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One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

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Re: One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

#71

Post by kergonath »

acchow wrote: post #67
spockz wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have been to the USA only twice, to San Francisco and to New York, and the absence of flavour and substance in the food is what really stuck with me. Everything was so bland and generic and non filling. The two only exceptions were a cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, and a chowder in some small fish shop. And the latter only because I never had it before. I can really imagine all portions being over sized and s…

> San Francisco and to New York, and the absence of flavour and substance in the food is what really stuck with me What? Where did you eat? > The two only exceptions were a cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory I guess we have different definitions of substance and flavour. I can't imagine anything being more boring than Cheesecake Factory.

> What? Where did you eat?

My experience is that no fuss food can be fantastic (I have really fond memories of things like hot dogs, pastrami sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and cheesesteak sandwiches) but fancy restaurants were mostly disappointments. Following tourist trails in an American city I definitely can see how someone could not come anywhere near anything tasty.

> I guess we have different definitions of substance and flavour. I can't imagine anything being more boring than Cheesecake Factory.

It’s the exotic factor. If you’ve never really had a real cheesecake, it is a novel experience. Once was enough, but I enjoyed it.

Re: One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

#72

Post by kergonath »

insane_dreamer wrote: post #65
spockz wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have been to the USA only twice, to San Francisco and to New York, and the absence of flavour and substance in the food is what really stuck with me. Everything was so bland and generic and non filling. The two only exceptions were a cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory, and a chowder in some small fish shop. And the latter only because I never had it before. I can really imagine all portions being over sized and s…

> And yes, proper fresh French baguette is worth a meal on its own. Almost. Just add wine and cheese :)

And saucisson!

Re: One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

#74

Post by acchow »

dragonwriter wrote: post #55
thfuran wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you're suggesting that a main feature of US food culture is shit bread?

> So you’re suggesting that a main feature of US food culture is shit bread? I don’t know if GP was suggesting it, but it absolutely unironically is. At least from the perspective of anyone who thinks of bread as a standalone element; bread as a neutral canvas for other elements is fairly central to, at least, many of the distinct American food cultures.

Sure, but then you can take exactly the same ingredients but swap out the bad bread for an artisanal bread and the result will taste much better.

Re: One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

#75

Post by dragonwriter »

acchow wrote: post #74
dragonwriter wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So you’re suggesting that a main feature of US food culture is shit bread? I don’t know if GP was suggesting it, but it absolutely unironically is. At least from the perspective of anyone who thinks of bread as a standalone element; bread as a neutral canvas for other elements is fairly central to, at least, many of the distinct American food cultures.

Sure, but then you can take exactly the same ingredients but swap out the bad bread for an artisanal bread and the result will taste much better.

> Sure, but then you can take exactly the same ingredients but swap out the bad bread for an artisanal bread and the result will taste much better.

“Better” is subjective and shaped by experience and cultutal expectations, among other factors; for a set of food preferences that are fairly common in the USA, no, it won’t, which is why it is hard to find “good” bread (which is not particularly more expensive to make) on the market in the USA, and why what little their is commands a high price; people to whom it makes a positive difference are rare, and disproportiinately price insensitive.

Re: One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

#76

Post by sandworm101 »

jcims wrote: post #50

I just want to dip a spoon in at every step and sample it. About two years ago I bought just about every butter at the local grocery and started sampling them. (COVID hobby i guess) and it completely changed my relationship with butter. I found a few that were clear favorites...to the point where one of them I can slice off a thin pat and just eat it neat. Butter in the abstract is loved, but somehow it has been rele…

And notice too that your butter changes in flavor, even color, throughout the year. It remains one of the few products that hasnt been rigidly commodified.

Buttergate. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56175784

Re: One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

#77

Post by csours »

nsenifty wrote: post #13

Claudia Romeo from Food Insider interviewed the super enthusiastic owner of this place. https://youtu.be/ZyXUzhTn0kI

Wow, what a treat! I'm glad I watched this one too. I'm reminded of 'The Logical Song' by Supertramp. They never got to him and I'm glad to see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=low6Coqrw9Y

Re: One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

#78

Post by refurb »

xwolfi wrote: post #12
jmcgough wrote: post #11

yesss I love Bordier, showed this to my partner recently to explain to her why I love nice imported French butters. Traveling there really made me fall in love with French food and the mentality behind a lot of it. Part of what Europe does right is its legal certification process for traditionally made foods, "protected designation of origin" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protected_designation_of_origi... ). At nic…

Yeah the food situation in the US is pretty sad. I rmb going there in an exchange and the family dad beeming with pride "look I bought you a French baguette", and suffice to say... it was neither French nor a baguette lol. It barely qualified as food for animals.

How do you not get depressed being surrounded by all these unsophisticated rabble?

Re: One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

#79

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

nsenifty wrote: post #13

Claudia Romeo from Food Insider interviewed the super enthusiastic owner of this place. https://youtu.be/ZyXUzhTn0kI

Wow, how can you not fall in love with people like that! I have so much admiration for people that can be so passionate about their work and what they produce, but at the same time they never see it as just chemistry or a production process, but an art form and their gift to humanity.

Re: One of France's oldest butter producers makes 380 tons per year [video]

#80

Post by robocat »

0_____0 wrote: post #26
yamtaddle wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I live in a US city with a population over 2,000,000 that's seemingly incapable of producing what would be a very mediocre loaf of bread in Paris, for under $12. Actually-good bread simply cannot be had—there isn't any. One consequence of this is that it's impossible to get a decent sandwich here for anything but crazy-high prices. And don't get me started on the croissant situation. Ugh. They're all too-big and disg…

I am a fellow USian, who is haunted by the first good baguette they had. Paris, December 2012. Only half of the loaf made it to the hostel. I still vividly remember how it felt to tear that first piece off of it, the delicacy of the crust, the crumb, the warmth and aroma. I remember it better than the first time I had sex, not a joke.

Alan Bourdain writing about a bread maker he knew: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29077398
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