Canaille

Has anybody ever published a study on the influence of a specific language on the mind of a menu reader and on his or her taste buds? Probably the language influence is quite marginal, what counts is the meaning of the names of the various menu items, their descriptions and the images and associations it may create in the reader’s mind. Call me old fashioned but I am still fascinated by the French language when it comes to menus, not to mention desserts.
A couple of months ago I visited the charming city of Montpellier for the first time. It was a glorious sunny day and I could wear my sandals again. What a joy to feel the warmth of late springtime and play hide and seek in the shadows of the numerous little alleys and squares of that old and erudite city. It was time to sit somewhere and enjoy some fresh air to cool down and relax. The choices I had were many but I found myself all of a sudden in a blessed place: Place du Petit Scel, just in front of the elegant Church of Saint Anne, with a distant view of the plain and a divine breeze blowing upwards. The little square had a couple of great trees and lots of simple tables with big and white sun umbrellas. It was not pretentious and you could easily notice that many visitors found their way to those tables. I had no expectations but I could feel that it was not a mere touristic café. When the waiter brought me a menu, I slowly opened it and was instantly hit by a word: Valrhôna. – You might know that Valrhôna Cocoa is basically the Rolls Royce of the chocolate industry – I immediately upgraded Chez Canaille (great name) to the best ice cream salon in Montpellier. What happened afterwards had a lot to do with the French language, though. I was toast already but the enchantment of the ice cream names and their description took me in a different dimension. Please, try to read some of them in the context I have just painted and let me know if I am exaggerating when I say that it is pure poetry…

GLACES ET SORBETS
Maître Artisan Glacier

CARAMEL BEURRE SALE
au caramel, au beurre et au sel de Guérande
POMME CANNELLE
à la cannelle infusée avec des morceaux de pomme caramélisées
PISTACHE
à la pâte de pistache de Sicile avec éclats de pistache
THE VERTE A LA MENTHE
thé infusé et menthe douce
CHOCOLAT NOIR
au chocolat et au cacao Valrhôna
PAIN D’EPICES
au véritable pain d’épice d’Alsace
VANILLE
à la Vanille Bourbon et au beurre d’Echiré et aux oeufs
FAISSELLE AU PERLEE DE FRAMBOISE
glace à la véritable faisselle avec ajout de perlée et coulis de framboises

Enjoy!

Simonetta Ronconi