User:Theodolite/Cuisine of Lyon

Lyonnaise cuisine is a regional cuisine of France, originating from Lyon, which is sometimes considered to be the "capital" of French cuisine. Situated at the crossroads of several regional culinary traditions, it combines parts of the products of all those around it: the livestock of Bresse and Charolais, the game animals of Dombes, fish from the lakes of Savoy, the fruit and vegetables of Drôme, Ardèche and Forez, the wines of Burgundy, Beaujolais and the Côtes du Rhône.

The Lyonnaise culinary tradition dates back to the the 19th century, when the cooks of the local bourgeoisie, called the "Mères lyonnaises" (Lyonnaise mothers), began to open restaurants rather than cooking at home. In 1935, the gastronome Curnonsky called Lyon the "world capital of gastronomy." In the 21st century, Lyonnaise cuisine defends an image of simplicity and quality as it is exported throughout France and abroad. With more than a thousand restaurants, Lyon has one of the greatest concentrations of restaurants per inhabitant in France: the classic bouchons sit side by side with gastronomic restaurants owned by star chefs, including the renowned Paul Bocuse.

History
The history of Lyonnaise cuisine begins in Roman times, where Lugdunum, the capital of the Three Gauls, held a monopoly on the wine trade. Oil and brine were imported from Africa and Hispania Baetica. The wine trade in the area is attested long before the arrival of Romans in the region; the alluvial plain of Vaise shows signs of a wine trade dating back to the 2nd century BC. Italian wines from the Tyrrhenian coast were also present in the area. In 43 BC, the new Roman population, with its Mediterranean tastes, brought new products and habits: Italian wines gave way to those from Greece, Rhodes, Cnide, Cos, and especially Chios, whose wine was reputed to be the sweetest and most luxurious in Spain.

Influences
The cuisine of Lyon is influenced by two major sources: that of the south of France ((Provence and the Mediterranean) and the north (Lorraine and Alsace). Each of these cultures brings its own characteristics: the butter and cream of the north and the produce and olive oil of the south. Additionally, Lyon was one of the European centers of spice trade at the beginning of the Renaissance, imported from the east by Italian traders.

The regions around Lyon contribute their particular skills to the cuisine of the city. To the north-east, Bresse is a notable center of poultry production, with an AOC dating to 1957. Crayfish are caught in Lac de Nantua, near Bugey, which are used to make quenelle. The Dombes, with more than a thousand lakes and ponds originally dug by medieval monks, produce pike, tench, carp, and frogs. Charolais, to the north, produces beef, and Saône oil. And, of course, Beaujolais produces its famous wine, giving rise to Léon Daudet's maxim that Lyon has three rivers: the Rhône, the Saône, and the Beaujolais.