Chapitre Cinq
La nourriture : aux magasins spécialisés
Exercice 5.8 - 5.9
La nourriture : aux magasins spécialisés
La boulangerie
In France, you can find all types of delicious viennoiseries if you go to la boulangerie. The baked goods you will find are made fresh daily, and it is common to stop by la boulangerie to grab une baguette to take home for lunch or to get a pastry, une viennoiserie, for a snack. The word viennoiserie comes from Vienna, Austria, courtesy of Marie-Antoinette the Austrian born French queen, who brought this tasty tradition to France with her. Some common viennoiseries you will see in France are:
La boucherie
You can find different cuts and types of meats at la boucherie. While you can also purchase viande at the supermarché or at the épicerie, the selection isn’t the same as if you go to the specialty store where they will prepare and package exactly the cut you are looking for. Some different types of meat are:
La fromagerie
Cheese is very popular in France and is often served in place of dessert. There is a whole world of cheese, from mild to very ripe, and a whole range of variety including soft cheeses, semi-firm cheeses, hard cheeses, cheeses with rinds, and cheeses of different colors. As a matter of fact, there are more than 1,000 different cheeses in France. Some common fromages you will see in France are:
Au lait de vache
Au lait de chèvre
La nourriture : aux magasins spécialisés
La poissonnerie
Much like one goes à la boucherie to get hand-selected meats, one goes à la poissonnerie to find fresh fish and seafood. You will find a wide selection such as Atlantic oysters and lobsters, crawfish, scallops, sole, and bluefish caught off the shores of northern France to monkfish, sea bass, and sardines from the southern Mediterranean region. Fresh-water fish are also available. Don’t hesitate to ask the poissonier how to best prepare some the following popular poissons et fruits de mer to enhance your cooking skills:
La confiserie
Les confiseries in France are so much more than the translation “candy store” implies. They are truly a paradise for anyone with a sweet tooth, and each type of sweet has been thoughtfully crafted with attention to detail in the flavor profile, sweetness, presentation, naming, and even packaging. You will find a wide range of sweets—from old-fashioned hard candies and Napoleon truffles to nougat and marshmallow and everything in between. Many of the sweets are sold in bulk or by the individual piece, but you will also find tins and boxes with larger quantities. Here are some suggestions to try out:
La cave à vin
Sharing a bottle of wine together is a common pastime for friends, family, and even co-workers in France. It is also a norm to bring along a bottle of wine to a party or a dinner that you have been invited to. Stopping by la cave à vin will allow you to learn about wines in the region and all over France, as well as throughout the world. Les cavistes are expert consultants who have a knowledge not only of the wines, but also how they pair with food. They will only suggest wines they have tasted, so their knowledge is very hands on and experiential. Once your caviste gets to know you and your tastes, they are a wonderful resource to help you choose beverages not only for the occasional dinner party, but also for important events and in curating your personal wine cellar. You will find beer, spirits, champagne, wine and liqueurs at la cave à vin.
Exercice 5.8
Exercice 5.9
the bakery
chocolate filled croissant shaped like a rectangle
a small tart with an almond filling and topped with sliced almonds
a circle formed of dough studded with cognac-soaked raisins and almond frangipane
apricot squares baked with a mixture of wheat flour, almond flour, and yogurt
a mini bundt cake made with rum and vanilla with a tender, eggy interior and a crunchy exterior
a hand pie stuffed with apples and cinnamon
choux pastry (eggy custard base) topped with sugar pearls
the butcher's
meat
supermarket
grocery store
lamb
chicken
duck
pork chop
a beef roast
rib steak/ribeye (beef)
veal
ground beef
sausages
quail
the cheese store
a soft cheese with a rind from Normandy
brie cheese
a cheese with a high cream content, not ripe and without a rind
a triple-cream cheese with a rind
cheese made with pasteurized milk and wrapped in an edible orange coating
this orange cheese can be aged from a range of 3 - 18 months; it has a grayish crust that has craters from cheese mites
a small, cylindrical goat cheese with a rind; the cheese can be eaten at different maturities and the rind starts white and darkens over time
with the full name Le Caillé Doux de Saint Félicien, this is a creamy, runny, goat cheese with a cream rind with white or blue mold
a homogenous goat cheese that firms up with maturity with a smooth texture and a riddled rind stamped with CdP on the top
this goat cheese has a slightly pink, washed rind; the cheese gets softer as it ages and is firmest in spring when it is first made
pyramid-shaped cheese with a marbled rind and a mushroom-y smell with flavors of nuts and mushrooms
this goat cheese has two textures under its rind, the interior is a bit more firm and the exterior between the center and the rind is runny where a fine, creamy layer presents
a smooth and creamy, firm, sheep's milk cheese with a yellow-orange or gray rind
a moist, ivory-colored, sheep's milk cheese veined with emerald green mold; very creamy, melt-in-your-mouth cheese
this is a similar cheese to roquefort, but it is more full-bodied; it is a cave-aged cheese veined with blue mold and has a hint of spice
the fish market
fishmonger
fish
seafood
lobster *non-aspiré
sea scallops
prawn
shrimp
oysters
sea bass
bluefish
perch
trout
the candy store
hard candies made of boiled sugar, mint flavor, and a caramel stripe
anise seed (licorice-like flavor) coated in flavored sugar syrup by dipping several times; it takes over two weeks to do the successive dips
creamy chocolate ganache wrapped in a green almond paste coated with crystallized sugar
the wine cellar
the wine sellers
