Exploring Food And Culture In The South Of France

For me, Marie-Claire, my step-grandmother, has always been an emblem of Provence and a queen of the kitchen. The summer days spent at her and my  grandfathers fully packed house in the Vaucluse always end in 2 hour long feasts and lively conversation at the table. Being the only grandmother I have many distinct memories with, her Provençal recipes have always remained close to my heart.

The more I have grown the more time I have been able to spend at her side in the kitchen and the more of her endless tips I pick up on. Last week I was able to sit with Marie-Claire and discuss the cuisine and traditions of Provence, some parts of the conversation are filmed in the video below.

Since my childhood I have heard stories of my mother birthday requests for Tomates Farcis and Mousse Au Chocolat for dessert. The dish, in my mind has always been a quintessential representation of French, and more specifically, Provençal cuisine. Comforting and hearty, the dish is served throughout the mediterranean with variations of fillings, ranging from the traditional provencal farce, a mixture of ground meat (usually, veal beef or pork), bread crumbs garlic and herbs de provence to rice and grain based mixtures.

Though Tomates Farcis are most common many regional vegetables like eggplant, onion and zucchini flowers are filled with farce and baked into a beautifully easy and satisfying meal.

Légumes Farcis à La Provençal

Ingredients

• 3 medium sized tomatoes
• 3 medium sized eggplants
• 2 onions
• 500g Ground pork and veal sausage mixture, or ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons herbs de provence
• 1 cup bread crumbs and larger pieces of baguette with crust removed
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.  Cut off the top half inch of each tomato and gently spoon out the core and pulp, placing them in a bowl then setting aside. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and remove the flesh leaving half an inch to the skin, sprinkle eggplants with salt then set aside. Halve onions and remove skin and interior layers so only the outer shells of the onion remain, set aside.
2. In a large bowl mix the meat mixture, garlic, eggs, herbs de provence, bread crumbs, remaining tomato pulp and salt and pepper.
3. Fill the vegetables with mixture, place in a dish with high edges and drizzle with olive oil. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour then serve with rice, enjoy!

 

It can be said that Jean Anthelme Brillat Savarin’s two quotes “The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star” and “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are” succinctly sum up many of France’s ideals regarding gastronomy and cuisine. Within the french identity food remains intrinsic to cultural values and traditions,

recipes of grandmothers are treated with the respect expected to be given to the grandmothers themselves. Recently while speaking to my aunt she claimed within the first 15 minutes speaking to any french person food is bound to come up at least once.

 

France is the world’s second largest exporter of agricultural products — and Europe’s largest, with that fact have come urges to industrialize and mechanize agricultural industries. Recently while speaking to my grandmother’s poulterer Mr. Chauvin in Apt (a small city in south-eastern France’s Vaucluse region) he recounted his life and legacy of continuing in his father and grandfather’s footsteps selling geese, chickens, turkeys, rabbit and terrines using the practices and respect taught to him by his predecessors. When speaking of the future of his operation his face dimmed, saying that regulations and corporations were likely to make it impossible for younger generations to keep his tradition alive and that when he passed it was likely to be the end of his families legacy.

In Provence the rhythm of life moves at its own rate. Following my grandmother around Apt it is impossible to walk more than a block and a half without someone approaching and exclaiming “Bonjour Madame Landrieu!” and going on to either give her news on their children, their own updates and wishing her the best. Every morning she visits the same bakery and buys her baguettes, stops in next door to buy my grandfather’s newspaper, then often to the fruit stand on the way out to assure the family gets our fix at all meals. With the rhythm that exists in the region comes intimacy and familiarity, knowing who makes your bread is almost as important as the bread itself. One of my grandmother’s frequent stops at Apt’s Saturday morning market (one of provence’s largest outdoor markets that has wound through the cities streets weekly since the 16th century) is at Marianne’s stand who runs La Cabriole Fromagerie , Marianne raises goats in the hills above the city and invites locals to buy her cheeses at her farm when not at one of the regions weekly markets.

Next to the goat cheese operation is Jean-Luc Danneyrolle’s Le Potager D’un Curieux, a collective garden specializing in biodiversity and the maintenance of the variety and color that exist naturally in agriculture and the selling of seeds that are more or less illegal. Danneyrolle also fights for the right to produce seeds and works actively against corporation’s omnipresent place in agriculture and its detrimental nature to artisans and small farming operations.

Recently while dining in Camargues at Les Salicornes I was told by Vaucluse native, chef, history buff, writer and sociologist Jean-Sebastian

that Provençal cuisine was not recipes, but a state of mind. The regions relationship with food is one founded on love, nostalgia and respect for tradition. But beyond the respect of tradition comes respect of the animals and living entities growing and existing on the soil within it. Here food is more than sustenance, it is a way of life. As Brillat-Savarin said “The fate of a nation depends on the way that they eat”.

 

 

Walking through the streets of Marseille it is hard to not feel the fierce independent nature the city is notorious for. Though the second largest city in France Marseille is often snubbed as being dirty and lacking in amenities. The oldest city in France, originally given the name Massalia was founded in 600BC as the countries first Greek settlement. The city was absorbed into the roman empire in 100BC and with it

came a boom that lasted several centuries, until Marseille was ravaged by bubonic plague in the 13th and 14th centuries (and eventually the 16th century). In 1481 Marseille was united with Provence and became part of France, but not without losing the city’s independent and rebellious character.

In Marseille, sprinkled heavily between the traditional french restaurants of the city are a wide variety of global cuisines. One of Marseille’s most popular dishes (even before the famous bouillabaisse!) is pizza, and its not surprising consider the proximity to the border and the fact that approximately a quarter of marseille’s population is of italian heritage. Aside from the Italian influence Marseilles position as Europe’s doorway to Maghreb and the middle east has resulted in large immigrations from the regions and an undeniable influence on Marseille’s cuisine, where you often find spices like saffron and heavy use of olive oil which are both customarily used across the Mediterranean but less frequently in other regions of France where butter and heavy creams reign supreme.

For centuries Marseille has been a city that exists separately from the social and cultural codes that dominate in the rest of France. With major

waves of immigration from Italy, Armenia, Turkey, Corsica, China, Vietnam and the Comoros and one third of the city being muslim, Marseille remains a patchwork sprawl of rich and poor neighborhoods, a compelling mess of sun and chaos. Unlike cities like Lyon and Paris where poor immigrant populations live primarily in the suburbs and outer limits of the city, Marseille’s immigrant population is woven into the cities streets and histories, creating its own dialect and an undeniable sense of communal identity.

There are few dishes that represent Marseille as quintisentially as Soupe de Poisson (fish soup) and Bouillabaisse. The provencal name for the soup Bolhabaissa comes from a compound of the two verbs bolhir (to boil) and abbaisar (to simmer/ reduce heat). In many that have traveled and resided in Provence the dish itself evokes memories of the azure waters of the Mediterranean glasses of Pastis (Marseille’s favorite drink, an anise flavored aperitif appropriate for any occasion) and the blowing of the mistral.

The origins of the soup are somewhat contested, claims have been made of the soups origins being in Greece while others have claimed Italy. However what sets the soup apart is its unique base of fennel seeds, bay leaves, saffron and parsley. (Though recipes do vary by port and what fish has been caught that day) One thing that is sure about the soup is that once the first bite is taken it is one that is seldom forgotten.

Fish Soup à La Marseillaise

Soup Base

• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 2 bushels of dried fennel seeds
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 Large pinches of saffron
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 2 sprigs of parsley
• 2 diced onions
• 4 tomatoes peeled and diced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 leek, diced
• 1 stalk of celery, diced
• 2 pounds of fish and seafood varieties (Rascasse, conger, monkfish, red mullet, velvet crab, cod and mussels are all commonly used)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare and rinse fish. In a large crockpot or heavy gauge pot heat olive oil and

   

   sauté onions, celery and leaks until translucent and soft.

2. Add garlic, parsley, saffron, bay leaves, fennel seeds, tomatoes and tomato paste, cook until fragrant then add fish and salt and pepper. Stir the mixture then add enough cold water to cover the ingredients by an inch.
3. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes then reduce heat to a simmer for 35 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender to bring the soup to a somewhat homogenized state (removing large heads, bones and what the immersion blender is not able to break down) then strain, putting the solid matter aside on a cheese cloth. Place the mixture back into the crockpot and squeeze remaining juice from solid matter into the pot.
5. Reheat the soup and adjust with salt and pepper if needed then serve immediately with toasted baguette and Rouille.

With food frequently used as a metaphor for french identity, all perceived threats upon it are taken seriously, with recent globalization food has become an essential symbol for the common french patriotic identity. In Phillip H Gordon and Sophie Menieur’s Globalization and French Cultural Identity a Southwestern town’s mayor is quoted as saying “Roquefort is made from the milk of only one breed of sheep, it is made only one place in France, and it is made in only one special way. It is the opposite of globalization. Coca-Cola you can buy anywhere in the world and it is exactly the same.” In France, the notion of terroir remains central in the world of food despite recent increases in mega farms and shifts in the countries agricultural practices.

In recent years France has seen a surge in fast food franchises. Though the consumption has risen it is often that with the consumption comes a sense of embarrassment and shame. Sociologist Jean-Pierre Poulain is quoted as saying “During my field research, I have been struck by the strange self justification discourse used by most adults, saying that they were coming to McDonald’s for the first and last time. It was if they were coming out of an x-rated movie” In France it is not uncommon for iindividuals to feel as though they are betraying their own identities by indulging in the quintessentially american food. Beyond the disdain for the hamburger as American and “anti-French” in its essence, comes the dimension of social class. In contested tastes Michaela Desoucey states that “Class based versions of food-related taste judgments link to how rich and middle-class people access poor people’s food choices (often as societal problems with great disdain)” food judgments as a matter of class are nothing new in France but the added dimension of increased immigration in recent years has made the intersection of race impossible to ignore.

In 2014 the front national passed a law banning schools from offering muslim and jewish students halal and pork-free lunches, restricting access to their own religious and cultural food traditions, and enforcing that to “truly be french” one must eat pork. Politicians claim the law serves to preserve religious neutrality  in the public sphere but can also easily be viewed as a tool to ostracize and stigmatize France’s muslim and jewish populations. By speaking ill of the food choices of other’s it becomes possible to speak ill of people indirectly.

Often when responding to perceived loss of national identity and tradition individuals participate in the reinforcement of cultural and social identities, with that food becomes a tool of patriotism. With France’s shifting population questions of maintaining the countries culinary traditions have arisen. Instead of  regarding immigrant populations as a threat to french cuisine the possible co-mingling and vibrancy of immigrant populations should be acknowledged and potentially embraced. Food has the immense potential to be used as a tool of empowerment worldwide, but when individuals are stripped of access to their own culinary histories it can just as easily be used as a tool of oppression.

In cities like Nîmes it is hard to wander the streets without being reminded of the histories and peoples that inhabited the land long before us, with buildings structures like The Maison Carrée; A Corinthian temple that is said to be the only preserved of the ancient world, The Arènes de Nîmes, one of the largest amphitheaters in Roman Gaul since 1813 has been the home to somewhat contentious bull fighting and attracts over a million visitors annually for the Feria de Nîmes, and The Tour Mange, A Celtic tower built in 15BC and others, it is understandable that the city attracts history buffs from all over.

Along with its architectural histories come long standing cultural traditions. The region has developed with strong spanish and moorish influences, long considered a gastronomical desert by other regions the Languedoc is now recognized globally for its olive oil, tomatoes, aromatic herbs, fresh produce and regional specialties. In Nîmes the epicenter for buying seasonal produce and specialty dishes

 is Les Halles de Nîmes, a covered market in the cities center hosting local artisans and farmers and encouraging local terroir and  the regions gastronomic traditions. I spent this morning wandering the corridors of Les Halles, speaking with vendors, being wafted with spices and local prepared dishes waiting to be eaten by locals, and me! The following will be a tasting of local products purchased on my visit to the market. 

Food	Sight	Smell	Taste
Brandade De Morue (Cod Brandade), a typical dish of the Languedoc-Rousillon region, Provencal word “brandado” meaning “things stirred”, the preparation of the dish involves a prolonged mixing of salt cod, olive oil, garlic and sometimes a touch of cream or milk. Recognized in french gastronomy since at least 1786. Often eaten in winter with bread or potatoes.	Homogenous off white mixture, looks like frosting, somewhat crystalline	Fish market	Creamy, cod, lingering fish aftertaste, hints of olive oil
La picholine olive, origins in le gard, pure green and crisp, also used for olive oil production in the region, often used as aperitifs or tapenades	Glossy, jade green, specks of dark green herbs	Fresh and subtle	Somewhat meaty texture, crunchy, nutty anise like flavor
Ail confit, Confit garlic, garlic cloves cooked in olive oil	Creamy color speckled with herbs and pieces of tomato	Diluted vinegar	Texture of under ripe nectarine, high acidity, hints of thyme, crunchy with hints of olive oil
Fougasse, roman history, provencale flat bread similar to focaccia, often containing cheese, anchovies or olives, traditionally used to assess temperature of wood fire oven to know if it was safe to load other bread	Golden brown, crumbling layers atop of the bread, smaller than usual fougasse, specks of black olive, looks a little like mille-feuille	Fresh baked bread	Subtle taste, layers of flaky dough on top reminiscent of croissant, chewy middle section, not completely savory, notes of olive,pleasant aftertaste
Tapenade (black) Provencal dish consisting of capers, olives, anchovies, olive oil, Languedoc green tapenade is usually preferred, varieties that incorporate sun dried tomatoes, garlic and eggplant also very common. One of the most common aperitifs found at markets all over the south of France and in jars at grocery stores.	Deep black on surface, dark brown in parts, specks of green apparent, glossy and reflective	Hints of the sea, deep comforting warm, olive	Somewhat grainy, rich, salty, earthy and round, deep olive taste, notes of anchovy and herbes de provence, lingering aftertaste
Tapenade rouge	More visual elements than the tapenade noir, pieces of sundried tomato visible, specks of green, hints of yellow and tan	Warm woody aroma, hints of garlic, sundried tomato, horse manure	Smooth but not completley homogenous, high acidity, bright lemon notes, olive oil flavor, hints of marinated bell pepper and basil
Ampelographique amitie, chateau virgile costieres de nimes, Wines from the region have been produced for over 2 millenia, consumed by greeks in pre-roman times, black grenache 80%, syrah 20%	Rich mahogany cherry tones, deep red with purple undertones	Subtle smell, woody and light	Tannic, leathery with notes of fig and berry, buttery, warm
Petit pate nîmois, Savory pastry exclusive to the region created by Charles Durand in 1820, remarketed in the 1950’s by les halles de Nîmes many producers of the market sell the speciality which often includes, brandade, taureau, pork, veal and other fillings.	Veal and pork: Cylindrical pastry, golden brown, town emblem stamped onto top of pastry (Crocodile and palm tree) Taurus: Cylindrical pastry, golden brown, anchor stamped onto top	Veal and pork: Roasted potato, warm meat, undertones of dirt Taurus: Earthy roasted potato smell, warm,	Veal and pork: Crumbly dough, savory comforting flavor, heavy Taurus: Somewhat gamey, hints of onion, heavy and savory, subtley spiced

 

Though at this point restaurants may seem hard to separate from the world of food it was not until mid 18th century paris that the restaurant truly emerged. Restaurant, from the french word restaurer (meaning to restore) was first used to describe the restorative soups that resembled bouillons and were advertised to restore health and wellness sold in the first establishments. Restaurants emerged as an alternative to eating at home and at the inns and taverns that most often served the working class with simple meals of boiled or roasted meat and a seasonal vegetable with an emphasis on alcoholic beverages at inns and on coffees and teas at cafes. Restaurants gained notoriety and individuality with their variations of restorative essences, eventually leading to the serving of a wide variety of dishes and innovation in cuisine.

In France throughout the middle ages guilds monopolized many aspects of prepared foods. Following the french revolution came a ban of these guilds and resulted in the unemployment of many chefs that were previously employed in aristocratic households. In result many of these workers opened their own restaurants in Paris bringing a new dining atmosphere with them, complete with silver cutlery, delicate china and linens and private tables, as opposed to the communal tables that were typical of inns and taverns. Before the revolution there were less than 50 restaurants in Paris, by 1814, 3,000 were listed. With this shift the eating ways of the Aristocracy were made available to a new class of french citizens, the bourgeois.

After the defeat of Napoleon bourgeois clientele flocked to Paris in search of fine dining experiences. A shift in french mentality occurred and food became a virtue to be enjoyed upon its own as opposed to an instance of gluttony. With the rise of the restaurant came the emergence of the gastronome as a public figure. Food writing was an essential element of the worldwide reputation of french cuisine, food writers like Jean Brillat-Savarin, journalists, cookbooks, Escoffier’s le guide culinaire and le guide michelin were essential in Frances culinary reputation. Gastronomic writing became a means to inform the elite and popular on opinions of taste, restaurants and culinary practices.

Advances in technologies during the twentieth century like train travel, new rail routes and eventually highways allowed for the emergence of luxury tourism and directly impacted the restaurant industry giving affluent populations access to different food products and restaurant experiences and eventually leading to the spread of the restaurant throughout western Europe, the Americas and worldwide. Since the first restaurants in Paris the world of food has changed tremendously though many aspects of fine dining have remained. When reflecting upon food and taste it is impossible to look at current and past food traditions as not being a display of the cultural climate in which the culinary traditions exist in. Like everything else, food exists within a sphere dependent upon location, time social class and culture.

 

Hi, I’m Chloé!

Last year I spent the two immersive quarters in Evergreen’s Terroir program, a class that reinforced and encouraged my long standing obsession with food and curiosity in people. Exploring various culinary histories and realities by literature, taste and sight snowballed my fascination and has left me with food on my mind since.

The more I’ve thought about food the clearer it has become that it is impossible to examine food and culinary tradition without exploring the histories and realities of the people behind them. Last spring I embarked on a project to explore access, and lack of access in the American food system, in doing so the power of food became impossible to deny.

This quarter in France I look forward to delving into the individual and communal histories of food in regions of the south of France and exploring histories of food through an inquisitive and sociological lens to better understand the regions culinary history and the people intrinsically tied to them.