Lorraine

Appears in
Hows and Whys of French Cooking
Hows and Whys of French Cooking

By Alma Lach

Published 1974

  • About
A slightly rolling plateau, Lorraine borders Alsace on the east and Champagne on the west. Two great rivers bisect it, the Meuse and, further east, the Moselle. Metz and Nancy, its two main cities, lie in the valley of the Moselle. In the south is the spa of Vittel, where the mineral water comes from that refreshes the livers of overindulgent Parisians.

Lorraine is psychologically and gastronomically much closer to Champagne and Paris than it is to Alsace and Germany. The natives of Metz speak German, but they think and eat French. Their famous Quiche Lorraine bears a resemblance to the onion tart of Alsace, but this classic dish really has no competitor in any other region of France.