A VISIT TO RUNGIS (Part 3)
But in France they had a love affair with chickens of a different kind. Bresse Gaulosie, CouCou De Rennes and Poule D’Estaires amongst others. Some have been threatened but efforts of rebreeding have been successful. Minimum ages for slaughter on these breeds are often up to 4 times that of the typical chicken. Of these Bresse is undoubtedly the most famous and they litter the poultry hall at Rungis along with pheasant, rabbits and grouse. Chickens raised for flavour and not just commercial gain. Not all the soul has been lost from the late lamented Les Halles.
Our most challenging hall awaits the Pavilion de la Triperie would test the resolve of our vegetarians. Guy ratcheted up the excitement level again. Pigs heads hung from meat hooks and cow’s hearts were displayed in stainless steel trays. Pig trotters were thrown over ice in great quantity. Brains sat in sterile plastic pots. And some displays challenged my butchery skills and French. They remain unnamed. For some it seemed at odds with the romance of food but in a time of increasing commentary on food waste it was a reminder that nose to tail dining not only honours the beast but also the planet.
Our next hall is cheese and in truth I am a little underwhelmed. True there are wheels of brie, raclette and reblochon but the cans of compressed cream reveal a changing palate and the sterile concrete surrounds damp down the romance. It feels a long way from Emile Zola.
Produce beckons and it is Autumn. A sea of mushrooms awaits morels, oyster, chanterelles and the rest. Piled high in wooden crates next to chestnuts and gleaming varieties of apples and vibrant pumpkins all celebrating the arrival of a new season. And yes, avocados from Chile and bananas from South America. But really a world without the banana? When is globalisation good and when is a bad? Without it most of us could never buy a banana.
Finally, it is time for breakfast and the miraculous restorative powers of caffeine. We negotiate a sea of traders before we get inside. They stand huddled underneath a canopy dragging with undisguised delight on cigarettes and we are engulfed in a smoky haze of nicotine. I imagine what a ham must feel like once it has been triple smoked. Rungis may be a sea of regulation and white coats but old habits die hard.
Our table is awash with pots of the much anticipated coffee. Platters of salami, cheese, ham, lashings of Normandy butter, baguettes and croissants. Feeling revived we visit the last hall greeted by a sea of flowers and greenery. No confrontations on butchery or welfare confront us here just heady floral notes and a riot of colour.
Rungis is a compelling mix of the old and the new. Born out of expediency but still clinging to some old beliefs. Regulation, food scares and welfare issues have impacted it but a connection to the land and a love of product is still evident. One wonders how the next decade will shape its future.
