Gourmand or Gourmet?

A woman smiling in front of a tree with a blurred green background. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.
Laura Schneider
 November 18, 2015

I know that once I leave in a month, French food will be the first thing I'll be pining for. Besides the almost too-accessible croissants and pains au chocolat (and Haribo) I’ve devoured, I've been incredibly lucky to be living somewhere that is known for its seafood, and my host family takes advantage of that almost every week, at least once: oysters, mussels, scallops…I also can’t get over how much better the food tastes – I eat food I wouldn't normally eat or even like, but here, almost everything tastes a little different because we're more focused on organic food (bio) and cultivating our own gardens.

Wine:

Cheese wheels with slices on a board. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

We tried three of these wines - and this is also where I learned that I enjoy red wine quite a bit more than white wine.

LaMestela Prosecco bottle with glasses and tasting notes. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

       

Prosecco: hands down the best alcoholic drink I've had 

Wine display with glasses and menus in a tasting setting. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

                                          

My go-to alcoholic drink - cider!

Wine bottles with labels on a black table, accompanied by descriptive white cards. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

Cidre Royal Guillevic: a very affordable cider I tried and also bought

Cheese:

Large wheel of cheese labeled "Cantal Entre Deux" on display. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

   

My favorite of the day: Cantal Entre Deux

Cheese wheels displayed on a wooden surface, some with labels. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

Pur Brebis

First image: Sliced cheese wheel on a wooden board with a cheese cutter. Second image: Large cheese wheels stacked behind a glass display. Third image: Sliced Tomme de brebis cheese on display with a sign. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

     

Tomme de Brebis

A cheese wheel with slices being cut by a rotating cheese slicer. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

Tête de Moine (from Switzerland) - rotating cutter shapes it into a flower

Charcuterie: the charcuterie here - namely jambon - was some of the best I've had since living in Nantes      

Bottle of Lamestela Prosecco and wine glasses on a table with menu cards. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

     

Wine tasting setup with a menu, glasses, and a prosecco bottle. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

     

Jars stacked on a table with a "Foie Gras" label, against a red cloth backdrop. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

   

Jars of foie gras with sign, stacked on a red cloth. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

We weren't able to try any snails - which I absolutely adore - but there were some live ones just chilling out at the front of the stall

Desserts: The server at the the chocolate stand found out we were American and very generously gave us a raspberry dark chocolate dome as well 

Jars of foie gras stacked on a red table with a chalkboard sign. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

Kouign Amann (one of my favorite pastries): caremelized goodness

1. Jars of foie gras displayed on a red table. 2. Snails on lettuce in a plastic container. 3. Stacks of pastries on sale at a market stall. 4. Bags of sweets arranged on a red tablecloth. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

Le Tas de Sel: salted caramel and dark chocolate enrobed in milk chocolate 

Jars of duck foie gras stacked on a red table with a chalkboard sign. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

Blocks and blocks of nougat  

Dried fruit market stall with various colorful fruits in trays. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

All the dried fruit you could think of          

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A woman smiling in front of a tree with a blurred green background. This alt text was added with Al; accuracy may vary.

Laura Schneider

<p>Bonjour! I&#39;m Laura Schneider, a junior at the cozy College of Wooster, majoring in vocal performance and minoring in French. Apart from immersing myself in these two fields, I enjoy baking - while occasionally tweaking recipes, riding my bike, reading (especially outside), and playing (and watching) tennis. I lived in Bath, England with my parents my sophomore year of high school, and am so thrilled to be abroad on my own this time! After college, I am hoping to further my studies in performance somewhere in Chicago!</p>

Program:
Destination:
Home University:
College of Wooster, The
Major:
Music
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