1) ALSACE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the first of these sheets I’d like to introduce Alsace.
One can see the following specialties:
-Baeckeoffe/the name means the “baker’s oven” in Alsatian as people brought to the baker to be cooked for three hours.
-Ginger Bread/Pain d’Epices
-Munster Cheese
-Bretzels

Now do you know other specialties from Alsace?
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2) ANTILLES/FRENCH WEST INDIES

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the second of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Antilles or more commnoly known the French West Indies.
One can see the following specialties:

-Seafood, especially lobsters
-Bananas

Now,the French West Indies are not that well known in spite of counting some big islands among them such as Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Fruit are a major export with exotic jams and fruit preserved in alcohol.
Did you know they produce some of the best and rarest rums in the world? These are called Rhum Agricole as they are distilled by farmers in rural areas!

Last but not least they are a major tourist resort with some great local culinary delights reminiscent of Creole Cuisine (this is actually its source!)
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3) Aquitaine

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the third of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Aquitaine.
Aquitaine for a long time was an English possession thanks to Alienor of Aquitaine who after divorcing the French King married the English King (who was “French”, too) and brought one of the richest dowries at the time to a relatively poor nation.
As it is one of of the largest “regions” in France, the wealth of great food can be a bit overwhelming.
One can see the following specialties on the stamp sheet:
-Vineyards and wines (Bordeaux, naturally, but many, many more!)
-Perigord black truffles
-Cannelles de Bordeaux cakes which have been copied almost everywhere.
-Espelette chili peppers from Pays basque.

Not mentioned here are chocolate which was first introduced in the Basque country, too, but I will leave it to you to search for more. Plenty of work, I can assure you!
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4) AUVERGNE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the fourth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Auvergne.
Auvergne is an ancient land made famous by the Celtic tribe’s, the Avernes, resistance to Julius Caesar when he conquered Gaul.
It is also remarkable for a plethora of natural mineral water sources and spas first exploited by the Romans (who loved their baths).
It is still considered as the last wild region of France with its extinct volcanoes, bitter winters and hardy people.

One can see the following specialties on the stamp sheet:
-Salers Cheese from the Cantal
-Perigord black truffles
-Vichy sweets made in the same city of Vichy renown for its spas and mineral water.
-Salers cows which for great cheese and meat.
-innumerable fruit and nuts including chestnuts.

Plenty more, I guarantee you!
I almost forgot: One of the best trekking areas with plenty of inns and small restaurants vying for the best local food!
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5) BASSE NORMANDIE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the fifth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Basse Normandie.
Interestingly enough The French Post has decided to depict the gastronomy of Basse Normandie (Lower Normandy) but to ignore Haute Normandie (Upper Normandy). Normandie, as it name says, is the land given to the Normans, Northmen, Vikings by a crafty Frnec King to keep them off Paris and guard the access to the Seine River.
It has since then been one of the richest gastronomic regions of France feeding Paris and many invaders during the Hundred Years War.

One can see the following specialties on the stamp sheet:
-Petit sale/Small salted mutton. Sheep grazing grass along the shores of Normandie ingest a good amount of salt blown by the winds, making their flesh extremely tasty and rid of the “usual smell”.
-Milk and Cheese (ever heard of Camembert?)

Other specialties include cider, calvados, omelettes (Mont Saint-Michel) and all kinds of cakes, biscuits and sweets (bonbons).
Oh, I forgot to mention that it lays along one of the richest fishing seas in France (Dover Sole for example that the English steal from us! LOL)

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6) BOURGOGNE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the sixth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Bourgogne.
In a sense Lou Ann might say it is not fair to introduce this region so early (I do them in alphabetical order!) because this is my “home region”!
This is an enormously rich land, in history, industry and gastronomy.
It is renown for its superlative gastronomy, but many forget that photography was invented there (Nicephore Niepce in Chalon sur Saone), that it counts major companies (Areva, which produces 74% of all electricity in France), a traditional first-class Carnaval and an International Air Ballon Meeting (Chalon sur Saone again! My “hometown”!), and that it used to be a Dukedom in the Middle Ages more powerful than France!

On this particular sheet you can discover:
-Charolais beef.
-Cheese: Epoisses
-Wine: Clos de Vougeot
-Ginger bread/Pain d’epices
-Mustard (of course! Dijon where I was born!)
-Escargots/Snails

I can guarantee there are plenty more!
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7) BRETAGNE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the seventh of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Bretagne.
This is most Cetic region of France and Celtic language is taught at all levels from kindergarten to university. It is a land battered by the seas and the winds and its people are among the hardiest in France.
A land with many legends (Lancelot, witches and so on), it was an independent until in the late Middle Ages.
It is renown for some of the best butter in France, but also for, as seen on this particular sheet:
-Lobsters, especially the “blue tail/Queue bleue” and all kinds of seafood.
-Galettes and Crepes.
-Kouig Anan.

It is a region worth visiting with its many islands still retaining their original wilderness and magnificent natural environments! Ask the British!
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8) CENTRE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the eighth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Centre.
Centre is actually a vague term to describe a region that covers land between Paris and Auvergne and the western shores. It has a rich history and shares many castles with Pays de La loire. In the Renaissance French Kings had extravagant castles built there to escape dirty and noisy Paris in Blois (my own father’s hometown), Chambord, Chenoncy and many others across the River Loire.
You might just be able to discern the following on the sheet:
-Cheese. This region has innumerable splendid goat cheeses!
-Fruit and fruit cakes
-Vegetables.
-Venison. As it includes the vast Forest of Sologne, venison, wild boar and other game are plentiful!
Like the rest of the Loire area its climate is the mildest in France making a great place to visit any time of the year!
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9) CHAMPAGNE ARDENNES

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the ninth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Champagne Ardennes.
Champagne and Ardennes is a combination of two vastly but very rich regions of France.
“South” Champagne first made ist place in history for the City of Rheims where French Kings had to be crowned to get official recognition. It later became famous for its Champagne sparkling wines. Contrary to many other viniferous regions, Champagne Houses do not conduct cultivation but buy their grapes before processing them. As for the claims of some that Dom Perignon was a blind monk who invented sparkling wines, they have never been proved. At least one sparkling wine, Blanquette de Limoux, saw its birth before the emblematic monk was born!
Champagne count other gastonomic specialties such as:
-Chaource cheese, a creamy white mold cheese reminiscent of Camembert but with a vastly different taste and aroma. Created in the Middle Ages, Marguerite de Bourgogne made it her staple food!
-Biscuit rose de Reims is a must-buy souvenir!

Ardennes is renown for its great forests providing noble families with abundant game.
You can see samples on the sheet:
-Wild boar is still widely hunted there for its meat.
-Andouillette/Chitterlings in Troyes is probably my favourite dish there. Great cooked in beer with apples!

Both rich lands, which unfortunately saw innumerous wars until the very XXth Century!
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10) CORSE/CORSICA

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the tenth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Corse.
Corse or Corsica has a long has long, rich and extremely agitated history. Even now, it “refuses” to go along any centralized authority.
It had been a haven for Moorish pirates before being possessed by various families and states from Italy. It was subsequently sold to France in the 18th Century with the remarkable consequence that its most famous/notorious son, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte became French for the sorrow of many a family or country almost all over Europe.
Corsicans have always been resilient and self-sufficient.
On this sheet you will discover:
-Chestnuts, the bread of Corsica as islanders have always eaten more bread made from chestnut flour than wheat flour.
-Pork: sausages, of all kinds, have been a food staple.
-Donkeys who found their way onto plates in the form of succulent salamis!
-Brocchu Cheese (Goat milk), a superlative cheese served fresh or matured to various degrees.

Corse also has many a wine worth the voyage whileit seas are renown for its lobsters and Mediterranean fish!
Do you know that a railway crosses the whole island, giving access to some unforgettable views and hidden old towns?

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11) FRANCHE COMTE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the eleventh of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Franche-Comte.

Franche-Comte is a rich land bordering Switzerland and has acted as a military buffer zone for ages. It exchanged hands numerous times over the ages but has somewhat preserved its originality thanks to hard winters and sometimes difficulty in access.

On this sheet you can se two of its main products:
-Saucisse de Morteau whose recipe is lost in the times. It needs at leat 48 hours to smoke and makes for a great dish with cabbage or lentils!
-It cows produce great milk for superlative cheeses of all kinds.

It shares a lot with Switzerland as shown by its precision industries, lace-making and beautiful mountain vistas!
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12) ILE DE FRANCE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the twelfth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Ile de France.

Ile de France, as its name indicates, “started” with islands in the middle of the Seine River inhabited by the Parisii Celtic tribe, and slowly expanded to become France. It certainly took a long time against many odds!

Limited in area as it is, it nevertheless accounts for some specialties.

-Brie Cheese is assuredly the most famed local product.
-Confits de petales de Provins/flower petals jams are one of its hidden culinary treasures!
-Numerous orchards used to feed the Kings.

But it is a region probably more noted for culinary utensils (Sevres porcelain) and its art de vivre/lifestyle!
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13) LANGUEDOC ROUSSILLON

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the thirteenthth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is languedoc Roussillon.
Languedoc Roussillon for a long time of the Provence Realm in the Middle Ages until it was broken by the Albigeois Crusade while Roussillon stayed for a long time under the King of Spain’s dominion.
This turbulent history made this region an extremely rich and complex.
It the largest producer of wines and the origin of many a “national” gastronomic specialty.

On this sheet you can notice:
-Aligot, a poor people’s food which has recently turned fashionable.
-Garlic, a must for almost any cooking!
-Cheeses, a plethora of them!
-Creme Catalane, arguably the best kind of Creme brulee.
There are many others, including mushrooms and cassoulet (although thisis disputed by other regions!)

Now, there are two facts that not many people know:
1) Wolves are protected there in a natural habitat!
2) Jeans or denim originated from Nimes as Bleu de Nimes. It is not American, although it is an American national who imported it first when he noticed the sturdy material worn by the local farmers!
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14) LIMOUSIN

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the fourteenthth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Limousin.
This region is remarkable for its great variety from arid mountains to luscious plains around small lakes and large rivers.
Its capital, Limoges, acquired its fame since 1769 thanks to its splendid porcelain.
On the sheet you can discover the following culinary specialties:
-Gateau Creusois made with hazelnuts from a recipe dating back to the XVth Century.
-Hazelnuts and all kinds of nuts and mushrooms found inside abundant forests.
-Foie gras de Brive, the main city in Correze (no wonder they play top-class rugby there!)
-Cheeses and meat from the great bovine herds kept in freedom half of the year.

Limousin is also a popular land for nature trekking. Historic sites are just too many. You might need half a dozen cameras if you decide to visit the region!
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15) LORRAINE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the fifeenthth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Lorraine.

Lorraine has always been a “disputed” region. It even became a “Kingdom in Exile” when Louis XIV gave it to King Stanislas of Poland, then bringing a touch of French grandeur still witnessed in Stanislas Square in Nancy.
When Charles the Bold, Duke of Bourgogne died there in his last battle, it sealed the fate of Bougogne inro the hands of the French King.
It changed hands no less than three times because of the modern conflicts between France and Germany.

Among its culinary specialties you can find on the sheet:
-Mirabelles. Now available in grocery stores in France, Germany and elsewhere, they almost completely disappeared and were succefully re-grown in Lorraine.
-Madeleines cakes created by a local pastry chef in the name of his mother (Mine had the same name, too!) when she was bed-riddden.
-Milk in Lorraine helps produce superlative cheese.

But Lorraine is known all over the World for its artists such as Galle and Daum! A visit to the numerous museums of the region (glass, enamel, etc.) is a must before you venture into its great restaurants!
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16) NORD-PAS DE CALAIS

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the sixteenthth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Nord-Pas de Calais.

“Nord” stands for the Northern part of France south of Belgium and “Pas de Calais” is the coastline directly facing Dover, England.
The last possession of our English cousins at the end of the 100 Years War, it is both a rich agricultural and industrial region.
The culinary specialies featured here are:
-Maroilles, one of its most famous cheeses.
-Betises de Cambrai/Cambrai’s stupidities, probably the most renown French bonbon/sweet!
-Cickory, used instead of coffee or tea even now!

The sea and the scoastline provide for many varieties of fish and shellfish, notably mussles (also featured on this sheet!) whose recipes we copeied from our Belgian neighbours (including frites/fried potatoes!).

In winter, visit the numerous harbours, castles and farmsteads. I summer join the British on the beaches!
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17) PARIS

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the seventeenthth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Paris.

I have doubts as whether Paris can be called a “region”. It has at least the merit ot offer gastronomy from the whole of France for visitors who don’t the time to venture out of its borders.

It counts some of the best tables (for a price) in France.
Paris was the first city in France to serve the ubiquitous Baguette, often called “Parisienne”, after marie-Antoinette introduced it from her native Austria together with the Croissant and cafes.

Did you there is is vineyard inside Paris?

I agree that Paris has a ot to show, although it hasn’t regained the safety of old times. The bistros at least would warrant a long stay!
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18) PAYS DE LA LOIRE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the eighteenthth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Pays de la Loire.

The Pays de la Loire means the lower half and the atlantic region it goes through.
In the Middle Ages it was the richest region of “France” and king ransoms were paid with silver pounds minted in Tours and Angers with controlled the very bridges across a very large river.

There is an incredible abondance of culinary specialties.
You will discover the following on the sheet:
-Oysters which will foundtheir way on Paris tables.
-Brioche vendeens, copied all over the World.Fleur de Sel/Salt Flower
-Petit Beurre Natais, another biscuit known all the World.
Don’t forget the numerous wines along the River Loire to be drunk with a plate of eels.
Discover the Pommeau and other spirits shared with the neighbouring charente region.

A resort area wher you sometimes spekmore English than French!
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19) PICARDIE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the nineteenth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Picardie.

Picardie for a long time moved along local politics and alliances moving from hands to hands, Englis, Burgundian, Spanish and French. Its inhabitants still feel very independent and resent outside authority.
It is a very rich and traditional culinary region based around its famous beers.

The sheet here features the Tare au Maroilles, a kind of Quiche made with Maroilles Cheese. The same cheese can be ooked in beer like a Welsh rarebit.
The Flemiche Picarde comes in various shapes but is basically a gratin containing endives and pork.
The region is also famous for a rare plant called salicorne or sea bean, which grows in salted water. It is not a seaweed and can be savoured in many ways.

Picardie is also famous for its cakes like Gateau battu and all kinds of biscuits, eels, pates and terrines. This rgion can go through severe winters, so its people need a hearty food!
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20) POITOU-CHARENTE

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the twentieth of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Poitou-Charente.

Poitou Charente includes Poitou and Poitiers, the theatre of great battles during the 100 Years War. It also includes Cognac and its brandies, hence a very strong English influence also found in La Rochelle, the capital of Charente. Ile de Re/Re Island was the place where Protestants had to leave France under Louis XIV’s reign. I actually found 14 families there (population: 2,500) bearing my surname (I was born Catholic, but my surname was mainly Huguenot)!
Ile de Re was also the final departure from France for many forced laborers who left for French Guyana.

It has an extremely rich culinary tradition.
On the sheet you will notice:
-Oysters (marennes in particular)
-Tourteau Fromager, a succulent cake made with local cheese.

You must also include superlative seafood (including shark!), cheeses (especially goat cheese!), and spirits (not only Cognac, but Pineau and wines).
Visit La Rochelle and Ile de Re for its food and great sea resorts!
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21) PROVENCE-COTE D’AZUR

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the twenty-first of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Provence-Cote d’Azur.

Provence is called such because it was the first “provincia/colony” officially recognized by the Roman Empire. Cote d’Azur is called such for its blue skies altough Italy claims the same with justification. After all Nice was still Italian until the second half of the XIXthe Century!

On this sheet you can see culinary specialties univesally known:
-Bouillabaisse, although the original one was only fish soup served with toasts (and mayonnaise if your were lucky, as this was a poor man’s food!).
-Herbs of Provence both used for food and perfume.

Other produce include olive oils, lavender, thyme and other herbs, and wine of course.
This particular land was fought over the ages not so much for its wealth, but for its harbours and wood. The Roman in fact cut the whole forest extending all over it 2,500 years to build their ships.
Reforestation was only begun in very late XIXth century!

had it not been for its tourist industry that was launchd after WWII, it could have stayed one of the poorest regions of France!
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22) PYRENEES

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the twenty-first of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Pyrennees.

The Pyrenees is the area bordering the mountains separating France from Spain. My own mother came from the Gers near Auch.
In this particular case we talk about the area stretching from the south of the Central mountains to the Basque shores.
A rugged land with rugeed people, it is the land of rugby players.
No wonder people have some of the biggest appetites in France!

This sheet shows an interesting specialty: Gateau a la Broche, a soft cake cooked around a spit over a hot fire. Only takes a few hours to make!
Cheese, especially ewe cheese has to be tasted. In Basque country, they serve it in thin slices with cherry jam!
There are many succulent almost wines to be discovered along with foie gras.
Chocolate was first introduced to France by Basque sailors as well as chili peppers which are presently known as Espellettes.
Cassoulet is another specialty for big appetites. It takes at least four hours to cook the beans with tomatoes and pork (or duck, or goose)!

It is also the land of the Cathares which were wiped out during the Albigeois Crusade. Innumerable castles are still there to be seen along the mountains. Artists will be interested to know that Toulouse-Lautrec was born in Albi, not far from Toulouse!
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23) RHONE-ALPES

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time.
A new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
With the twenty-second of these sheets I’d like to introduce is Rhone-Alpes.

Rhone-Alpes is an administrative regions in France whose history is both ancient and new.
Rhone stands for the Rhone River which flows through Switzerland before taking a 90 degree turn towards the Mediterranean Sea. This region with the Saone River valley is the true start of France with a 2,500 plus year old history.
On the other hand, part of the Alpes/Alps, including Mont Blance was still Italian until the French governement bought it in the second half of the XIXth century!

It is an extremely rich region and the present sheet does not do it justice.
You can see:
-Fondue which shares its origins with Switzerland and French Jura. Originally a poorman’s winter fare invented by shepherds, it has expanded behind the French borders as a culinary specialty.
-Boucho restaurants in Lyon were originally inns where the wife was cooking and the husband serving. There are only under 20 authentic ones left in Lyon.

Naturally the region is deservedly famous for its many wines, cheeses and spirits distilled by monks in mountain monasteries.
Withe bourgogne it accounts for half of the best restaurants in France.
It is also the land of winter sports with already two Olympic Games staged there!
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24) WINES

Vineyards in Givry, Cote Chalonnaise, Bourgogne

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time including the new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
As for stamps issued since the firts stamp in 1849, quite a few were issued with wine as a theme:

Clos Vougeot in Bourgogne, probably the most famous wine of Bourgogne. They also have shares in the glorious Romanee Conti!

Vignobles de Champagne/Champagne Vineyards
Do I have to introduce the bubbly wines of Champagne? LOL

Vignobles du Beaujolais/Beaujolais Vineyards
Beaujolais is both famous for 10 great vintages and notorious for Beaujolais Nouveau, a crass success story, if there is one (don’t start shooting!)!

Vendanges/Grapes Harvest!

The next posting will be about cheese!

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Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
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25) CHEESES

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time including the new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
As for stamps issued since the firts stamp in 1849, quite a few were issued with cheese as a theme:
CAMEMBERT

Probably the most famous and most copied French cheese!
Made from cow’s milk, the best are created with raw milk in the city of Camembert, Normandie!

REBLOCHON

Reblochon, a semi-hard washed type of cheese made in the French Alps, it is very versatile as it can be eaten as it is, inside a pie, or in Fondue! Very soft taste.

ROQUEFORT

The King of all Blue Cheese, but not the oldest one. Copied all over the World, it is exclusively made with ewe’s milk and matured inside natural caves. Great with a Port or Banyuls wine any time of the day!

Next I will introduce some great traditional dishes and ingredients!
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26) MUSHROOMS

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time including the new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
As for stamps issued since the first stamp in 1849, a great number of them were issued with edible mushrooms as a theme:

PLEUROTE

CEPES/Porcini

CHANTERELLE VIOLETTE/Violet Chanterelle

CLAVAIRE

INDIGOTIER

MORILLE/Morel

ORONGE/Amanita Caesara: The Mushroom of the Cesars!

PALOMET

TROMPETTES DE LA MORT/Black Trumpets

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27) FRUITS, VEGETABLES & HERBS

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time including the new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
As for stamps issued since the first stamp in 1849, a great number of them were issued with edible Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs as a theme:

CANNE A SUCRE/Sugarcane
France produces a lot of its brown sugar from sugarcanes grown in the West French Indies and African Islands in the Indian Ocean.

POMME DE TERRE/Potatoes.
France was comparatively late in Europe adopting this particular vegetable.

THYM/Thyme
What would the French do witout it?

AWARA
Exclusively grown in French Guyana/Guyanne.

CASSIS
Cassis is mainly grown and poduced in Dijon, my birthplace!

CHATAIGNE/Chestnuts
For a long time, in many rural areas of France, chestnuts provided the flour for bread!

LENTILLES/Lentils
Originally coming from Indian, the green small ones are the best!

MIRABELLES
At one time almost extinct, they are evrywhere to be found in early Autumn!

MYRTILLE/Blueberry
Used in making jams and also spirits!

OLIVES-HUILE D’OLIVE/Olives and Olive Oil
Grown in Provence mainly!

POMMES/Apples
Make for great Cider and Pommeau! (and cakes!)

QUETSCHE/Plums
What I would give for a tart of them!

SALICORNE
A very rare vegetable/plant growing in salted waters!
Great as pickles!
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28) RIVER FISH

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time including the new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
As for stamps issued since the first stamp in 1849, a number of them were issued with River Fish as a theme:

SAUMON/Salmon

Of course most varieties of Salmo both live in the sea and in rivers.
In France, salmon fishing regulations are very strict and define the season when one can catch the fish, its minimum size and fishing area.
The French probably appreciate it most poached, and served cold with a jelly coating and mayonnaise either served whole or in medaillons/thick slices.

BROCHET/Pike

Both caled the “King of Rivers” and the “River Shark”, its catches are also strictly regulated.
Most apprecated either poached and cold like salmon, or as quenelles/dumplings served hot in a gratineed bechamel sauce as made in Lyon!

GARDON/Common Roach

Found in big schools in quiet rivers, it is a small cousin of the carp.
The French mostly appreciate it in small size, emptied, rolled into flour and deep-fried, served with lemon and a good glass of white wine or beer.

PERCHE/Perch=River Bass

here is a fish whose catching, except for the season, is practically not regulated as it tends to overpopulate rivers and lakes to the detriment of other fish.
Best appreciated as deep-fried filets served with lemon or tartatr sauce! Great with a solid beer!

Look forward to the next postings! There are plenty more!
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29) Traditional　Ingredients and Dishes

France has issued many stamps on food (not foodstamps!) on her own gastronomy for quite some time including the new series will be issued on April 25th and wil be printed in the form of mini-sheets dedicated to a particular region with stamps, pics and explanations.
As for stamps issued since the first stamp in 1849, a number of them were issued with Traditional Ingredients and Dishes as a theme:

BEURRE/butter
Someone said that France is a muntain of butter in the middle of a lake of milk, a statement hotly disputed by Denmark!

CREPE
The word crepe apllies only for the sweet whet flour pancake. Its original meaning is “lace” as of a lace veil.
The buckwheat pancake is called “galette”.

BOUILLABAISSE
Oriinally a poor man/fisherman’s soup eaten with toasted bread has beome an extravagant “national” dish almost unrelated with the real one.

CALISSON
A traditional sweet from south France.

CASSOULET
Created with beans originally from India. It takes four hours to cook it with beans, tomatoes and meat (pork, duck or goose) before being gratineed in an oven for at leat an hour.

FOIE GRAS
Made in different regions of France. originally mad with goose liver. I, for myself prefer duck foie gras!

HUITRES/Oysters
Did you know that all oysters in France, except for the Belon variety either came from Great Britain or Japan?

MOUTARDE/Mustard
Originally from the Middle East, it is mainly prepared in Dijon, my birthplace!

PAIN/Bread
Baguette is not French by the way. It was introduced by the Austrian Queen, marie-Antoinette!

POT AU Feu/Pot on the Fire
Has become universal!

QUICHE LORRAINE
The original one, cooked with fresh cream, eggs and bacon only!

RILLETTES
made with lean pork and lard. Great, but careful with those calories!

CAFES, the symbol of a lifestyle originally came from Austria!