quiche a French term derived from the German word kuchen (see torte and kuchen), most prominent in Lorraine and indeed the phrase ‘quiche Lorraine’. It was only at the beginning of the 19th century that the term became current, and it then meant a tart with a filling of egg and cream. (In this connection see the IPCF volume on Lorraine, 1998.) The version now well known, which includes bacon (and sometimes cheese) in the filling, was originally a variant known as quiche au lard. Whereas the original could be eaten on meatless days, this variant—now known around the world as quiche Lorraine—could not. Nonetheless, a quiche Lorraine is perceived as something with only a slight meat content. This may account for the reputation it acquired in some English-speaking countries, where it only became familiar in the latter part of the 20th century, as a dish not suitable for ‘he-men’ or ‘real men’.
