-Calais. The chicken is served after being browned with Parmesan under the grill. It is accompanied by Ratatouille and an aubergine confit, in the USA eggplant. An aubergine confit is practically an aubergine jam. The dish is completed with tomatoes, croutons, shavings of Parmesan, and a warm Parmesan sauce.

The Label Rouge, red label, chickens from Licques

The chicken from Licques in this menu listing comes from a historic strain recognized for their superb taste. They are expensive chickens as they grow slowly, but they are considered worth it. Red Lable chickens actually taste like something. Additionally, all Label Rouge, red label, chickens are raised free of antibiotics, growth hormones and are fed a 100% vegetarian diet and, of course, whatever they find outside. Their daytime lives are spent 90% free range, though at night they are returned to the safety of their chicken coups.

A whole Parmesan cheese wheel

turned into a bowl for grated Parmesan.

You may also see hollowed-out Parmesan wheels turned into salad bowls.

Photograph courtesy of ciron810

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32307961@N06/8537076743/ FF

Tartare d'Artichauts et Légumes Croquants au Parmesan – A Tartar of artichokes served with crunchy fresh vegetables, chosen for their taste and colors, accompanied by Parmesan cheese.

Risotto d'Huîtres de Bouzigues et Fenouil, Émulsion de Crème au Parmesan – A risotto made with the Bouzigue oysters from the Étang de Thau on the Mediterranean. In this menu listing the risotto is flavored with fennel and served with a thick cream of Parmesan Sauce.

Parmesan in an Italian or French Cheese store.

In a good cheese shop in Italy or France, you may see that a single Parmesan cheese is not kept inside a cooled counter. A whole Parmesan cools slowly and in an air-conditioned store with a large clientele, it will not suffer. Taking a whole Parmesan cheese from the cooler for every customer and returning it immediately would require a trained weightlifter. Whole Parmesan cheeses will be removed from the cooler in the morning and returned at night. That is acceptable for a 39-kilo cheese, but it is not acceptable for small wedges.

Fake Parmesan. Not the real Parmigiano Reggiano,

Outside of Italy and the European Union, many kinds of cheese call themselves Parmesan. Some of these cheese are really terrible, just tasteless plastic; many come pre-grated in bottles and tins and lose any flavor they had very quickly. Luckily most of these low-quality imitations do not look or smell like genuine Parmesan and can be refused with a sniff. That being said France has some excellent unbranded Parmesan like cheeses.

How can you learn to appreciate Parmesan cheese?

If you speak Italian or have a friend, who knows Italian well get his or her help and take the three short online video courses given by the Parmigiano Reggiano Academy It is a short online course in tasting and appreciating Parmigiano Reggiano divided into three steps. Each step consists of a video tutorial and a quiz to test your knowledge and qualify you as the owner of a refined palate. Of course, you also need some genuine Parmesan to take the course. With a trained sensory analysis of Parmigiano Reggiano, you will discover the complex world of aromas and tastes that characterize this very special cheese.

Consorzio Parmigiano Reggiano

This consortium controls the regulations for genuine Parmesan.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Goebel

How do the Italians test the cheeses that are produced?

To be legally approved at least one cheese in each lot must be tested, but since there are producers with colossal outputs, that means not less than one cheese in one thousand must be examined by an expert.

The test begins with an evaluation of the external appearance and aroma. Then using a hammer and a needle the tester may evaluate the cheese for the sound that would indicate internal cracks and vacuous spaces.

Finally, there is an organoleptic test from cheese that has been cut open. That is a tasting and smelling test and it is the most important part.

Every cheese must show the date that it passed inspection.

Photograph courtesy of Daniel Lobo

https://www.flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/115094517/

The cheeses that are tested are marked

with indelible ink in three categories.

a) The first category indicates the wheels classified as First Grade Parmigiano Reggiano. They are marked “scelto sperlato", "zero" and "uno".

b) The second category indicates the wheels classified as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese mezzano “medium grade.”

c) The third category shows the wheels that fall below the accepted standard, and they will be marked "scarto" and "scartone."

The cheeses of the first and second category are embossed with the words "Parmigiano-Reggiano" and the year of manufacture.

The second category cheese is identified using an indelible mark applied around the wheel.

Aging Parmigiano-Reggiano

Photograph courtesy of Matt Lewis

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lewismd13/8905970004/

Aging Parmigiano Reggiano Cheeses

Parmigiano Reggiano. The youngest cheese is at least one-year-old. It is called, but not labeled, a Giovane. This is the youngest Parmesan that may be sold.

Parmigiano Reggiano Vecchio – A Parmesan matured for between eighteen months to two years.

Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio – A Parmesan matured for between two to three years, a very mature cheese.

Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchione - A Parmesan matured for over three years; this is the grandfather of all the Parmigiano cheeses. When you buy Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchione you will pay heavily for the pleasure that it brings.