Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine is a savoury open tart with a pastry case filled with a custard of cream, eggs and bacon. It comes from the French region of Lorraine, although it was little known beyond it for much of the twentieth century.

History

Quiche is said to have originated in Lorraine, in eastern France. The name may come from a German word used for similar dishes, and in Alsace and Lorraine each area tends to claim its own version as the only authentic one.

The dish dates back to the sixteenth century, yet well into the twentieth it remained largely confined to its home region, and was seldom seen in Paris or abroad. In Lorraine it was traditionally eaten on May Day, after a dish of sucking pig in aspic. The original case was a bread dough similar to that used today for pissaladière or pizza, but modern versions generally use shortcrust or puff pastry.

Cheese arrived gradually, often through Parisian chefs. By the 1950s it had become commonplace as the dish's popularity grew at home and abroad.

Culture

Quiche Lorraine can be served hot, warm or cold, and appears both in home cooking and on the menus of bistros and brasseries. The classic version contains only cream, egg and bacon or lardons, and many cooks defend it on that basis against the cheesy versions that critics regard as a departure from tradition.

Today cheese is common in the ready-made quiches sold in supermarkets in France, Britain and the United States, usually with Emmental or a similar cheese, and often with Cheddar in British versions. Variants with caramelised onion or other regional touches also exist, and the quiche has become a staple of light lunches and picnics around the world.