BREAKFAST FLAVOURS OF ANNECY

Yes, streets of Annecy are loaded with food treasures and you need to discover every piece of the puzzle. February 2020, just before Covid-19 outbreak, was particularly mild, sunny and simply ready for my family and I to admire it in Annecy. How proud I was seeing my son’s cheerful face every morning saying: “Daddy shall we go for our French adventure?” Oh yeah…I knew perfectly what that means – diving into the world of local breakfast options.

Strolling down the picturesque Rue de Perrier and Rue St. Claire, we were absorbed by authentic breakfast varieties, ending up in a cozy, old bakery – Bulangerie Artisanale. The world of baguettes was right there, with slender, elegant, super practical loafs that always blow my mind. Our eyes easily captured Bucheron, Pave Anneciene and Campagne – multi cereal varieties of bread marvelously shaped on a wooden shelf. Cheerful bakers were constantly running around preparing new loafs for the oven. First hug with two long baguettes transferred me for a moment to the XIX century invention called steam oven. This was exactly what customers needed for the crust to expand, making bread softer and airy inside. Then comes steam wave, melting dextrose on the surface of our baguette, almost glazing it with a pinch of flower dust for the most authentic look. Was baguette really shaped to fit in Napoleon’s soldiers special bread pocket? Think it is more likely that bakers needed a solution for the new French law in 1920, when all baking activity needed to stop from 10 PM to 4 AM. The only way to make loafs ready for the early morning customers was to reshape them to baguette size, keeping the quality and baking them faster. Baguette which I was holding in Annecy was finally born.

Real breakfast in Annecy is nothing without a genuine, local cured meat and surely, authentic cheese. Our quest did not last long due to incredible choice all around. Saussicon Sec du Savoie looked like ideal salami for the baguette sandwich, while traditional Reblochon cheese was a must on our breakfast list of delicacies.

Reblochon was produced in his area since XIII century from a bit of residual milk in cow’s udder. Landowners in that time, would collect tax from the farmers, based on the amount of milk their cows produced. It was clearly practical not to fully milk cows and thus both reduce tax payment and save some milk for a homemade cheese. From the verb re-blocher (to milk a second time), we finally had the birth of creamy and super tasty Reblochon.

To make our Savoyarde breakfast truly special, my son’s idea to buy a fee sweet delicacies was instantly accepted. Who can ever resist crispy tartlette “basket”, filled with fresh blueberries?

Our breakfast palette was ready to be tasted. Fully satisfied with our supply, my son and I slowly walked back to our cozy studio in the heart of Annecy old town. On the way, just a brief stop was enough to buy full flavoured black olive pate in a tiny but amazing grocery shop. Armed with supreme food delicacies, our breakfast table was ready with freshly made Savoy sandwich. Crispy baguette was there, with olive pate as a base, covered with layer of delicious salami, and toped with iconic Reblochon cheese.

What a perfect blend of local breakfast flavors in Annecy!

For the end we “embraced” blueberry tartlette, carefully enjoying every single bite. And yes, after this we were more than ready to explore Annecy, a city where local gourmets, history and landscapes mix together to tempt all our senses.