The French countryside is home to rolling hills
and quaint villages rich with history and culture.
It’s also home to an ageless method
of cooking that is a way of life for the
people who live here.
Articles:
The French Perfection
For centuries, France has been known for its love of gourmet food, fine cheeses, and wine. Here, cooking is a serious art form that has evolved through the ages. Culinary traditions are carried on through generations, creating a unique culture of cuisine. France has always been at the forefront of global culinary movements including haute cuisine, charcuterie, the first evidence of marinades, and the invention of the ‘mother sauces’.
Each region of France has a distinct ‘cuisine du terroir’ that reflects local specialties and traditions with a strong focus on fresh seasonal ingredients and local produce. This regionally specific cuisine encompasses the soil, climate, and geography of the landscape as well as the history, culture, and traditions of the local artisans and growers. Markets are an integral part of the village culture where locals gather to buy fresh produce, seafood, and game.
Traveling through southwestern France is an adventure in culinary history, rich with pleasures for even the most discerning of palates. The region is known for its love of gourmet cheeses and fine wines, both as ingredients and accompaniments. Home to the towns and villages of Bordeaux, Bergerac, and Cognac, the gastronomic delights of the area deliver beyond all expectations of even the most demanding gourmand. Known for its unique mild climate, the Southwest region is one of the sunniest areas of France, making it ideal for vineyards and a variety of produce.
The architecture of the area reflects its unique cultural history dating back to the Middle Ages. There are a variety of Romanesque cathedrals, châteaus, and frescoes from the period when the region was known as the Roman province of Aquitaine, which now encompasses the modern French regions of Aquitaine and Poitou-Charentes.
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Southwestern France is home to over 15 wine-growing regions, 40,000 acres of vineyards, and over 25 grape varieties. Local farms boast a vast supply of fattened geese, ducks, and lamb. Walnuts, truffles, premium sheep cheeses, caviar, cassoulet, pâtés, terrines, confits, foie gras, and gourmet pastries are abundantly featured in local cuisine.
Great cooking and great wines make a paradise on earth.”
– Henri IV of Gascony
Along the west coast of France, the region of Poitou-Charentes is home to fine wines, brandies, microbreweries, and some of the finest butters and creams in the world. The regional cuisine of Poitou-Charentes is rich in seafood with fresh mussels and oysters available in abundance along the seabed of the western coastline. Nearby fields and forests are host to a variety of high quality edible mushrooms including Porcini and Truffles.
In the town of Cognac one can tour the great cognac houses of the world and visit the historic cognac and pineau cellars of the region. Here, the cognac distilleries of Remy-Martin and Hennessy carry on the traditional 300-year old production process that is legally enforced by French Law. The French love-affair with food is strongly evident in the region’s loyalty to traditional production methods of wine, cognac, armagnac, and even paper.
Poitou-Charentes is well known for its paper production dating back to the 14th century. In the midst of the culinary paradise of Poitou-Charentes, nestled in a pristine rural landscape, lies the small villageof Saint-Séverin-d’Estissac. Situated in the picturesque valley along the River Dronne, Saint-Séverin has a number of historical paper mills. On one of these ancient sites is the Petit-Marchais paper mill, built in 1837 on the site of an old 16th century paper mill. This mill began producing parchment paper in 1876 and continues to produce it to this day.
Papyrine, or culinary parchment, was first developed in France in 1846 by Poumarède and L. Figuier. It was later patented in England in 1853 by J.W. Gaines, and mass production was undertaken by the stationer and printer company De La Rue.
In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport.
– Julia Child
Culinary parchment is made using the centuries-old process of treating high density pulp fiber waterleaf through several water washes to create an exceptionally strong, semi-translucent, heat-resistant paper.
Originally, culinary parchment was used to wrap butters and cheeses, and to line and cover jars of preserves. Today, cooking in parchment, or ‘en papillote’, is an age old technique used by chefs internationally to prepare meat entrées, fish, vegetables and desserts in a creative, flavorful way. Culinary parchment is naturally non-stick, enabling chefs to cook and bake foods without added fats and oils. Sometimes confused with lower quality grease-proof paper or natural wax papers, culinary parchment's superior properties lend themselves to a variety of culinary applications, making it an essential element of any modern chef’s kitchen.