So, if it says Swiss Cheese, it certainly comes from Switzerland. Many French cheeses have a specific geographic denomination and must be made according to certain traditions.

In addition, there are probably twenty other types of blue cheese, including imported Stilton and even Shropshire (delicious!). They really do come from the appellation Roquefort. In our local cheese shop, there are more than half a dozen different Roqueforts, and when I say Roquefort, it’s not just any blue cheese. But probably it is a myth.įrance has much more than 365 different kinds of cheese. Perhaps Général de Gaulle, perhaps Napoleon. “How can you govern a country with 365 cheeses?” someone is supposed to have said. Photography BKWine Photography CheeseĬheese is a must for any serious French meal, but it is not (not at all!) particularly Christmasy. France, too, is a big truffles country.Įntrecôte and faux-filet, two cuts of French beef on a food market in France, copyright BKWine. At least, this is my personal theory.) There are plenty of ”girolles” (called chanterelles in some other countries), chanterelles (which are not the same as the English chanterelle), trumpets of death, “pied de mouton” (foot of the sheep) and others. But since the new king liked them, it became trendy, and they were given the king's name. In his native Sud-Ouest, the cèpe is a highly regarded delicacy, but not so, at the time, in Sweden. In Sweden, he became King Karl XIV Johan. I have figured out that this is because Sweden needed a new king in the early nineteenth century, so we imported one from the south of France called Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, Marshal of France. (In Sweden, they are called Karl Johan mushrooms. Perhaps the most highly regarded one is the “cèpes”, porcini. The mushrooms make a very welcome appearance at the vegetable stands this time of year.

But vegetables are perhaps not very seasonal. We have about a dozen different kinds of tomatoes to choose from in season. Vegetables are a feast all year round in France.

Foie gras from duck on a food market in France, copyright BKWine Photography BKWine Photography Vegetables and fruit

French napoleon cake near me