Ramequin (cheese)

History

it is actually difficult to find the origins of Ramequin precisely.

The priest Joseph Tournier, in his work “ the town of Saint Rambert-in-Bugey to the XVIIe and XVIIIe century S ”, appeared in 1914, quotes the Dubois chronicler reporting a meal taken in the cabaret of called Lacaille:
“ the wine was been useful in bottles of a greenish blue and with widened neck, Feuillette s.Ces divide into sheets arrived accompanied by a ragout of ramequin, a species of Fondue which is done with a cheese of the country. ”

Until about 1945, Ramequin was manufactured almost exclusively in farms of hamlets attached to St-Rambert, mainly with Grattoux and Morgelas. In these farms, nobody would have wasted the least food product. Also, when one made the Beurre, there remained always a skimmed milk which curdled naturally rather quickly. It was not thrown, and after several natural handling, one transformed it into small tome cheeses of an ocher color clearly and quasi translucent, that one lengthily let refine.

It is necessary to wait the Fifties so that this cheese is manufactured " in série". The first company to be launched out in the adventure was that of François Ravier, who was not with St-Rambert but with Boyeux-Saint-Jerome on the hamlet of Chatillon-with-Cornelle. At that time Ramequin was very confidential and it is not certain that it would have survived the XXe century without this initiative. This family small company of Boyeux-St-Jerome perduré many years, until 1990.

Meanwhile, another producer of Ramequin had made his appearance with St-Rambert, Paul Gonin, who had finally become the single producer of this speciality. Its knowledge to make was yielded to Didier Duval. True a " mission" of safeguard since the tradition did not hold whereas with him only, except some irreducible which continued (and always continue!) to manufacture ramequin in their farms to ensure their personal consumption.

Following the death of Didier Duval, Ramequin failed once again to disappear. His wife held the torch until it finds that to which it could transmit it in all confidence. It is Franck Boivin, an impassioned young person, who in 2001 brought a new breath to a production more threatened than ever to die out. A difficult task for Franck Boivin, who undertook to improve the technique and the tools of manufacture, while preserving the authenticity of the initial product. The production borders today almost 10 tons per annum. The ramequin is obviously past very mainly near the inhabitants of the sector, by the means of the cheesemongers and of a certain number of great and average surfaces of the department.

Preparation

The dish prepares while first of all making melt of the Beurre with garlic in a Caquelon out of cast iron or ceramics; one cuts out then the ramequin in fine plates; one dissolves cheese while adding warm water gradually while turning with a spoon out of wooden, until the ramequin has a homogeneous texture (neither too thick, nor too liquid). One pepper. If the ramequin is too strong, one can plan to add cream to the mixture.

One counts usually a ramequin and half by anybody, plus a " for the plat". The dish is eaten then with bread piqué at the end of a fork, with the manner of the Savoyard Fondue.

Heresy

During the war and by preoccupation with an economy, some added Farine or maïzéna with the preparation. More recently, others imagined to melt of other kinds of cheese mixed with the dish bugist, to undoubtedly soften the preparation. These experiments are for the true bugists an unforgivable crime.

Local folklore

The ramequin is really an institution crowned in this part of Bugey where it forms integral part of the social life. Not to like the ramequin exposes to the gibes of the population. If you made friends in the canton of Saint-Rambert-in-Bugey, you will make of it obligatorily the experiment.

Topicality

In 2006, one saw appearing with the menu of certain pizzeria local a named pizza pie with the ramequin pizza pie rambertoise.

The War of Ramequin

In September 2006, an interview given to the daily newspaper Progress by Martine Ravier, girl of François Ravier, lets think that his/her father would be the inventor of the ramequin. At once, the principal regional newspapers are submerged letters of scandalized protests and testimonys reaffirming the origin rambertoise ramequin and the seniority of its existence. The movement becomes such extensive that the newspaper of Bugey will devote a double page to the event.

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