Monday, 7 July 2025

A New French Phrase

 A new term for me: "Sans exhausteur de goût" = "no added flavour enhancers".

Cordon bleu, France.

Although I could guess from the context I was curious enough to ask the checkout operator what an 'exhausteur de goût' was. Her response was that 'c'est quelque chose qui ramène du goût'. Then a shrug, and she added 'c'est chimique'. Literally, 'it's something that brings back flavour. It's chemical.'

The product in question, for those of you wondering, is thin slices of turkey breast wrapped around slices of ham and cheese, then crumbed. It's really intended for children I think, not really considered a grown up's meal in this cheap and cheerful version. The portion size is certainly small anyway. I buy them occasionally because I can do them in the air fryer and have a quick light cheap meal for the two of us, served with steamed veggies.

Sunday, 6 July 2025

Saturday, 5 July 2025

Aussie Moth

In contrast to yesterday's moth, photographed in our salon, this is an Australian Hawk Moth.

Hippotion scrofa is about twice the size of yesterday's moth, a fairly hefty beast with a 70mm wingpspan. It's found in Australia, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Susan photographed this one in the Australian Alps last year.


I identified it using ChatGPT. If you use the right prompts, it's quite a useful tool.

Friday, 4 July 2025

Night Visitors

During the recent warm spell we have had our windows open at night to cool the house down. This works really well, but it does get fluttery.


I don't know what this medium sized (about 3cm across) moth is, but it's quite pretty. Most of the other moths (and there are a lot of them) are quite plain.


Thursday, 3 July 2025

The Pieta of Jean Fouquet

Nouans Les Fontaines is a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. And yet it holds a great medieval treasure. In the church, behind the altar, in the space it was created for, is a large 15th century painting. The church is open to all who know of the painting's existence and who want to see it. 

 

The church in Nouans les Fontaines.

Church, Nouans les Fontaines, France.

Just recently I was passing and had time so I popped in. I was not the only person who had done the same. The two men already there knew it well and we had a lovely chat.

 

Detail of the priest's hands.

Detail in the Pieta by jean Fouquet, Nouans les Fontaines, France.

Jean Fouquet was a native of Tours. He was a painter, illuminator, miniaturist and highly regarded portraitist. Today, in art historian circles, he is recognised as one of the greatest creatives of his age. Outside of art history though he is forgotten.

 

Detail of the priest's robe.

Detail of the priest's robe in the Pieta by Jean Fouquet, Nouans les Fontaines, France.

At the confluence of influences coming from the Flemish and Tuscan artists who dominated European painting at this time, his art profoundly changed French painting of the 15th century.

 

Detail, showing Joseph of Arimathea, Christ, John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary.

Detail of the Pieta by Jean Fouquet, Nouans les Fontaines, France.

Several versions of the story of the origins of this painting exist, but it was probably commissioned by the unknown white robed canon (priest) on the right in about 1450. It was rediscovered in 1911 by Paul Vitry, Curator of Sculpture at the Louvre, who came from the Touraine. The painting at that point was situated in the tribune of the church.

 

Pieta by Jean Fouquet (dimensions 2.36 m x 1.47 m).

Pieta by Jean Fouquet, Nouans les Fontaines, France.

 Paul Vitry only brought the painting to the attention of the authorities in 1931, and it was very quickly classified as a historic monument. Then in 1932 it was shown in London as part of a major exhibition of French art.

 

The interior of the church, with the painting behind the altar.

Church interior, Nouans les Fontaines, France.

The painting was fully restored in 1980 by the Museums of France Research Laboratory, before an exhibition at the Louvre of the works of Jean Fouquet in 1981.


Wednesday, 2 July 2025

The Origin of la Carotte de Tabac

Most newsagents in France have a bright orange red elongated diamond shaped sign with flashing lights hung above their door. In white letters down the middle it says 'TABAC'. What does it all mean?!

Since 1906 bureaux de tabac (shops selling tobacco) have been obliged to display the carrot sign to show they sell tobacco. But why?

 

The 'carrot' in Veigné.

'Carrot' tobacco sign, France.

 

One of the explanations of the origins of this symbol that you will often hear is that being stored with a carrot allowed tobacco to keep better. And it is true that people did put a piece of carrot in their tobacco tin to keep it fresh. But this isn't the real explanation for the sign.

The 'carrot' has evolved over time. Initially it wasn't necessarily orange. It was sometimes brown. Today it has to be shiny and illuminated.

 

The 'carrot' in Preuilly sur Claise.

'Carrot' tobacco sign, France.

 

The number of newsagents selling tobacco is decreasing, and especially in rural areas the 'carrot' is disappearing. Newsagents today often want to modernise their offerings and don't necessarily want to sell tobacco. Today there are 24 000 newsagents in France, down from 49 000 in 1970. Those that still exist have done so by following the trends of what their customers want.

The real origin of the shape of the sign comes from how tobacco was sold in the 16th century. In those days tobacco was sold as leaves that you chewed or smoked. The leaves were not attached to their stalks, but in rolls that were wrapped in calico and tightly wound round with string in a way that made them resemble carrots. In order to use the tobacco one grated the 'carrot'. Later, the form changed to cigars and cigarettes, but the carrot symbol for shops stuck.

The first tobacco shops in France opened in 1716. The French ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot, had introduced it to France and grew it in his own garden more than a century earlier. He gave powdered tobacco (snuff) to Catherine de Medici, to give to her son François II to cure his migraines in 1560. At the time, tobacco was often called the 'Queen's herb' or 'Nicot's herb', and was considered medicinal and drunk as a tisane (herbal tea).

In 1906 it became a legal obligation to display a 'carotte de tabac' outside any shop selling tobacco. The 'carrot' must be illuminated and in the shape of a diamond. It has to be either red, or tricolour (red, white and blue), and can contain the word 'tabac'.

These days the carotte de tabac is part of French cultural heritage.