People who know me will swear that I have a crazy cured meat (in French: charcuterie) addiction. When I left a job in early 2008, my ex-colleagues gifted me with a farewell gift – a lovely flower bouquet and a bottle of champagne paired with a set of dried sausages which includes a knife. This had me laughing!
I also always tell people that I prefer eating vegetables and fish over meat. But the Dutchman says I am lying because I devour cured meat like no other. Strange really, I do not like to eat freshly cooked meat. But when it comes to cured and preserved meat, I am one great aficionado.
Because I have this addiction for years already, you can say that I know my charcuterie – dried sausages very well. I know what my tastebuds crave. Most of them are not easily found in the Dutch supermarkets, not even in the gourmet section of Albert Heijn (AH). I have to go out of my way to a specialty delicatessen shop to buy them and they are always very expensive. Luckily, LIDL has a few Italian salamis in their regular offering, they are not the best but I can live with them.
My favourite charcuteries/salamis are from Italy and France, and I always go for the simplest recipe — naturel or pur porc. For Spain, I only like their jamon. The Dutch, Belgian and Nordic versions are not my kind of thing. Dried sausages from Germany, Austria and Switzerland are also not my favourites as well. I will eat them but I will not explicitly buy and stock them. The Hungarian salami I do like.
Anyways, you can fairly say that whenever I am in France I indulge this addiction. My holiday is already complete if I visit a boucherie or delicatessen shop =)
Dutchman and I bought some dried saucissons in Flaine at the Spar and Sherpa supermarkets. We ate them for pre-dinner and also as a side during breakfast. I also bought some terrines. I prefer them over pate really.
Then we also visited a large supermarket in the alpine valley called Super and I bought a little inventory to bring home. A good number of saucissons that will last us until March, a few terrines, a pot of foie gras and cheese. I wanted to buy more cheese but thought that I can find them in the Netherlands easily anyway.
I also bought lots of desserts (crème vanille, crème brulee, crème caramel chocolat, tartelette au caramel, crème aux oefs) which are not in the picture. Ready-made supermarket desserts in France are cheap and delicious. They come in a pack of 2 or 4 and in small cup portions, which makes them less intimidating to eat. Well, I bought them for the Dutchman really =)
TIP: When you are in France, go visit a brasserie or restaurant and order a plate of charcuterie as a starter. You can also visit a boucherie and buy a saucisson, some cheese and wine, then proceed to a park or go back to your hotel/apartment and enjoy. If you are Europe based check out the supermarkets and bring some home!
INDULGING A CRAVING
WHAT I BOUGHT FOR HOME
Being in France is an opportunity to stock a few saucissons for my pantry. They are much, much cheaper here! I do not go overboard and buy a lot, just enough for us to enjoy until March.
FRENCH BOUCHERIE IN FLAINE (FRENCH ALPS)
Here are a few that I found in the alpine village. You can find them in the shopping gallery of Flaine Foret, as well as in Flaine Forum.
Travel Period: January 2016
Destination: Flaine, Haute Savoie (Rhone-Alpes), France
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)