Why charcuterie boards don’t include cheese, French monks slinging blessed bell tower meat, and why you shouldn’t be afraid of pâté.
No one loves a maximalist charcuterie board with cheese, meat, nuts, jam, flowers and olives more than we do. The thing is – it’s not *actually* what would count as charcuterie here in France. In this episode, we break down the real meaning of charcuterie, from its linguistic roots to its role in preserving meat before refrigeration.
Along the way, we dive into why the French don’t typically serve meat and cheese together, what makes a great saucisson, and the surprising story of hams aged in church bell towers. We’ll dive into regional specialties from places like the Auvergne and Corsica, and break down common misconceptions about “charcuterie boards” as we know them today.
If you’re interested in French food, Paris dining culture, charcuterie, or understanding what you’re actually eating when you sit down at a wine bar, this episode is your guide.
New episodes of Fishwives of Paris drop every other Tuesday.
👉 Subscribe for more French food history, cultural insights, and myth-busting content.
8 Comments
monks have a history with Champagne (Dom Perignon), and cheese! Your mention of this is cool…
No cheese!?
Crack me up – I also think French sandwiches often have too little filling and the bread hurts your mouth. I do love brie, cornichons and ham sandwiches though.
Hamsnack!
This is the kind of content we need. I'm all about it. Enough of the. political BS. Let's agree to disagree about cheese boards.
Now I really want to see Caroline's beautiful board.
Fully agree with you, but it would have been so nice if you had pronounced the word "charcuterie" properly at least once 🙂
America does their own thing. Puts their own twist on things to make it more appealing. So No we're not doing it wrong, we're doing it our way.