Traveling in France with the Red Michelin Guide. The Red Michelin Guide’s History and Bibendum, the Michelin Rubber-Tire Man.


from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Michelin began manufacturing tires in the 1880’s.
      
Michelin patented the first usable pneumatic tire and has since patented many  of the other tire related products we use today, The company remains one the top three tire manufacturers in the world. Michelin was established in Clermont-Ferrand in the region of the Auvergne. Clermont- Ferrand is now a city of nearly 150,000 and it remains the home of Michelin’s head office.  
  

The Michelin Man
Photograph by courtesy of carlfbagge.
  
The first Michelin guide.
  
In 1900, Michelin published its first guide. The guide gave French car owners a guide to find mechanics, petrol stations, tire repair shops as well as hotels and places to eat. The Michelin man, the company’s logo,  appears to be made out of inner tubes and he does have a name, Bibendum. When Michelin needed a name for their rubber-tire man they turned, in the 1900's, to France’s undisputed arbiter of the best in French cuisine, Curnonsky.  Curnonsky was then the  man upon whose word the fate of every new restaurant rested.  Curnonsky was and remains the only person ever to have been awarded, by the French Press, the title: Prince des Gourmandes, the Prince of Gourmands.
  
At that time any name that the famous Curnonsky chose would, automatically in France, be accepted; Curnonsky gave the Michelin rubber-tire man the name Bibendum. 

The name Curnonsky chose  for the Michelin man, Bibendum, comes from a line in a standard schoolboy's Latin language class poem written by Horace.  Horace was a freed slave who became a famous Roman/Greek poet. The line from which Curnonsky chose the name reads “nunc est bibendum”, meaning it’s time for a drink and so Bibendum became the Michelin man’s name. 
 
The stained-glass window of  the Bibendum restaurant
 in the Michelin Building, Brompton, London, UK
Photograph by courtesy of Jay Cross
  
The Michelin Red Guide.
    
For nearly 100 years, the Michelin Red Guides have marked, in France, the leading restaurants with one, two or three stars. The star rating system began in the 1920’s. Restaurants outside France were added in the late 1950's.  Michelin created their own format for checking, and rating the food that restaurants offered. The Michelin system remains unique through its size as no other guide can spend enough to follow such a large number of restaurants anonymously. However, other guides, in France judging local restaurants, using different systems often achieve similar results.  When the results are very different there is usually a good reason that links to the particular point system used. 
   
How does the Michelin Red Guide work
   
The Red Michelin Guide grades the restaurants that meet their minimum comfort level with crossed spoons and forks. The lowest rating is one crossed fork and spoon. Every time a crossed spoon and fork is added the reader knows the comfort level increases. At the top of the list, are the most luxurious restaurants with a maximum  of five crossed forks and spoons in red. N.B.: The comfort level does not tell the traveler anything about the quality of  the food. Hotel comfort levels are marked in a similar manner by little buildings instead of spoons and forks, the most comfortable will be marked in red.
  

The importance of the Red Guide
    
The Red Guide is very important for the traveler in France. When you arrive  in a strange town or village, the Red Michelin guide will find you somewhere to eat and sleep. On more than one occasion, I have arrived in a small town, and the Red Guide has saved me from a possible sleepless night.  For that alone, I give the French Red Michelin top marks. If they had told me a little more, even without grading, about the type of food served in the restaurants in town, I might have been saved a poorly prepared diner.
 

The stars.
        
One star:  A very good restaurant..
   
Two stars: A restaurant that merits a detour to visit.
       
Three  stars:  The ultimate accolade, Exceptional cuisine and worth going out of your way to visit.  The restaurants graded with three stars appear in the guide with some information on the dishes available; however, you will need to know about something about the cuisine as no explanations are given. In France there are 28 three star restaurants, a number that has not changed significantly over the years. In 2014 the UK had four three star restaurants and the USA had ten.

  

The Michelin Stars.
 
The Bib Gourmand:
   
Apart from the stars the Red Guide offers a Bib Gourmand rating. The name is arrived at  by abbreviating the Michelin man’s name from Bibendum to Bib. To rate a Bib Gourmand a restaurant must offer a high standard “Menu à Prix-Fixe,” a fixed-price menu, at a reasonable price. The fixed-price menu will include an entrée, the French starter, a main course, the plat principal, and a dessert. The prices that Michelin considers reasonable change with location and prices are updated annually. For France Michelin also prints a special Red Guide for France called: Les Bonnes Petites Tables; this guide includes only those restaurants that have been awarded a Bib Gourmand. The 2015 edition included 650 restaurants, all around France, with high quality fixed-price menus for less that 32 Euros. (38 USD, 25 Pound Sterling).  For more about fixed-price menus in France see the article: When a French Menu is Not an English Menu! 
  
The Bib Gourmand
 
Michelin also publishes Green Guides. However, the  Green Guides are travel guides and have nothing to do with food or lodging. Together the Red Guide  and the area’s Green Guide are considered essential companions when travelling in France.
The Michelin Building in London, UK.
This unique building was built in the early 1900’s.
Photograph courtesy of Chris Sampson.
 
The Red Guide’s competition.
 
The Red Guide Michelin leads, in sales, by a long way, in France, from its nearest competitor, the Guide Gault Millau.  The Guide Gault Millau rates the restaurants they consider good to excellent not with stars, but with one to five Toques Blanche. A toques blanche is the white, tall, chef’s hat. If you are searching for restaurants in an area where you have no prior information use  the Michelin Red Guide and  the Gault Millau together along with a local guide book, and of course the internet. Together you will find good restaurants that meet your budget. The founders of the Gault Millau  were the two food writers who gave the name to Nouvelle Cuisine.  Nouvelle cuisine in the 1950's and 1960's changed France's kitchens and gave birth to today's modern and lighter cuisine.



Chef holding his menu and wearing a Toque Blanche.
The toque blanche us the traditional chef’s white hat.
Photograph courtesy of Grant Cochrane through freedigitalphotos.net.
 
About Curnonsky,
The man who named Michelin’s rubber tire man Bibendum.
  
 Curnonsky was an author and the accepted leader of the food critics of his day. His real name was Maurice Edmund Sailland, (1872 -1956), but all knew him as Curnonsky.
  
Curnonsky, like most of his late 19th-century early 20th century colleagues, at least those who could afford to own cars, was classically educated. Classically educated meant that they studied, the history, politics and philosophy of ancient Rome and Greece.
                   
Today, maybe, Michelin should provide a new name for their rubber tire man that is more politically correct, Bibendum means " It’s time for a drink" and drinking and driving no longer mix. Michelin could organize an international competition that would produce more fame and fortune for their tires and their red and green guides. However, I doubt that there any Latin or Greek quotes, meaning “It’s time for a rest stop” or “Check your tire pressure.”
           
 In the 1950’s Curnonsky, together with three like-minded individuals established the La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Confréries are brother and sisterhoods that  support and promote  specific foods and/or wines. The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, mostly just called  La Chaîne is an international gastronomic society, and its fame lives on, long,  after  Curnonsky passed on.  La Chaîne  is based in Paris, where else?  La Chaîne is devoted to promoting fine dining and the camaraderie and pleasures of the table.  It is not, as some seem to believe an award to an excellent restaurant. Today La Chaîne still brings together professionals and others from the world of  fine foods. 

Connected Posts:
Nouvelle Cuisine? What ever happened to Nouvelle Cuisine? Where is Nouvelle Cuisine?
  

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Copyright 2010, 2012, 2015.  
.

Moules - Mussels. Moules Frites and Much More. Mussels on French Menus.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

La Moule Bleu  – The Blue mussel.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lwy/25376604305/
     
When a French menu listing is just for moules, without a second name, then it will be the la moule bleu, the blue or common mussel. Despite their French and English names these mussels always look black to me, so maybe they should be renamed the midnight blue mussel?
      
Salade de Moules au Safran
A salad with blue mussel-flavored with saffron.
Photograph courtesy of Zuzzuillo through freedigitalphotos.net.
  
Blue mussels are the most popular farmed mussels and France eats more mussels per capita than any other country, though Spain grows more. Mussels may be served on their own; they may be added to fish soups, served with pasta, or star as part of other dishes. The most famous blue mussel dish in France is moules frites, mussels served in a wine and or herb broth in which they are cooked; they are served with French fries, chips, and mayonnaise on the side. The Belgians made this dish famous in France, through their inexpensive restaurant chains selling moules frites along with Belgium beer. Though in France locals may still order French beer or even wine!  When you do order moules frits in France, you will find the French and Belgians have slightly different take on a very similar dish.
        
Moules Frites et Bière Belge
Mussels and French Fries with Belgian Beer
Photograph by courtesy of Cambridge Brewing Co.
   
Blue mussels on French menus:
  
Douzaine de Moules Crues (La ) – A dozen raw mussels. These will be part of a raw seafood menu or raw bar, and they probably will be served with just a slice of fresh lemon and maybe black pepper to add to the flavor.
  
 Moules Farcies à la Sétoise - Mussels stuffed in the manner of Sète; Sète is the second largest French port in the Mediterranean and  France’s major Mediterranean fishing port.  In this dish, the mussels will be stuffed with tomatoes and veal and pork sausage meat all flavored with white wine and then cooked. When the mussels are ready for serving Provence’s famous garlicky mayonnaise called Aioli which will be added. Aioli is part of many Provencal dishes and stars in the festive family dish called the Grand Aioli.

Moules frites and how to order them.
    
Outside of fancy restaurants watch how the French eat mussels when they are served as moules frites. To begin with, knives and forks for the mussels are not required; one-half shell is used as a spoon to lever out the mussel from another half shell, and then you pop it into your mouth. A spoon is required for the broth.
  
Use your fingers for moules frites.
      
Freshness with all mussels is all important, so order moules frits in restaurants where you see many locals eating and a high turnover. Then you may be sure that the restaurant has a clientele which returns often and your order for moules frits will be fresh and the frits and mayonnaise first class.

French moules frites come with a wide variety of suffixes. These suffixes will refer to the broths, soups or wines in which the mussels are cooked.
  
Moules Frites a la Provencal – Moules frites in the manner of Provence.  This will be a broth of white wine, tomatoes, garlic and more.
 
Moules Frites Bleu d’Auvergne -  A white wine broth flavored with the popular Bleu d’Auvergne blue cheese.
  
Moules Dijonnaises –  Mussels in the manner of Dijon. This dish carries the flavor from around the city of Dijon, formerly so famous for its mustard; the mussels will be served in a white wine, and cream broth flavored with mustard.
 
There will be many more options similar to the Moules Dijonnaises above, each locality will be using a local wine or product to try and make their moules frits stand out from the crowd.
     


Moules à la Provençale.
Mussels in the manner of Provence.
Photograph courtesy of David Bowler.
      
Just as important as the mussels and the way they are cooked are the French fries. French fries originated in Belgium and there they remain a very popular street food served with fresh mayonnaise on the side. The Belgian tradition of French fries as a street food has also made its way to France.  Today most orders for moules frits in Belgium and France come with a bowl of fresh mayonnaise; if the mayonnaise is not part of the dish that you are served you may always order some. France adopted French fries, chips, as her own over 200 years ago and can justifiably claim that theirs are second to none. For the French fry in the USA, tradition had given Thomas Jefferson the honor of bringing the recipe to the USA.
          
Moules Marinière and or Moules Frites Marinière  – Mussels cooked in the manner of a sailor or an admiral and often served with French fries on the side. With moules marinière the broth in which the mussels are cooked will be made with white wine, herbs, and butter or cream. The chef has plenty of freedom with this dish; the herbs and the vegetables added may differ with the season though the primary ingredient, which is the white wine broth, will remain. Despite the name of the dish let’s face it; the average French sailor would not have seen this dish on a ship even one-hundred-year ago, or even today, I’ll stick with Mussels as Cooked for an  Admiral.

Other dishes with mussels on French menu:
   
Moules à la Crème CibouletteMussels cooked in a cream sauce flavored with spring onions.
    
 
A coastal mussel farm in France.
Photograph by courtesy of Michal Marcol through freedigitalphotos.net
  
Nearly all the mussels sold in France are farmed locally, very few are imported. Mussel farming is an important part of France’s massive aquaculture industry. After France, the largest European mussel farmers are the UK, Ireland, and Holland.
        
The blue mussel in the languages of France’s neighbors:
 
(Catalan – Clòtxina, musclo) (Dutch - gewone mossel (German – miesmuschel, pfahlmuschel), (Italian- cozza, mitilo), (Spanish -  mejillón or mejillón común).

The blue mussel in other languages:
   
(Chinese (Mandarin ( - 藍青口) ), (Greek mύδι  Ατλαντικο), (Hebrew-  moolim shachorim-  מולים שחורים),  (Japanese -贻贝   -), ( Korean 섭조개), (Portugues – mexilhao), (Russian -  Черна морска мида  -  midiya), (Tagalog - asul kabya). (Latin -  mytilus edulis)
     
Other mussels on French menus:
     
Blue mussels are sent to market when they are about 5 – 6 cm long but there are smaller blue mussels, naturally smaller, that never grow larger than about 3- 4 cms. In France, these little blue mussels are called moules de bouchot and are considered a treat. Some large blue mussels can grow up to 10 cm and then they may be mistaken for the Moule d'Espagne. A few larger mussels may be collected in the wild, but nearly all those served in restaurants will be locally farmed varieties.
 
Moules de Bouchot or Bouchons –  Small family members of the blue mussel. They are naturally smaller, and are considered tastier and more tender than the larger mussels. The word bouchot refers to the wooden pilings, in the sea, to which the mussels attach themselves, and is nothing to do with the French word for mouth, bouche. Their other name, bouchons; however, does refer to their size, a small mouthful.

Moules de Bouchot on French menus:

 Velouté de Crustacé aux Moules de Bouchot A velvety smooth shrimp and crab soup served with bouchot mussels.
     
One Moule de Bouchot is considered the best of them all, and so it will not be inexpensive; this small mussel is called the Mont St Michel Moule de Bouchot AOP. This mussel is grown in the sea around the island of Mont St Michel, off the coast in Normandy and Brittany.  The mussel farmers developed these mussels, insisting on quality over quantity, over a period of fifty years; finally in 2007 their Moule de Bouchots were awarded an AOC and later the AOP. These mussels are the only French farmed seafood to be awarded an AOP.  
      
 
The island of Mont St. Michel in Normadie, Normandy.
Home to the only mussel, in fact the only sea creature with an AOP, the
Moules de Bouchot de Mont St, Michel.
Photograph courtesy of @sanderdejong66
       
 This small, but very famous, island off the coast of Normandy is also home to some very famous lambs, the Agneau de Pré- Salé AOP.  When in the area you may enjoy the island's famous AOC mussels as the entrée, the French first course. and then enjoy, in the right season, their AOC lamb for the plat principal, the main course. Here, from such a small place come magical natural foods.  
    
   
Agneau de Pré- Salé AOC lambs in the salt marshes
of the island of Mont-Saint-Michel.
    
The island of Mont St. Michel is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has quite a story of its own.  While it is still called an island, for about the last 150 years there has been causeway connection that runs for nearly 1 km.  Until that causeway was built the island's connection to the mainland was underwater at every high tide.
  
The waters in St Michel, where the Mont St Michel Moule de Bouchots AOP are grown, are considered responsible for their unique taste, and that AOP label guarantees them a place in the best restaurants, and in the best fish shops.
  
Bouchot mussels in the languages of France’s neighbors
  
(Catalan - bouchots motlle),(German - miesmuscheln bouch ), (Italian - cozze moule de bouchot ), (Spanish - mejillones de bouchot).
    
 Moule Barbue The bearded horse mussel; this is a wild mussel that grows up to 6 cm long; only seen occasionally, and then it will probably be part of a seafood restaurant’s raw bar.   The mussel's color may vary from a light yellow to a reddish-brown; on one-half of the shell, there are the short flat bristles that give it its name.

The bearded horse mussel in the languages of France’s neighbors:
  
(Catalan - musclo barbat), (Dutch – baardmossel), (German – bartmushel), (Italian - cozza pelosa or modiola), (Spanish - mejillón barbado). (Latin - modiolus barbatus). 
 
Moule d'Espagne or Moule Méditerranéenne  - The Spanish, European or Mediterranean mussel. This is a large 7 –10 cm mussel, with almost quadrangular shells colored from dark blue to dark brown and black. Mediterranean mussels are often part of cold seafood platters; but, they also star in many cooked dishes where they present many opportunities for chefs to show imaginative seafood dishes.

Photograph courtesy of Jessica Merz
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jessicafm/2808985859/
  

Moules de Espagne on French menus:
     
Moules d'Espagne Farcies – Stuffed Mediterranean mussels.
  
Moules d'Espagne en Vinaigrette aux Poivrons – Mediterranean mussels served with sweet peppers and a vinaigrette sauce.
   
Moules d'Espagne Grillées à la Planxa en Persillade - Mediterranean mussels grilled on a plancha/ planxa and flavored with persillade. The spelling of plancha as planxa indicates this is a Basque recipe.  Persillade is a flavoring of parsley, garlic, herbs and vinegar or  made as a persillade vinaigrette sauce.
    
 Moules d'Espagne,in the languages of France’s neighbors:

(Catalan - musclo del Mediterrani), (Dutch – diepwatermossel). (German – mittelmeermiesmuschel), (Italian – mitilo, peocio), (Spanish - mejillón mediterráneo or mejillón de Galicis),

  
Moule Verte  or Moule de Nouvelle-Zélande – The New Zealand or Green Lipped Mussel; an enormous farmed mussel.  Most are sold when they reach 10 cms, though they can grow larger. These mussels are served when cooked with other seafood, though they will mostly be seen on raw bar menus. I was told again and again that this mussel has very special qualities used in natural healing. There are hundreds of adverts for homeopathic medicines that include this mussel.
   
Moules Mariniere with New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels

https://www.flickr.com/photos/naotakem/4633778717/
   
The New Zealand mussels in the languages of France’s neighbors:
 
(German - grünlippmuschel or grünschalmuschel), (Italian - cozza verde or cozza verde de Nueva Zelanda),  (Spanish - mejillón de labio verde, mejillón de Nueva Zelandia), 
    
The New Zealand mussel in other languages:
    
(Chinese (Mandarin)  -  青口, 翡翠胎具   ), (Greek - Άλλα θρεπτικά συστατικά ), (Hebrew -  moulim yarok sfatyim- מולים ירוקת-שפתיים (Russian -  Перна каналикулярных -   Perna kanalikulyarnykh),  (Latin - perna canalicula).

Connected Posts:
  
  
     
    
   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Copyright 2010, 2011, 2016

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