The Golden Sardine
The day itself was already a reward.
Seeing Paris again, admittedly still a little masked but seeing it again. Walking down the Avenue des Champs Elysées to the Pavillon Gabriel which was going to welcome us for the Epicures de l'Epicerie Fine this Monday, June 14.
(Re)seeing finally our customers, our partners, our fellow craftsmen. Together we had all crossed the 100km mark to finally meet again.
This day was too short but we discussed (face to face!), tasted and talked about a festive and friendly future where quality products would always remain on the table. These same quality products often rediscovered during confinement and which came to brighten up our locked-up evenings. Let's take this opportunity to thank those who continued to make and distribute them.
Early in the morning, the sardine nervously passed before the jury.
She explained that she had been caught by the KANTAURI, a boat from Getaria in the Basque Country, and why it was not a detail. She explained why she was big because she had been caught when she was an adult, which helped preserve the renewal of her species. She had then been dried to keep her taste close to that of fresh sardines and her excellent nutritional properties. Not fried, she would keep her taste and would also be more digestible.
She had told of her journey to the Basque Country, then passed through the hands of artisans 15 times and was delicately placed by hand in each of the verrines. Her olive oil, organic or local? Both, my captain. No compromise.
And then she presented her convictions: transparency (like her jar), no to quantity and yes to quality, simplicity (a product, men, the Basque Country).
It was at the end of this already busy day that the Jean de Luz sardine was called to the podium to receive its Gold medal from the prestigious Jury des Epicures.
When we know the level of demand and perfection of our colleagues, it is a double reward to receive gold.
Emotion, recognition, pride... everything is mixed together.
This gold medal is recognition of all the ground we've covered, and of the excellent craftsmanship relocated here in Saint Jean de Luz.
This gold medal is for our local fishing industry and our craftsmen, who contribute every day to producing exceptional products.
This gold medal is also a tribute to the perseverance of the entrepreneur, to his initial conviction to produce organic, artisanal and local products for 18 years.
This gold medal is that of his territory, the Basque Country, which nurtures our entire history.
We are immensely grateful to Le Monde de l'Epicerie Fine and the Jury for the work of so many craftsmen and women, and for promoting French gastronomy.
We look forward to seeing you next year.
