The cider is a Alcoholic drink obtained starting from the juice of Pomme.

The Poiré is a similar product, but containing juice of Poire.

Origin

The sydre was introduced in Normandy since the Biscay (Spain), at the 6th century, by navigators Dieppois. They are indeed the sailors of the Basque Country, where one manufactured the cider ( sagarnoa or sagardoa out of Basque, literally wine of apple ) since the antiquity, which made it discover with the Norman sailors. Since 1189 appears in the Labourd the first payment written on the apple orchards, followed by other documents, ordinances and royal decrees of Navarre (principal Basque province) on the apple trees and the cider. At the 13th century, the invention of the Pressoir supported the rise of the cidrière production. At the 16th century, Guillaume Dursus improved the technique, in particular into important of new varieties of apples in valley of Trough.

The appearance of the cider in Normandy does not go back according to the authors and the most reliable documents to one very moved back time. According to these testimonys, the cider was already the drink of the people in the Maine, which it was still unknown in Normandy.

Called chistr in Brittany where it makes its appearance in 13th century, it held an important place in this area.

It there does not have fifty years, said in 1573 a Norman author, with Rouen and in all the Pays of Caux, the beer estoit the common drinking of the people, as is of present the cider… In Normandy it is not monastery, nor ancient house where there are manifest vestiges and apparent ruins of breweries only one souloit to make there for the ordinary provision.

The vine was cultivated in Normandy with, it should be concluded from it that the beer replaced the wine, and was supplanted about the middle of the 16th century by the cider. The wine, in the Maine, made place with the cider without intermediary.

At the 16th century still, in Normandy, the beer was the drink of the people and the servants like less expensive and more common , and the cider, the drink of luxury reserved to the Masters. It was differently in the Low-Maine, where at that time the wine was named Mister , and the cider Gilles of Pommain, beverage of let us maczons .

Production

One manufactures some everywhere where one finds apple trees with cider , including: Normandy remains the 1st French area cider apple producing (: 300,000 tons) and the 1st producing French cider area (: 700,000 hl). In addition to AOC Country of Trough, other AOC are currently in project: Cider of Bessin, Cider of Cotentin, Cider of the Country of Caux and Cidre of the Pole; 1 CPC: Cider of Normandy (+ IGP); 1 Red Label: Cider of Normandy; 1 AB: Cider bio.

There exists in France of the cider profiting from a protected geographical ascription (IGP). It is the case of the ciders Norman and Breton. In 2000, they are some communes of the Southern Finistere which saw their cider classified in AOC Cornwall.

Traditional manufacture

It was carried out in several stages:
  • the crushing using a grinding stone;
  • the marcage or maceration ferments some during a few hours;
  • the assembly or formation of the mound : stacking of crushed apples and straw;
  • the pressing ;
  • the entonnage or put out of barrels.

Microbiology during the production

Traditionally, the production of the cider is carried out without yeast addition. The fermentation of must is carried out by the flora levurienne naturally present in apples. Average population of this flora being about 5.10 ⁴ cellules/g of fruit. This flora levurienne presenting a large variety of yeast species.

Majority species being:

  • Candida pulcherrima (also known under the name of Metschnikowia pulcherrima )
  • and other species such as Pichia , Torulopsis , Hansenula and Kloeckera apiculata .

The minority species playing an important role in the production of the cider being:

  • '''''Saccharomyces uvarum'''''

In traditional production, when no yeast is added and that there is no addition of SO {{sub|2}}, during the first part of fermentation the yeasts not Saccharomyces multiply quickly by producing CO {{sub|2}} and of the ethanol. There is also production of different flaveurs (production of esters). When the ethanol level reaches 2 with 4°, the first yeasts die and are replaced by ''''' Saccharomyces uvarum '''''. This stock finishes fermentation until consuming the majority of sugars present in must, while producing the principal flavors of the cider.

Families of cider

One distinguishes several big families from ciders according to whether one leaves, or not, fermentation to go in his term, before the setting in bottles:
  • in lower part of 3° GL, one obtains a cider soft sweetened still enough and with the Net taste of apple, to consume with the dessert;
  • between 3° and 5°, it is the medium dry or raw cider traditional which accompanies meat and fish;
  • the traditional cider more acidulous title generally more 5°.

Two kinds of ciders are manufactured in the Anglo-Saxon countries (with share British Isles): alcoholic cider ( hardware cider ) and non-alcoholic cider.

For approximately ten years, the Quebec has developed a new kind of artisanal cider: the Cider of ice, drink obtained by apple the alcoholic juice fermentation only by the natural cold.

Distillation

The distillation of the cider produces the apple-brandy or, in Brittany, the Lambig.

The humanities

Of us is laughed François:
But vrayement, no matter what it in die,
the sildre of Normandy
Vault well its wine sometimes.
Cast with valley, and places, cabin!
It faict large good with the throat.

Your kindness, beautiful O sildre,

to drink you invites me;
But, at the very least, I request from you,
does not disturb me the brain.
Cast with valley, and places, cabin!
It faict large good with the throat.

Olivier Basselin

Cook

The cider is also an important component of the Breton kitchen and Norman.

Curative

Since its beginnings until the modern era, of many experts the healing virtues of the cider praised, in particular against the gravel. Doctor protesting Julien Paulmier of Grantemesnil, become hypochondriac following massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, withdrew in Normandy and, persuaded, said E. Haag, that “he was cured by the use of the cider of palpitations of the heart which had remained to him following the days of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre where he had seen perishing several of his friends and where he had run itself of great dangers, it wrote a treaty on the cider to recommend this drink, which according to him, one was to prefer with the wine”.

Anecdotes

Originally, the cider was a not very expensive drink, used in the life of the every day. This is why in Brittany, the popular expression That is not worth a cider blow is very widespread and means that does not have any value.

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