THE GREATEST ARTS OF FRANCE - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette: France - page 161

rel ects the simple dignity of the stone-age monoliths called
menhirs which still litter the countryside. This is also the
land of the artichoke and the caulil ower, rugged individuals
of the vegetable family.
For drinks, lots of cidre and the i ne white wine of Nantes,
to the south of Brittany. The Muscadet has a bone-dry
simplicity that has endeared the world of wine lovers. Not
fancy, but crisp and honest. Excellent with shelli sh, which
abound. The quatre-quarts cake, made from equal portions
of l our, butter, sugar and eggs, is similar to the American
pound cake.
The Loire Valley
People of the Loire Valley speak what is considered to be
the purest, unaccented French, and the Loire is called the
cradle of French culture. Extraordinarily known for ornate
royal palaces built over the centuries, she offers a much
less complicated cuisine. Plentiful fresh i sh, vegetables
and fruits, cooked to perfection, retain their natural
character. Nothing heavy about the Loire wines and cuisine.
Sophisticated simplicity.
Food writer Anne Willan explains that King Charles VIII
introduced Italian vegetables to his château at Amboise at the
end of the 15th century. These included lettuce, artichokes
and green peas, formerly unknown in France. The white
asparagus, so popular in spring here, never see the sun.
Among fruits are plums, apples, apricots, melons, peaches
and pears. From these come fruit pâtes in winter and fresh
tarts and custard cakes in summer. Plums were brought from
Damascus during the i rst crusade.
The wines of the region vary from the crisp, clean
and dry Muscadet of Nantes to the sophisticated,
slightly sparkling Saumur to the tart red Touraines to the
pétillant Vouvray. The character persevering here in both
cuisine and character is a lightness and subtle sophistication
quite unlike the heavier, creamier people of Brittany
and Normandy.
Cointreau, the famous liqueur of Anjou, gets its l avour
from orange peel. The cheeses here are Saint Paulin and baby