French Language Blog

Although it is un nouveau venu (a newcomer) to the crowded Hall of Fame of les fromages français (French cheeses), Camembert quickly rose to the lofty prominence of most popular cheese in France, and by far the most famous throughout the entire world: Now, wouldn’t you say that deserves some r-e-s-p-e-c-t for Monsieur Camembert?

According to his autobiographical “Secret Life”, the now iconic “Persistence of Memory” painting was suggested to early surrealism enthusiast Salvador Dalí by observing a Camembert cheese slowly melting under la chaleur (the heat) of a Summer day

One tenuous story claims that its ascension fulgurante (meteoric rise) traces its roots back to the shaky times of la Révolution française (French revolution), at the eponymous village of Camembert in Lower Normandie, dubbed “the largest small village in France.”

Marie Harel

In fact, the name Camembert can be broken into to parts: “Camp-Membert“, or “Membert field” (“camp” meaning “field” in Norman, which sounds close enough to the same French word, “champs“, as in “Champs-Élysées.”)

To this day, the village of Camembert proudly boasts a statue of the one woman officially credited as the mother of the soft creamy milk-based product: Madame Marie Harel.

“Dites fromage“ (“say cheese“)! Commercial for the French Cheese “PRÉSIDENT“—A feature that applies to all kinds of “Presidents” as well (Keep scrolling down, you’ll get it)

Camembert is famously tasty with a baguette de pain (bread.) It can be enjoyed with nuts or even fruits. Culinary connaisseurs advise that it is best savored at température de chambre (room temperature.)

“Ze Small Urge to Merge“:

 Notwithstanding la crise financière (the financial crisis) plaguing the whole Euro zone, French President Nicolas Sarkozy remains a “big” fan of les fusions et acquisitions (the corporate finance term in French for “mergers and acquisitions“), hence the widely spread rumor of him urging the two famous Camembert brands “Le Petit” and “Président” to merge their operations at once (With Nicolas, of course, making a perfect fit for the mascot of the thus newly-created milk-based food delicacy: “Le Petit Président“)

“L’Homme Providentiel“, the “Providential Man“, the “Savior of the Masses”, is one of those “dynamite figures”, so to speak, that have for long jalonné (punctuated) the History of France: From Louis XIV, “le Roi Soleil” (The Sun King), to his Supreme Highness, le Grand Empreur Napoléon Bonaparte—To, finally, the much less sophisticated “parodical figureheads” of later pedigree…
Much to the “déception“, of course, of the French people!
But to each their own disappointment, to each their own “Waterloo“: Napoleon had his on the exact same date as today, the 18th of June, some 196 years ago…

What a Corsican with a “Napoleon complex” would have probably looked like deux siècles plus tard (two centuries later)!

SILMARILS – “L’Homme Providentiel” (“The Providential Man”)

* S I L M A R I L S – “L’H o m m e  P r o v i d e n t i e l” (“The  Providential  Man“):

Dormez, dormez tranquille quand je vous l’ordonne

Sleep tight when I order you to

Placez vos espérances en moi et que Dieu vous pardonne

Put your hopes into me and may God forgive you

Applaudissez mes actes et buvez mes paroles

Applaud my actions and drink my words

Affichez ma photo dans toutes les écoles  

Display my picture in all schools

Assez! Nous allons dire, nous allons faire

Enough! we will say, we will do

Nous allons bientôt rendre sa fertilité à la terre

We shall give to the land its fertility back

Nous allons faire de vos femmes de bonnes mères 

We shall make of your women good mothers

Votez pour moi vous aurez la lumière

Vote for me and you shall see the light

Voyez je n’ai pas un seule ennemi

Look I have not a single enemy

Car mon discours se situe bien au dela des partis 

For my speech is beyond patisanship

J’accueille à bras ouvert tous les nouveaux venus

I welcome with wide arms all the newcomers

L’heure de changement de vestes et enfin venu

The turncoat time is finally upon us

Merci aux ralliement de dernière minute 

Thank you to the rallying of last minute

Aux Stackhanovistes du demi-tour aux fils de @#%$&!

To the Stakhavonites of about-turns, to the sons of @#%$&!

Vous avez tellement tellement fait pour moi  

You did so much for me

La nation ne vous oubliera pas

The nation won’t forget you

Je rendrai fertile la terre 

I shall make the land fertile again

Je changerai en or la pierre

I will turn stones into gold

Les hommes seront de bons pères 

Men will be good fathers

Je suis l’homme providentiel

I am the providential man

Despite the fact that it is relatively un nouveau venu (a newcomer) into the much older and super crowded scene of les fromages français (French cheeses), Camembert quickly emerged as the most popular cheese in France, and by far the most famous in the world: Wouldn’t you say that deserves some r-e-s-p-e-c-t ?

According to his autobiographical “Secret Life”, the now iconic “Persistence of Memory” painting of early surrealism enthusiast Salvador Dalí was suggested to him by observing a Camembert cheese slowly melting under the chaleur (heat) of a Summer day

One tenuous legend says that its ascension fulgurante (meteoric rise) traces its beginnings to the shaky times of la Révolution française (French revolution), at the eponymous village of Camembert in Lower Normandie, dubbed “the largest small village in France.”

Marie Harel

In fact, the name Camembert can be broken this way: “Camp-Membert“, or “Membert field” (“camp” meaning “field” in Norman, which sounds close enough to the same French word, “champs“, as in “Champs-Élysées.”)

To this day, the village of Camembert boasts a statue of the one woman credited as the mother of the soft creamy milk-based product: Madame Marie Harel.

“Dites fromage“ (say “cheese”)! Commercial for the French Cheese “PRÉSIDENT“—A feature that applies to other varieties of “Presidents” as well (take a look below)

Camembert is famously tasty with a baguette de pain (bread.) It can be enjoyed with nuts or even fruits, and culinary connaisseurs advise that it is best eaten at température de chambre (room temperature.)

“The urge to merge”: Notwithstanding la crise financière (the financial crisis), French President Nicolas Sarkozy remains a “big” fan of les fusions et acquisitions (the corporate finance French term for “mergers and acquisitions“), hence the rumor in high French business circles that he urged the two Camembert brands “Le Petit” and “Président” to merge their operations at once (With him, of course, making a perfect fit for the mascot of the newly created milk-based food delicacy: “Le Petit Président“)