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Charles III and Queen Camilla will serve their guests on Saturday in London a “coronation quiche” during the banquet, but in Lorraine, the historic cradle of the quiche, purists consider the term overused: it will in fact be more of a a “savory pie”, they argue.
The British sovereign personally chose the recipe for this vegetarian dish, consisting of spinach, broad beans and tarragon, an inexpensive and simple dish to cook, which “easily adapts to different tastes and preferences”boasts the British royal family.
But the term quiche is not appropriate here, points out Evelyne Muller-Derveaux, grand master and president of the Lorraine quiche confederation, in Dombasle-sur-Meurthe (Meurthe-et-Moselle), in eastern France. .
Quiche or no quiche?
“Certainly they did not speak of ‘quiche Lorraine’, but etymologically, when we use the word ‘quiche’, it automatically implies that it is from Lorraine, since the word ‘quiche’ is a word from Lorraine. If we pushes the reasoning to the end, to speak of ‘quiche Lorraine’ is therefore almost a pleonasm”explains Ms. Muller-Derveaux.
“By extension, they called it quiche, but I’d rather call it a ‘savory tart'”, continues the grand master of the brotherhood amused. “We may be a little demanding, but that’s normal, we defend a product.”
Immutable ingredients of a good Lorraine quiche: shortcrust pastry, eggs, cream, a little nutmeg for the adventurous, with bacon bits simply placed on the pastry.
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Distant origins
The coronation quiche served on Saturday will therefore ultimately only be a distant cousin of the Lorraine quiche, the mother of all quiches whose origins date back to around 1540. Tasty detail, this dish appeared under the reign of another Charles III, Duke of Lorraine in the 16th century, a time of peace and prosperity in the region, still reminds Mme Muller-Derveaux.
The Lorraine quiche brotherhood of Dombasle-sur-Meurthe, whose aim is to highlight this emblematic dish and to make the region known and loved, was recreated in 2015, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Fête de the quiche, in Dombasle-sur-Meurthe. But Evelyne Muller-Derveaux regrets the splendor of yesteryear of this party which attracted many people in the 1970s. Nowadays there are no more parades of floats, and no more election of “Miss Quiche”. .