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Pommes Granny Smith – Granny Smith apples. Granny Smith Apples on French Menus.

2026-04-01T03:11:00.000-07:00

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Pommes Granny Smith
Photograph courtesy of Pierre Tourigny
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pierre_tourigny/129235076/

Pommes Granny Smith are much appreciated in France, and in season this tart, but lightly sweet apple will be the apple of choice for a genuine Tarte Tatin. They maintain a crisp, clean flavor and hold their shape well, not becoming mushy like some sweet apples. (When the Granny Smith apple is not available, the French Reinette apple will often be used. While they may not hold their shape as well, some chefs prefer an apple that is less tart.) Granny Smith apples are immediately recognizable from their bright green skin and are usually chosen because they maintain their crisp, clean flavor.

Strawberry, Granny Smith Apples, and Kiwi Fruit Pie

Photograph courtesy of liz west

https://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/98277344/

The history of the Granny Smith Apple.

Granny Smith apples are probably the most well-known of all cooking apples. However, it is neither a British, French, European, or even an American apple. Neither was this apple brought from the New World by the Conquistadores, and not even the Romans, the Greeks, the Phoenicians, or Egyptians knew about Granny Smith apples. Neither did Granny Smith apples come from China. This unique apple was developed from a seedling discovered on her farm by a British immigrant to Australia, Maria Anne Smith (1799–1870). Mrs. Smith, later in life, would become the Granny behind the apples.

Granny Smith Apples on French menus:

Tartare de Crevette au Saumon Fumé et Pomme Granny-Smith – A tartar of shrimps and smoked salmon with Granny Smith apples.

Filet de Bar Marinade au Citron Caviar, Julienne de Légumes et Pomme Granny Smith. – A filet of European Seabass marinated with the Australian Finger Lime (lemon-caviar) fruit, accompanied by a julienne of vegetables, (a julienne is vegetables cut into 2mm by 5mm long thin strands), and served with Granny Smith apples. The name lemon-caviar given to the Australian Finger Lime fruit relates to its small globules of lemon-lime tasting juice that burst on your tongue in a similar manner to a good caviar. Despite that name, the fruit is not related to the citrus family.

Cucumbers Julienne

Photograph courtesy of Stacy

https://www.flickr.com/photos/notahipster/4670390442/

Jambon de Sanglier d'Alsace Salade de Mâche aux Pommes Granny Smith Noix et Raisins – Ham from a farm-raised Alsatian wild boar served with mache, field lettuce, Granny Smith apples, walnuts, and grapes. France farms wild boar and many other animals that elsewhere may be considered wild game. If the wild boar on this menu's listing had been truly wild, the listing would have read Sanglier Sauvage.

Single serving Granny Smith Tarte-Tatin

Photograph courtesy of ayustety

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ayustety/337343867/

Hareng Fumé, sur une Émulsion de Pommes de Terre à l’Huile d’Olive Pomme Granny Smith – Smoked herring served on a thick potato mousse flavored with olive oil and Granny Smith apples.

Salade de Viande Séchée de Cerf aux Pommes Granny Smith Huile de Noix et copeaux de rebibes de Beaufort.
A salad of air-dried deer meat served with Granny Smith apples, walnut oil, and curled shavings from Beaufort cheese.

Just picked Granny Smith Apples

at Plunkett Orchards, Australia.

Photograph courtesy of Apple and Pear Australia Ltd

https://www.flickr.com/photos/applesnpearsau/25522579543/

Carpaccio de Saint-Jacques des Côtes Bretonnes, Betteraves, Cumbawa, Pommes Granny Smith – Carpaccio of King Scallops from the coast of Brittany served with beetroots, kaffir lime, and Granny Smith apples.

Granny Smith apple crumble.

Photograph courtesy of David van der Mark

https://www.flickr.com/photos/d_vdm/22010727401/

The Smiths

Mrs. Smith and her husband Thomas were farmers and not ex-convicts, and they worked an orchard they bought and developed in Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. Maria, the future Granny Smith, found the original seedling, growing on their farm. It was Maria who nurtured these seedlings that would create the huge Granny Smith apple industry.

Granny Smith apples. The most popular apples in the world.

The worldwide popularity came about too late for Granny Smith to benefit, but, by the early twentieth century, Granny Smith apples had become the premier cooking apple in the British Empire. Today, close to two hundred years after their discovery, virtually every country in the world grows Granny Smith apples. Australians, with a degree of reason, grumble, that the world does not recognize their country’s contribution to the apple pie or apple crumble industry.

Paying homage to Mrs Smith and the Granny Smith Apple/

Now you may love France and French food, and that may be expected if you are reading this post and other posts from the blog. If, in addition, you also are a world traveler and a Granny Smith apple aficionado, then you have a secondary duty. A real lover of Granny Smith cooking apples must visit New South Wales, Australia, with a side trip to Ryde, now a suburb of the City of Sydney. There, in the churchyard of St Anne’s, you may visit and, in season, place Granny Smith apple blossoms on Maria and Thomas Smith’s graves.

Maria and Thomas Smith’s Graves

In the Churchyard of St Anne’s, Ryde, Australia.

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
Copyright 2010, 2017, 2026.
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Morille, the Morel Mushroom. Morel mushrooms on French Menus. The Mushrooms of France V.

2026-03-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Morels in a farmers’ market.
Photograph courtesy of Al
www.flickr.com/photos/wessel1943/7170856890/

La Morille – The Morel Mushroom

Morels are a family of tasty mushrooms with a decidedly different look to most other mushrooms. Morels lack the gills and domed caps of many other mushrooms, but they all have white-to-ivory colored stems and a conical cap. Dried morel caps that you may see in the market look tube-shaped, but that is part of the drying process and when rehydrated the conical cap returns. The morel’s taste and texture make them a French favorite; they will be served fresh from early spring through to the beginning of June. (The idea that morel stems are not edible is an urban legend, though they are a little tougher than the cap).

Now that a few members of the morel family have been cultivated, mushroom farmers all around the world are trying to produce mushrooms all year round. Nevertheless, it is still a work in progress and not enough product is reaching the markets to change the prices. On the wild side, each member of the morel family has its own short six-to-eight weeks of glory in France between late February and June. The morel is providentially an easy mushroom to dry and so they may be on menus all year round. Some French chefs freeze morels and extend their "almost fresh" shelf life by a month or two. two.

Dried morels in the market.(The row in the center).
Photograph courtesy of Tom Bridge

www.flickr.com/photos/tbridge/5559121011/

The two most common members you will encounter in France are:

The Yellow Morel, the Morille ronde or Morille blonde – This is the most famous member of the morel family; identified in the markets by its rounded or egg-shaped cap and its honey-yellow to pale brown color. Unlike its cousin, the Black Morel, the ridges on the Yellow Morel are irregular and look like a sponge or a honeycomb. The flavor is mild, nutty, and creamy.

The Black Morel, Morille noire or Morille conique – This variety is identified by its pointed, conical shape and dark brown to black ridges. It appears earlier in the season and is highly prized by chefs for its intense, smoky aroma and stronger flavor.

Morels can grow quite large.

Photograph courtesy of Jena Fuller

www.flickr.com/photos/jsf539/14038716515/

French chefs like wild mushrooms and wild herbs and most will have long-term contracts with ramasseurs: professional wild mushroom and wild herb gatherers. These professional gatherers know the exact season for each member of the morel family, as well as other mushrooms, herbs, fruits, berries, and more. These gatherers keep the places where they find the mushrooms close to their chests; they know they can expect the same wild mushrooms and herbs to appear every year. Importantly, they also know how to keep well away from the false morel and other "look-alike" mushrooms which can be poisonous.

Veloutéd'Asperges Blanches aux Morilles Fraîches- A creamy white asparagus soup served with morel mushrooms. Veloutés are smooth velvety soups and were made from, at least originally, a sauce base; veloutés were one of the five mother sauces of French cuisine

Émincé de Veau aux Morilles – Thin slices of veal served with morel mushrooms.

Filet de Féra du Léman aux Morilles, Risotto à l’Ail des Ours, Tomate Confite - A filet of the broad whitefish caught in Lake Leman (Lake Geneva) prepared with morel mushrooms. The dish is accompanied by a risotto flavored with wild garlic and a tomato confit. The broad whitefish is a relative of salmon and trout and a very tasty fish. When this fish is on your menu in France it will come from a lake or a river, while outside of Europe they may be caught at sea. When this fish comes from Lake Leman, it is considered particularly tasty and so its provenance will be on the menu. The wild garlic in the risotto has a much lighter and delicate taste than cultivated garlic, but do ask the waiter as not all wild garlic plants will have read this post! The tomato confit that accompanies this dish is made with tomatoes cooked very slowly until they reach the consistency of a tomato jam.

Morel Mushrooms

with a Tomato and Pinot Noir Reduction and an Artichoke Pasta

Photograph courtesy of Janet Hudson

www.flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/4803891520/

Poêlée de Ris de Veau aux Morilles à la Crème, Jus au Porto. – Lightly fried veal sweetbreads served with creamed morel mushrooms and flavored with a port wine sauce.

Suprême de Chapon au Vin Jaune et Morilles – Boneless capon breast prepared with the yellow wine of the Jura and morel mushrooms. A capon is a cockerel, a rooster, that was castrated as a chick and they grow to 3 or 4 kilos and have very tender meat. The Vin Jaune, the yellow wine from the Jura is a very aromatic dessert wine; it will have been aged for a minimum of six years in oak barrels. The Vin Jaune is a very unique wine, apart from its preparation, taste, aroma, even its bottle shape and size is different to other French wines.

The season, in France, for Fresh Morels.

Outside of the late February to early June season when one member or another of the morel family may be collected fresh the morels on the menu will have been dried. When dried morels are rehydrated, there is only a little change in the taste and texture, and for morel aficionados, any morel is better than none.

None of the members of the morel family has ever been truly cultivated, and there are nearly fifty members. However, in Europe, only five or six morels grow abundantly and it this small number who reach the restaurants and markets in quantity. There are slight differences in taste and texture between the different family members but you will need a lot of exposure to tell the difference.

Nearly enough for breakfast

Photograph courtesy of Jacob Kaplan-Moss

www.flickr.com/photos/jacobian/8689783655

Dried morels are anywhere from 2.5cm (1”) to 5cm (2”) long, without the stem. Wild morels are often larger with some wild morels more than three times that length.

Gathering wild mushrooms.

If you gather wild morels in France be aware of the false morel that the uninformed can mistake for the real thing; false morels are poisonous! Every town and village in France have a trained mycologist, a mushroom expert and local pharmacists have these expert’s addresses. All mushrooms should be shown to these volunteer experts before being eaten, and, in any case, all morels must be cooked.

The Mushroom Gatherers

Painting by Henry Herbert La Thangue (1859 – 1929)

Yellow Morel, Morille ronde or Morille blonde), in the languages of France’s neighbors: (Catalan – múrgola, rabassola, or morilla), (Dutch – morielje), (German – Speisemorchel or Rund-Morchel), (Italian – spugnola or spugnola gialla), (Spanish – morilla, mazorquita, or pancita), (Latin – Morchella esculenta),

Yellow Morel in other languages: (Chinese (Mandarin) – yángdǔjūn / 羊肚菌), (Greek – manitári morchéla / μανιτάρι μορχέλα), (Hebrew – morel / מוריאל), (Hungarian – kucsmagomba), (Norwegian – Morkel), (Polish – smardz), (Romanian – zbârciog), (Russian – smorchki / сморчки), (Swedish – Murkla),

Black Morel, Morille noire or Morille conique, in the languages of France’s neighbors: (Catalan – múrgola negra), (Dutch – morielje), (German – Spitzmorchel), (Italian – spugnola nera or morchella conica), (Spanish – colmenilla negra or morilla), (Latin – Morchella conica).

Black Morel in other languages: (Chinese (Mandarin) – hēi yángdǔjūn / 黑羊肚菌), (Greek – mávri morchéla / μαύρη μορχέλα), (Hebrew – morel shakhor / מוריאל שחור), (Hungarian – ízletes kucsmagomba), (Norwegian – Spissmorkel), (Polish – smardz wyniosły), (Romanian – zbârciog conic), (Russian – smorchok konicheskiy / сморчок конический), (Swedish – Toppmurkla), (Turkish – sivri kuzu göbeği). (Turkish – kuzu göbeği).

Other mushroom posts:

Rosé des Prés or Agaric Champêtre – The Field or Meadow Mushroom in French Cuisine. French Mushrooms X.

Bolet, Cèpe Jaune des Pins or Nonnette – The Weeping Bolet Mushroom in French Cuisine. The Mushrooms of France IX

Shiitake or Lentin du Chêne –The Shiitake Mushroom in French Cuisine. The Mushrooms of France VIII

Corne d'Abondance, Craterelles or Trompette des Morts, - The Horn of Plenty, the Black Chanterelle and the Black Trumpet Mushroom. French Mushrooms VII

Pleurote – The Oyster Mushroom in French cuisine. The Mushrooms of France VI

Chanterelle Mushrooms. The Most Famous Four. Chanterelle Mushrooms on French Menus. The Mushrooms of France IV

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

The Mousseron or St. George's Mushroom, The Wonderful Wild Mushrooms of France II.

Mushrooms in France I, The Champignon de Paris, the ButtonMushroom. -

Soup on the French Menu. A Soup by Any Other Name, but France has So Many Names for Soup.

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

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

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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.

Munster Cheese.The Premiere Cheese from the Alsace and the Lorraine. The town of Munster in the Alsace.

2026-03-28T02:57:00.000-07:00

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Aged Munster cheese.

Photograph courtesy of Carnet de Fromages

Munster the town and Munster the Cheese.

(The cheese called Muenster in the USA has a different origin and taste).

Munster AOP or Munster Géromé AOP is a 27 % fat, dry to creamy, ivory-colored, pungent, cow’s milk cheese made with unpasteurized cow’s milk. The natural edible rind of a young Munster begins with a pink tinge for the youngest and drier Petit Munster, to a deep red for a two or three-month mature creamy, smooth Munster.

Munster is one of the really stinky cheeses of France though the cheese's taste is far from as strong as the smell. The smell is a reaction to repeated washing in brine and rock salt which prevents the growth of any mold while intentionally affecting the taste and smell. Nevertheless, plastic wrap, refrigeration, (not freezing), makes this tasty cheese easy to store. The two names Munster and Munster Géromé represent the production in the Alsace for the Munster and the Lorrain for the Munster Géromé, their tastes and smells are identical.

Petit Munster.
Photograph courtesy of SuperMarche Match.

Munster comes in a variety of sizes beginning with a Petit Munster that weighs 120 grams (4 oz) and a Petit Munster Géromé that weighs 200 grams (7 oz). The larger Munsters come in sizes up to 6 kilos (13 lbs). The cheeses are aged for a minimum of two weeks and for up to 3 months. The younger cheeses are lighter and drier, the old are smellier and creamier. In cheese shops in the Alsace, the refrigerated cheese is often on sale unboxed in both square and circular shapes, and then you will see the mature cheese's brick red rind.

Munster au Cumin and misunderstandings.

Despite the name, the cheese called Munster au Cumin is not cumin—it’s caraway! While cumin seeds may resemble distant family members, such as caraway seeds, their taste and aroma differ significantly. In the French region of Alsace, in the Grand Est, a long-standing linguistic mix-up has created a major culinary misunderstanding. In the Alsatian dialect, the term cumin des prés (meadow cumin) or simply cumin refers to caraway seeds, known in proper French as carvi. One cannot easily change hundreds of years of embedded local terminology, and so it is important to remember that in Alsace, "cumin" is always caraway in disguise

Munster the town

The small and attractive town of Munster is in the department of the Haute Rhine in the Alsace part of the region of the Grand Est. The town developed around the now derelict Abbey of Saint Gregory of Munster; Saint-Grégoire. The original abbey was rebuilt many times but destroyed during the French revolution with the final destruction in WWI. The monks built their abbey in a valley of the Vosges Mountains and either named it after a corruption of the word monastery or after Munster in Ireland from where many of the original Celtic speaking monks came. Munster is on the Alsace Route de Vins, the Wine Route of the Alsace which is home to eleven fabulous wines, and the ten white wines in that group are amongst the best that France has to offer. The Gewurztraminer AOC/AOP semi-dry white wine whose vines originated here are now grown and sold all over the world. Munster is on the Alsace wine route just 17 Km (12 miles) from Colmar, the prefecture, the capital of the department of the Haute Rhine and 68 km (42 miles) from Basel, Switzerland.

Like many other Alsatian towns, many Munster rooftops are home to nesting storks; the house with a nesting stork has a good-luck charm. The male storks arrive in the spring and begin building the nest with the same nest serving the couple for many years; storks are faithful to their partners and return to the same nests every year. By September the young storks leave followed by the elder storks joining their 10,000-mile annual migration.

Cranes on a rooftop in Munster.

Photograph courtesy of GK Sens-Yonne

www.flickr.com/photos/sens-yonne/15710630397/

Munster on French menus:

Croustillant de Munster au Miel et Salade Verte – Crisply fried Munster cheese with honey drizzled over it and served with a green salad.

Munster with honey is in many recipes and one of the most wonderful desserts I ever had was a warm, mature Munster cheese cooked inside a thin, crispy pastry and served with the Miel de Sapin des Vosges AOP. Miel de Sapin is a unique honey made with honeydew taken from aphids which are shepherded by bees who do not collect pollen but the honeydew from the aphids that are found on the trees in the Vosges pine forests; that unique honey was sprinkled all over the pastry.

Tarte Flambée au Choix (traditionnelle, gratinée, munster) - A tart flambee, also called flammen kuechen, made to your choice. Eithet the traditional version or one with grated yellow cheese on top, or made with Munster. A tarte flambée with Munster begins with the original tarte flambée recipe which is bread dough covered with crème fraîche and a Bibeleskaes, a local soft white cheese, thinly sliced onions, and lardons, smoked or fried bacon bits; to this is added the Munster cheese. The tarte will be baked in an oven for about ten minutes and served; the traditional wood-fed oven gives the best flavor.

Tarte Flambe with Munster and lardons, bacon bits.

Photograph courtesy of belgianchocolate

www.flickr.com/photos/frank-wouters/24785051/

Jambonneau Gratiné au Munster sur Choucroute – Roasted ham hock, also called a pork knuckle, sprinkled with grated Munster and served on a bed of choucroute, the Alsace’s signature sauerkraut, pickled cabbage.

Tartiflette au Munster - A tartiflette with Munster will have a whole a Munster baked, usually with added cream or crème fraîche and served over boiled potatoes, bacon bits, and onions. The name tartiflette comes from a dish that originated with the Reblochon AOP cheese in the departments of the Savoy the new super region of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Nevertheless, eating a cooked Munster cheese over boiled potatoes has been a local Munster tradition from when potatoes became an important crop in the 17th century.

Tartiflette with Munster and potatoes

Photograph courtesy of Jojo Bombardo

www.flickr.com/photos/jojobombardo/8391281591/

How old is the Munster cheese recipe?

For the monks who came to the valley in the 6th-century cheese making was the only way to preserve excess milk before refrigeration; however, today’s Munster cheese was probably developed by the monks a mere 600 years ago. The same cheese is made on the Lorraine side of the Vosges mountain and the two cheeses were united when Munster earned the right to carry the AOC label in 1986. The Pan European AOP came along in 2006.

The Géromé Munster cheese of the Lorraine.

The Munster Géromé who obtained his own AOC in 1978 takes its name from the city of Gerardmer in the Lorraine Vosges The farmers of the Lorraine then made their own Munster cheese called Géromé or Gerome Munster. A name said to relate, in the Loraine dialect, to the rent paid to the Duke of Lorraine for his permission to graze the Munster cows on his land.

Ready to enjoy Munster.
Photograph courtesy of Matt Ryall
www.flickr.com/photos/mjryall/3758098544/

Is Munster such a smelly cheese?

Munster has a reputation as a smelly cheese; which it deserves. Despite that, while it may be smelly if kept fresh and wrapped and in a plastic box in the refrigerator the smell will not spread, and when served in small quantities the smell is far from overpowering. Certain French cheeses like Roquefort and Epoisses are higher up the list of smelly cheeses and the UK has its Stilton and Germany has its Limburger all of which are higher up the smell rankings.

Tarte flambee with Munster cheese accompanied by wine from the Alsace.

Photograph courtesy of Joel Bez

www.flickr.com/photos/lejoe/2641969144/

Apart from the cheese’s age and maturity you may choose a farm made cheese, a cheese made in a co-operative dairy, a cheese made with organic milk, and or versions made with added cumin.

Munster on Sale.

Photograph courtesy of Brian Kelley

www.flickr.com/photos/kelleys/24159886270/

Taking Munster home.

To take this cheese to take home have it vacuum wrapped, sealed it will travel well for 48 hours. When you arrive home, keep the cheese wrapped in a separate plastic bag in a separate container in the refrigerator, not the freezer; then the cheese’s smell will not affect other cheeses or foods. The stories that I have heard about traveling with this cheese all seem to be related to poor packaging. For buying and traveling with French cheese see the post: Buying Cheese in France. Bringing French Cheese Home and a Cheese Lexicon for buying French Cheese.

The Munster cheese lovers.

Like nearly all French foods and wines, there is a voluntary group promoting this cheese. In and around Munster are most of the members the Confrérie Saint Grégoire du Taste-fromage de la Vallée de Munster. This confrérie, a brother and sisterhood, aim at inspiring cheese lovers, particularly Munster cheese lovers. They arrange dinners, fetes, and if you are ready to swear your enduring love for Munster cheese, you may be accepted as a member.

The name Munster.

Two stories claim to provide the origin of the town’s name. The first story links the word monastery, around which the town was built, and the other links to Munster in Ireland. Munster is one of Ireland’s provinces and from there in the 6th century came many of the Celtic and Latin-speaking proselyting monks who established monasteries in France and Germany.

Ireland’s Munster rugby club flag.

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from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
Copyright 2010, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2026
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

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Searching for the meaning of words, names or phrases

French menus?

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Buying Cheese in France. Bringing French Cheese Home and A Cheese Lexiconfor buying French Cheese.

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Vins d'Alsace - The 11 Wonderful Wines of the Alsace, France.

Posts on other French cheeses:

Ami Du Chambertin; the Cheese from Burgundy.

Banon Cheese. The Cheeses of Provence: Banon AOC/AOP.

Camembert; France's most Famous Cheese.

Comte AOP (AOC), the premiere cheese of France.

Coulommiers PDO? Coulommiers the cheese. Is it Really a Brie ? It Tastes Like an Excellent Brie

The Fourme d'Ambert; More on France's Very Special cheeses.

Rocamadour that AOC Goat’s Cheese that Took its Name From the Medieval City.

Cafes in France and the Story Behind Coffee.

2026-03-17T03:42:00.000-07:00

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
bryangnewman@gmail.com

A café, in France.
Photograph by courtesy of mia!
www.flickr.com/photos/_mia/2584964985/

A French café is more than just the coffee and pastries it serves. A successful French café offers minimally comfortable seating and a place where people may meet regularly, drink coffee, or relax and just let the world pass by.

To order coffee in a French café click on this p

Ordering Coffee in France, The A - Z of Ordering Coffee in France.

The first coffee bean

Long before the first French café, there was the first grain de café—the first coffee bean that grew on a small evergreen tree in Ethiopia. (The coffee bean is, in fact, a seed that grows in pairs inside a coffee cherry, but I will keep to tradition and call it a bean.)

.
Coffee cherries
Photograph courtesy of Larry Jacobsen
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljguitar/405457216

Following the Sacred Bean

From Ethiopia, the beans and the secrets of their preparation were exported to Yemen. There, Sufi mystics used the power of the bean to sustain long nights of prayer and meditation, transforming coffee from a wild fruit into a sacred tool for wakefulness. Yemen became the world's first international coffee exporter, selling beans to Ottoman Turkey.

Coffee quickly became the most popular national drink in Turkey, with returning travelers returning home praising 'Turkish Coffee.' The drink finally reached Europe alongside the Ottoman Empire’s army as it expanded into Southeastern and Central Europe. When the Ottomans eventually retreated, the coffee remained.

France's first French café

According to accepted tradition, coffee came to Paris with Pascal Harutyun, an Armenian businessman from Aleppo, then part of the Ottoman Empire. Pascal set up a coffee booth at the Saint-Germain Fair in Paris (Foire Saint-Germain) in 1672 and went on to open France’s first coffee house on the Quai de l’École, near the Pont Neuf bridge, around the same year. (London had seen its first coffee house open in 1652 with the credit usually going to Pasqua Rosée, another Armenian.)

In the early evening.
Happy Hour sometimes comes to French cafés
Photograph by courtesy of Archibald Ballantine.
www.flickr.com/photos/johngevers/14004975/

The oldest café still operating in Paris

The oldest French coffee house still open in France is the Café Le Procope, also in Paris; it opened in 1686. The original owner of Le Procope was an Italian immigrant from Palermo, Sicily, Francesco Procopio. Today Le Procope is no longer a traditional café; rather, it is a smart restaurant and not an inexpensive one, offering history, excellent food, and of course, excellent coffee. Le Procope’s traditions include the claim to have introduced ice cream to France. (The café has opened and closed on the same site with different owners over the years, so Francesco was not available for an interview the last time I visited.)

The outside of Le Procope today.
Photograph Courtesy of Serge Melk
www.flickr.com/photos/sergemelki/3364276074/

Enjoying a coffee in Le Procope today

If you are visiting Le Procope for coffee, ice cream and a touch of history, it is best to go outside of regular meal hours as at lunch and dinner, every table in Le Procope is reserved for diners. Later, while you sip your coffee, consider that you may well be sitting at the same spot where, in the past, sat John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, Danton, Marat, or possibly Robespierre; that is real coffee history.

The inside of Le Procope today
Photograph by courtesy of Michael Rys
www.flickr.com/photos/mrys/176993289/

The oil in the bean is far more important than the roast.

The packaging of most branded coffees will tell you the type of roast but little else; however, the amount of oil in the coffee bean affects the taste far more than the roast. The perfect roast cannot produce flavor from dry, oil-less beans. (In fact, darker roasts achieve their bolder profile by drawing these oils to the surface.) For those who visit both France and Italy on a European trip, you may taste the difference in their coffees; the French favor the oiler beans, followed closely by the Italians.

Grains de Café, Coffee Beans.
Photograph courtesy of Apple’s Eyes Studio through Freedigtalphotos.net.

The two beans that fight for your business.

Behind the scenes, battling for market share, are two coffee beans: the Arabica and the Robusta, and their various family members. The Arabica has 50% less caffeine and is considered superior in flavor, but it is much more expensive; consequently, nearly all coffees on the market are blends of the two, with only a few premium brands being 100% Arabica. However, Robusta provides a higher caffeine kick and the golden-brown froth, the mousse (or crema, as the Italians call it), that traditional coffee drinkers expect.

The Blenders

Inside a coffee importer’s warehouse, there are highly trained and highly paid coffee blenders. These employees, like the blenders in the great Champagne and Cognac houses, rely on their sensitive palates and refined olfactory sense to prepare special blends. These blends are prepared for their most valuable customers—the café and restaurant industry.

Both 100% Robusta and 100% Arabica coffees can be blends, as different subgroups of each plant offers different flavors. After blending and roasting, these blends will have a taste and smell that does not vary from batch to batch, month to month, or year to year.

Coffee in a French home.

In many French homes, café au lait—a milky coffee—is the traditional way to start the day. Until about ten years ago, the cafetière (French press) was the unchallenged method for making the morning coffee, but slowly and surely, capsule machines have taken close to 50% of the home market; in cafés and restaurants, espresso machines rule. NB: Don’t expect to find much filter coffee in France;

In France, coffee isn't just a drink; it’s a clock

In France, coffee isn't just a drink; it’s a clock. The type of coffee ordered tells you exactly what time of day it is and whether the patron is 'on the go', standing at the bar (the comptoir) rather than sitting down.

Le Petit Déjeuner (Breakfast).

At home, many French people still favor a bol de café (a coffee bowl) rather than a mug for the morning’s café au lait, coffee with plenty of steamed milk. The bowl is practical: it keeps your hands warm and provides a target for dipping a tartine beurrée (buttered bread).

In a café, the morning order is typically a café crème (espresso with a generous amount of frothed milk). A café crème is basically the professional version of a café au lait. This is the only time of day when it is truly 'acceptable' to order a milky coffee.

A bol de cafe

L’Après-Déjeuner (After Lunch)

After lunch, the coffee of choice is un café, also called un petit noir, a small, strong espresso served black. Some cafés may serve it with a single square of dark chocolate or un spéculoos (a small biscuit); these cut the bitterness and make the patron feel welcome. NB: The French rarely order a cappuccino after a meal; it is not considered good for your digestion.

L’Après-midi (Afternoon break)

In the mid-afternoon, the same hour children enjoy their goûter (after-school snack), adults take their own pause-café. This is a slower, more social time, often marked by an order of a café allongé or a café noisette.

A café allongé is an espresso "lengthened" with hot water.

A café noisette is named after the French word for "hazelnut." This is an espresso with just a small amount of milk or cream, which turns the coffee the hazelnut‑brown color of a hazelnut shell.

Le Soir (Evening)

After dinner, coffee is again served black and small. For those worried about caffeine and sleep, the order becomes a déca (decaffeinated espresso); you may also request tea.

In many restaurants, there is also the option of a café gourmand. This is an espresso served on a tray with a selection of three to five mini-desserts. It perfectly solves the classic dilemma: coffee or dessert? While the selection varies, it often includes a mini crème brûlée, a chocolate mousse, a madeleine or a biscuit.

A café gourmand
Photograph courtesy of Merle ja Joonas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/merlejajoonas/6882916998/

The barista, the most important individual in the cafe.

In the best French cafés, the espresso coffee machine will be under the control of an experienced maître barista, a skilled operator of an industrial espresso machine. The title barista comes from the Italian, (as the Italians invented the espresso coffee machines, they also own the name). Coffee connoisseurs will tell you that only an expert barista can prepare a perfect cup of coffee every time. The correct heat of the water, the proper water pressure, and the correct tamping of the coffee for the espresso machine complete the work of a barista. To make the perfect cup of coffee, the barista will be trained like any other professional and the makers of the various espresso coffee machines and the coffee blenders run training courses for baristas.

Coffee beans, coffee cherries and a coffee tea.

Coffee beans (its seeds) grow in pairs inside a coffee cherry; unlike a regular cherry or a grape, with their protective layers make up about 60% of the fruit's volume.

Because of their high sugar content, ripe cherries begin to ferment almost the moment they are picked. Within hours, the flavor can change from sweet fruit to something far less pleasant; for this reason, the fresh fruit is rarely exported.

However, the dried pulp and skin can be steeped to create a unique tea called Cascara (Spanish for husk). This tea is fruitier and contains less caffeine than coffee. Cascara tea was permitted as a safe food ingredient in Europe in 2021 and now its aficionados can find it in some speciality French coffee shops as an Infusion de Cascara.

From the first coffee booth of 17th-century Paris to the marble tables of Le Procope where revolutionaries plotted a new world, coffee has defined the French experience. It evolved from a rare Ottoman curiosity into a daily ritual that spans every hour of the day—whether it is a morning café au lait, an afternoon petit noir , or a modern curiosity like an infusion de cascara.

To order coffee in a French café click on this post:

Ordering Coffee in France, The A - Z of Ordering Coffee in France.

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Tipping in French Restaurants and Asking for French Sales Tax to be Returned.

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Statue of William the Conqueror

In the town of his birth Falaise, France.

Photograph courtesy of Normandy Then and Now.

The French Connection and The English Kitchen

Was originally published as:

L'influence française sur la cuisine anglaise

in the blog: La mot juste en anglais.

The French connection with the English Kitchen began

with William the Conqueror in 1066

William the Conqueror conquered England in 1066. Shortly after his crowning as King of England, William began handing out the lands that had belonged to English aristocrats to Norman-French Barons and others who had fought with him. The data that shows the English aristocracy was replaced may be seen in the Domesday Book of 1086. The Domesday Book registered all meaningful property in William’s new country and showed his tax base. It survives in the original and is kept in the National Archives at Kew in London, England. The original Domesday Book may be viewed by scholars; the rest of us may see it online (in Latin with an English translation) at:

http://www.domesdaymap.co.uk/.

The original, hand-written document, makes clear that of the many large landowners, only four Anglo-Saxon-English aristocrats still owned their lands after twenty years of Norman rule.

Part of the Bayeux Tapestry

showing William’s ships arriving in Hastings 1066

The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the conquest of England in the year 1066

You may see it in Bayeux, Normandy, France.

Photograph courtesy of Dennis Jarvis

www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/14811103989/

The new Anglo-Norman-French aristocrats built castles on their newly acquired lands; documents from that time show that the cooks were Norman-French or French, while the kitchen help and farmers were Anglo-Saxon. Consequently; however, the names for prepared meats were adopted from Norman-French; consequently, the names for live animals remained in Anglo-Saxon English.

The language of the French cooks on the left.
The language of the kitchen help and the farmers on the right.

French – English Anglo-Saxon German – English

Bœuf - Beef Kuh - Cow

Veau – Veal Schwein, Swin - Swine

Mouton – Mutton Sceap - Sheep

Porc – Pork Picga - Pig

Poulet – Pullet or chicken Hana, Huhn – Hen

Venaissun - Venison Deor -Deer

The influence of the twelve French Queens of England after 1066

Of the 14 queens of England in the 400 years following the Norman invasion, 12 were French-born. This group includes two queens born in Navarre—then an independent nation between France and Spain. This four-century-long French influence on the English kitchen had a lasting effect on both the English language and the English table. Setting the tone for these queens was William's wife, Matilda of Flanders, who was crowned Queen of England in 1068.

Many classic British dishes have French roots, though not all date back to the time of the Conqueror. The examples below show the Norman-French origins of what are now considered traditional British dishes. "True Brits" will be pleased to know that puddings are not Norman-French, they are genuinely 100% British.

The traditional English and Irish breakfast

The traditional English and Irish breakfast is bacon and eggs, with fried or grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, pork or beef sausages. Along with slices of the blood sausage called black pudding, and, of course, toast. All of the ingredients may be seen on French tables though few if any, are seen at a traditional French breakfast. (Chapter 1).

(Baked beans were a late addition to the British breakfast table; they were an American import. In 1886, Henry Heinz brought five cases to the luxury London department store Fortnum & Mason and a new tradition was born.)

A traditional English and or Irish Breakfast.

Photograph courtesy of Rachael Ludwick

www.flickr.com/photos/raludwick/3849686165/

Bacon

Bacon, along with the word "lard," arrived in England from France. Today, in both English and French, "bacon" refers to smoked or salted meat from a pig. However, while the word lard now also means bacon in French, in English it specifically refers to rendered pig fat—which is saindoux in modern French. This often creates confusion for English speakers when ordering breakfast in France.

A French menu may offer:

Deux Œufs Brouillés et Deux Tranches de Bacon Grillé – Two scrambled eggs with two rashers of grilled bacon.

Rôti De Lotte Au Lard Fumé – Monkfish roasted with smoked bacon.

Œufs au Lard Fumé – Fried eggs with smoked bacon.

An English-speaking diner seeing Œufs au Lard Fumé without a translation might assume the café is offering eggs cooked in pig fat. While that may have been common practice a century ago in France, North America, and Britain, few modern cafés hoping to attract tourists fry eggs in pig fat today. Interestingly, "egg" is a genuine Anglo-Saxon name (originally æg, related to the modern German Ei), while the French is œuf.

Mushrooms - The word comes from the old French word mousseron. Now, even in France, the word has changed, and mushrooms are called champignons. The old French word mousseron nevertheless remains part of the French name for certain wild mushrooms. e.g., Le Mousseron in French is the St George's Mushroom in English.

Tomato – The British and the French both received both the tomato and its name from the Spanish via the conquistadores; the original Aztec name was tomatl, and the Spanish passed that on. Having received tomatoes from the Spanish at the end of the 17th century, both the French and the British considered tomatoes an ornamental plant; who added the tomato to the English and Irish breakfast is unknown.

Sausage - The word sausage came to England as the French word saucisse in 1066. At that time, in French, a saucisse included all types of cooked and uncooked sausages; however today, in modern French, a saucisse is often a smoked, cured or dried sausage, including salami style sausages. The French term saucisson is primarily used for a large saucisse. While the term boudin is commonly used for uncooked sausages. That includes the pork or beef sausages that are served grilled or fried for the English and Irish breakfast. In France, a boudin blanc, is a pork, veal or beef sausage, part of light lunch or dinner. Sausages are not commonly seen on a French breakfast table.

Black pudding - The black pudding sausage; a pig's blood sausage that is a traditional British, Irish and French favorite, and in French it is called a boudin noir. All boudins noir, black puddings, will have been boiled before being sold, and then will be fried or grilled before being served. The British and Irish versions of black puddings are usually large sausages, much too much for a single person, and for breakfast, only two or three grilled or fried slices will be served. French boudin noirs are mostly shorter and thinner than most black puddings and are often part of a light French lunch or dinner. France also organizes an annual international competition for the world’s best boudin noir, the world’s best black pudding. From all over the world, in March, the lovers of the boudin noir including many from England and Ireland come to compete at the Foire au Boudin de Mortagne-au-Perche, the black pudding fair which takes place at the town Mortagne-au-Perche in Normandy.

For a small contribution to the local economy, you may taste an incredible variety of sausages. However, the international competition—the Concours International du Meilleur Boudin Noir—is strictly for producers of black pudding. The competition is organized by a confrérie, the Chevaliers du Goûte-Boudin (Knights of the Blood Sausage).

If you wish to participate, follow the link to the Foire au Boudin.; while the first page is in French, further pages feature a Union Jack with rules for international entrants. Mark your diaries for the third Saturday and Sunday in March, and call your travel agent or EasyJet.

Boudin Noir (Black Pudding) with apples

Photograph courtesy cuisineaz

The French word toster came to England from France, where it originally meant "to grill" or "to toast." Later, the French would re-adopt the Anglicized word "toast" and use it with its modern English meaning. Today, in France, the word "toast" is just as popular as the formal French term for toasted bread, pain grillé.

Blancmange

The blancmange that arrived in England with the Normans was very different from today’s French dessert. Historically, blanc-manger could refer to almost anything white, as the name literally translates to "white dish" or "white eating."

A modern French blanc-manger is a dessert consisting of powdered almonds, sugar, milk, and cream, usually set with gelatin. Menus may offer versions flavored with strawberries, coconut, or other fruits.

In contrast, the Norman-French blancmange that first came to England was a savory stew of chicken or calves' feet flavored with almonds. Recipes survive from that era showing both the French and English variations. Thankfully, the blancmange offered in Britain today is nothing like the version I disliked as a child. Back then, blancmange came out of a packet; it was primarily fruit-flavored cornstarch and sugar to which milk was added.

Ox-tail soup and stew- Hochepot

These classic British and Irish dishes, known as oxtail soups or stews, were adopted directly from William the Conqueror's soldiers in 1066. Many of William’s troops came from Flanders in northern France, where their oxtail stew was called a Hochepot—a dish that remains popular in that region today.

Hochepot is the direct ancestor of the traditional British oxtail soup. It is prized for its deep flavor and the soft, silky texture provided by the bone marrow. (The historic province of Flanders is located primarily within the modern French department of Nord, along the coast of La Manche—the French name for the English Channel.)

Hochepot and Hodgepodge

The traditional recipe for a Norman hochepot includes—aside from the essential oxtail—almost any ingredient found in the kitchen. This add-everything method is responsible for the word hodgepodge in the English language.

In modern English, a "hodgepodge" usually refers to a mixture of miscellaneous items rather than specifically food. However, odds and ends are exactly what composed the original Norman recipe. Thus, the culinary hochepot gave birth to the linguistic "hodgepodge." To this day, various meat and vegetable stews can still be found on menus across Great Britain and North America under the names hochepot, hotchpotch, or hodgepodge.

Oxtail stew

Photograph courtesy of T.Tseng

www.flickr.com/photos/68147320@N02/15056259921/

Shepherd's Pie and Cottage Pie and their French connection.

Two dishes, Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie, are considered decidedly traditional British creations; they are the ultimate British comfort foods. Strictly speaking, a Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb or mutton, while a Cottage Pie is prepared with beef. Interestingly, both dishes are among those most often denigrated by French tourists visiting Great Britain. However, both French and British diners are usually surprised to learn that the origins of these two dishes are not British, but rather 100% French.

In France, the British Cottage Pie began life as Hachis Parmentier, and the Shepherd's Pie began as Hachis Parmentier d’Agneau (lamb). The word hachis refers to something "hacked" or minced—the origin of the English word "hash." These much-loved recipes appeared on French menus nearly one hundred years before their British versions became popular.

If a menu lists Le Hachis Parmentier Grand-Mère, it indicates a dish prepared "as Grandma did"; and for the French, "made like Grandma" is the very definition of comfort food

The "Parmentier" in the name refers to Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, the man who famously promoted the potato as a food source in France (it was previously thought to be poisonous or only fit for animals). Without him, we might not have the mashed potato topping that defines these pies!

Shepherds Pie

Photograph courtesy of jules:stonesoup

www.flickr.com/photos/stone-soup/3500639454/

The French Hachis Parmentier is made with ground beef and chopped onions fried in butter, flavored with nutmeg and a gentle touch of garlic. Once the beef and onions are browned, they are placed in a casserole dish lined with mashed potatoes. The mixture is then covered with another layer of potatoes and baked. To help the top achieve a perfect golden brown, grated Parmesan cheese may be added before serving.

The major taste differences between a British Cottage Pie and a French Hachis Parmentier come from the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and rosemary that typically flavor the British version. Aside from these aromatic accents, the dishes are largely the same.

Shepherd’s Pie and Cottage Pie first appeared on British and colonial menus in the early 20th century. They were heavily influenced by France, where the British had grown fond of Hachis Parmentier after they began visiting the country in large numbers at the end of the 19th century. Like it or not, these "British" staples are essentially French imports.

Hachis Parmentier
Photograph courtesy of Cuisine AZ

Hachis Parmentier (made with beef) and Hachis Parmentier d’Agneau (made with lamb) were named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a pharmacist and agronomist who popularized potatoes in France in the mid-18th century. By encouraging the French to adopt the potato, Parmentier saved millions from starvation during a period of frequent wheat crop failures. At the time, many French people incorrectly believed potatoes were poisonous. The dishes named in his honor were already established French comfort foods on restaurant menus by the 1850s.

Parmentier was an important figure in French culinary history. As Europe and the USA were enduring the "Little Ice Age," he famously employed "reverse psychology" to promote his crop. He stationed armed guards around his potato patches to lead the public to believe the crop was an expensive delicacy intended only for the elite. As he expected, this piqued local interest, leading people to steal the tubers to plant in their own gardens. Parmentier reportedly instructed his guards to accept bribes and "look the other way" when people sneaked into the fields at night.

Parmentier’s contributions were eventually recognized at the highest levels of government; in 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte appointed Parmentier as the Inspector General of the Health Service.

Antoine-Augustin Parmentier

France, look after your tourists!

Given the deep French influence on the English kitchen, English-speaking visitors to France deserve better menu translations. With so many linguistic overlaps between the two languages, listings such as Steak Frites or Steak Salade are easily understood.

However, a popular listing like Darne de Saumon Grillée, Sauce Béarnaise may confound visitors unacquainted with French culinary terms. At best, a standard English translation might read: "A thick cut of grilled salmon served with Sauce Béarnaise." While "thick cut" and "grilled salmon" are clear, how many English speakers on their first visit to France know what a Béarnaise sauce is? A truly helpful menu would explain that it is a creamy, buttery sauce flavored with tarragon and shallots.

The French, given their profound historical connections to British cuisine, should urge their chefs and restaurateurs to make their menu listings more visitor-friendly. Providing context for these classic dishes would not only honor their culinary history but also bridge the gap for the modern traveler.

Most of this post was originally published as a guest post for the blog “Le Mot Juste en Anglais”. Then it was entitled “ L'influence française sur la cuisine anglaise, “meaning the French influence on English Cuisine. Le Mot Just en Anglais is a blog whose readers are mostly French speakers interested in English; the blog is published by Jonathan Goldberg and Jean Leclercq and may be seen at: Le mot just en anglais.

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Breakfast in France and the French Breakfast Menu. Ordering Breakfast in France.

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

Estragon - Tarragon. Tarragon, the herb, in French Cuisine.

Lotte or Baudroie - Monkfish or Anglerfish. Monkfish on French Menus.

Macis and Fleur de Muscade, Mace and Nutmeg. Important Spices in French Cuisine.

Parmentier - The Man Who Brought the Potato to French Menus.

Romarin – Rosemary. Rosemary the Herb in French cuisine.

Sauce Béarnaise in French Cuisine.

Saumon – Salmon. Salmon in French Cuisine.

Sausages in France. A Short Introduction to France’s World of Sausages. The Sausages of France III.

Steak Frites - Great Steaks from France. Onglets and Bavettes in French Cuisine

Thyme in France. Thym, Serpolet, Farigoule and Thym Citron, Lemon Thyme.

Mousseron - The St. George's Mushroom. The St. George's Mushroom on French Menus. The Mushrooms of France II.

Visiting a Cafe in France and the Story Behind Coffee.

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Ready to enjoy Munster.
Photograph courtesy of Matt Ryall
www.flickr.com/photos/mjryall/3758098544/

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
Copyright 2010, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2026
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
bryangnewman@gmail.com

A café, in France.
Photograph by courtesy of mia!
www.flickr.com/photos/_mia/2584964985/

.
Coffee cherries
Photograph courtesy of Larry Jacobsen
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ljguitar/405457216

In the early evening.
Happy Hour sometimes comes to French cafés
Photograph by courtesy of Archibald Ballantine.
www.flickr.com/photos/johngevers/14004975/

Grains de Café, Coffee Beans.
Photograph courtesy of Apple’s Eyes Studio through Freedigtalphotos.net.

A café gourmand
Photograph courtesy of Merle ja Joonas
https://www.flickr.com/photos/merlejajoonas/6882916998/

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
Copyright 2010, 2012, 2016, 2021, 2026

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Hachis Parmentier
Photograph courtesy of Cuisine AZ