Versailles Palace Celebrates 400th Anniversary; Hosts King Charles III
English cheese on the menu at Versailles banquet for King Charles
PARIS,
Sept 19 (Reuters) - France, a country that prides itself on its many
fine cheeses, has honoured a British blue cheese by placing it on the
menu for a banquet for Britain's King Charles at the Palace of
Versailles on Wednesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron will host Charles and his wife Queen Camilla during their three-day visit to France, with the state dinner in the famed Hall of Mirrors at the former French royal palace a particular highlight.
The
menu will feature blue lobster, Bresse French poultry with mushroom
gratin, and a selection of French and English cheeses, including Comte
from France, and Stichelton from Britain, according to Macron's office.
"Contrary
to the often-held view that you can't find any decent food in England,
it's totally untrue, you can find great products there and especially
great cheese," Alsatian cheesemonger Bernard Antony, who picked the
cheese selection for the royal dinner, told L'Alsace newspaper.
Stichelton
is a blue cheese similar to Stilton, except that it does not use
pasteurised milk. The name comes from an ancient form of the name of
Stilton village in Cambridgeshire, England.
It
was named one of the world's top five cheeses by French chef
Anne-Sophie Pic, who is in charge of the lobster and crab starters at
the state dinner.
"I love this cheese. I think it's a beauty. It's very English, you only find it there," Pic told Reuters.
