We have all long ago agreeed that there are some things from the UK that expats can’t manage without. Or perhaps it was just marmite and mince pies?
So following a week of Christmas and New Year over-eating and festivities and I thought a reminder of what we have to celebrate with in France, and how it compares with its British counterpart, might be a good idea.
Our first competition is between the traditional christmas pudding and the French christmas log – the ‘bûche de Noel’.
In normal circumstances I would give the prize to the Christmas pudding, but since it follows straight after a big meal I am going to have to say the Christmas log is a better choice. Ours was exceptionally delicious. It also looked a bit like a train but that is an optional pleasure! (If truth be told we had Christmas pudding as well, but on Boxing Day instead of Christmas day.)
Second tricky choice – which aperitif to drink. I think port and sherry are the most popular aperitifs in Britain for those who don’t rush straight to the wine box or the gin and tonic, and the choice in France is just as varied – but I can’t think of anything as flavoursome as port and I can’t tolerate pernod type drinks so I’ll give the vote to the Brits.
The more adventurous in France can try an aperitif that is popular in the Christmas markets of northern France – a sort of variant of mulled wine that is made using various fruits or nuts such as raspberies or chestnuts. Ours was called Moretum and made from blackberries. Let’s call it an unusual treat but no replacement for a glass of port!
The next difficult choice is cheese. Both countries make exceptional cheeses so it is easy to come up with a good choice whichever country you live in. Ignoring the hundreds of local specialities our family is even split on whether roquefort and cantal make for a better choice of cheese than stilton and cheddar so we’ll concede a draw between the countries for the cheese trolley.
In the last and final battle for our Christmas festivities we have to turn to Champagne. More or less the same in both countries you might think, so nothing to choose between the two…
…except that the most popular champagne around here this year seems to be one being sold by a leading supermarket chain and costs about eight euros (six pounds) a bottle.
Now I’m no champagne expert but to me it tastes pretty good and at a price like that can you drink it even during a recession. So I give the champagne award to the French.
So there you have it! Both France and Britain can rustle up a perfectly good party celebration – as long as marmite isn’t a key part of your christmas experience.
The Christmas Holiday award has to go, overall, to the UK. The reason is Boxing Day. It’s the day when everything calms down and the cook almost has a day off with serving left-overs. The best meal of the year is cold meat, bubble & squeek and a selection of pickles, a nice drop of red wine then a pud. that takes only moment in the microwave with the last of yesterday’s rum sauce/custard/cream.
Good job it’s a Leap Year as it will be round again that little bit sooner.
I do not think anywhere compares to the British Christmas food and drink available. We have Christmas pudding on the day and a chocolate yule log on boxing day. We also have the French/Swiss traditional Christmas cheese of Vacherin, if you can find a piece off the large ring rather than a small boxed one it is just so good. We also buy some of the German gingery items that are good and of course the Italian Panettone. Its just amazing the choice available. We ditched the Norfolk Black Turkey this year and had venison for a change. We love a quality rum at this time as well. drunk neat from aged tot glasses.Topped off with a large Havana cigar. Phew glad its all over.
I think that’s a great idea for Christmas, to choose the best things from each country. And having Boxing Day as well does make Christmas a more notable event, so I have to concede Britain have got that right.
I don’t remember ever trying Vacherin so I’ll keep an eye out for that.
Yes I’m also glad its over, I need to get cycling ASAP to work off the excesses!
Vacherin Monr d’Or,is a soft, rich, seasonal cheese made from cow’s-milk in Switzerland or France, usually in villages of the Jura region (an origin that has been officially controlled since 1981), and has a grayish-yellow washed rind and is called Mont d’Or, or Vacherin du Haut-Doubs, from France or Vacherin Mont d’Or from Switzerland (though it tends to just be called Vacherin in the local shops). It typically contains 45 to 50 percent milk fat (in dry matter), and is produced between August 15 and March 15, and sold between September 10 and May 10, and the Swiss Vacherin Mont d’or is generally made with pasteurised milk, while the French Vacherin du Haut-Doubs is unpasteurised It is marketed in round boxes of various diameters made of spruce. Officially, the French AOC/PDO allows Artisanal and Coopérative production of Mont d’or
Both are a damn sight better than tamales….