The reason for Lyon's reputation as a gastronomic center of the world is that it is well situated. It is near le Dauphine, one region of France where potatoes were cultivated ( in the seventeenth century), it is also near Le Charolais for beef, the farms of Bresse for poultry, the Auvergne for lamb, the lakes of Bourget & of the Dombes for carp and frogs, Savoy for mushrooms, and quite a few rivers for fish.
Before the end of the nineteenth century travelers really enjoyed the animated markets of the Saone. The cheeses also created an unbelievable list: white cheeses and tomes from le Dauphine, tete de moine from father east, the red cheese from the Maconais and the Cevennes, the Blue cheese from Gex, a bit dryer than the bleu de Bresse ( my favorite) and goat cheese from Le Beaujolais, Rigottes from Condrieu that had been soaked in white wine & preserved in vine leaves.
In addition Lyon is surrounded by the finest of wine countries. There is an old saying that says that Lyon has three rivers, the Rhone, the Saone and the Beaujolais and another saying that Beaujolais is the cafe-creme of the Lyonnais. To the south you will find the equally famous Cote-Rotie where lie around a dozen of local wines many of which are excellent but, because they do not travel very well, are not widely known. They include a wonderful white wine Chateau Grillet, said to be equal to the greatest wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy and kept away from the intrusive purchaser.
With the industrial revolution Lyon became the home of new social classes. They were different brands of the Bourgeoisie, with their aspirations and pretensions, in terms of food, and there was a large working -class population, sufficiently cohesive to forge its own culture in cooking as well as in other matters. It is definitely true that there was great poverty, and frequently the silk workers could only afford soups and would eat la Soupe de Farine Jaune, made from flour, water and milk. With luck it would contain small pieces of browned pork and onion and as rice became more common, it at times replaced the flour. The poor definitely had their festivities and how else could they celebrate, other than with food and drinks. Special dishes such as pork which is the most economical of animals, it became part of Lyon's traditions.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, small eating-houses, called Machons, became a regular part of Lyon's life. Workers and middle-class would mingle at mid-day, often eating pork and cheese delicacies. By the end of the nineteenth century Lyon was known for its enormous cafes, each with a hall packed with customers.
Many of Lyon's great dishes are served in the luxury restaurants of Place Bellecourt, or in more humble dwellings in the croix-Rousse or in the Monter des Carmes. In lyon, some of the restaurants maintain the old tradition of being run by women chefs.
Lyon sausages have always been famous. In an English cookbook of 1865, they were recommended for Breakfast. A favorite sausage is the Andouillette, which in Lyon is a tripe sausage based on veal rather than pork. Today, the Lyonnais don't make saucisson or Andouillette at home nowadays. The standard of charcuteries is very high; the boudin is a form of blood sausage and a Lyonnais specialty is the Boudin Blanc which is made of pork, onions and eggs. This sausage can be grilled , poached or fried and it can be cooked with truffles or can be served with sauteed apples and mashed potatoes ( my mom's recipe).
The Lyon salad bowl is really a far cry from the hors d'oeuvre varies or crudites served in Parisian restaurants. For a Lyon salad, you begin by cooking a sheep's trotter in stock for an hour and a half, by broiling a chicken liver, and by marinating a couple of herrings. Then as the sheep's trooter cools, remove the meat and dice it, adding it to a highly seasonned dressing with olive oil, pepper and vinegar. Add to it the crushed liver, the boned and filleted herrings and three hard boiled eggs and season with chives, parsley and other herbs.
Lyonnais cooks have always rejected the contention that onions play an overwhelming role in their cooking but the odor of onions predominate in the streets near Rue Edouard Herriott and in the vieux Lyon, areas with many restaurants. Onions play a major role when it comes to sauces and of the cooking of potatoes. Sauce Soubise is a very simple onion sauce , sautee onions in butter and do not let them get browned, then add sauce bechamel and cook the two together for about twenty minutes. Then sieve the mixtureand bring it to a boil, you can add butter or cream to it.
Pommes de terres Lyonnaises consist of potatoes cooked in salt water and then peeled and cut into small pieces. to these add a Sauce Soubise or simply add fried onions and mix them together. Pommes de terre Louise consist of grated raw potatoes, mixed with chopped onions, flour, parsley, seasoning and two to three eggs. Fry the whole (measuring about 1 inch in thickness), fry them lightly in oil until browned and then carefully turn over and fry the other side in the same manner.
The potato was "the truffle of the poor" said Sandhal when he discovered in Lyon that potatoes could be cooked in twenty different ways, ten of them were unknown in Paris.
When it comes to cheese Lyon is well placed. But traditionally , cheeese mixed with cream and chopped shallots and garlic, was to be found on the tables of the bourgeoisie. For sweets , Lyon revels in cherries ( those from Vienne, south of Lyon, were famous in Saint Petersburg in the years before 1914) and in pears arranged in a tart which were said to look like agricultural workers doing handstand.
Today the Lyonnais consists of large urban centers and extensive suburbs; the country side is real and definitely unchanged. Lyon is itself very modern with its very efficient transport, industries, and multiple commercial activities. But if you are a visitor, visit the old Lyon and find a unique world of traditional and specialized cooking reflected in a lot of local restaurants.
Anne Suire
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