Paris-born singer Maurice Chevalier once joked that eating carrots was his secret to eternal youth. In Gustave Flaubert’s 1856 fictional novel Madame Bovary, the country doctor Charles Bovary chews carrots “like a cow with a cud.” Is that proof the carrot has its place even in high literary realism? Émile Zola, in his novel Le Ventre de Paris (The Belly of Paris) describes vegetables in Les Halles market, including carrots piled high in pyramids. And legend has it that Napoleon Bonaparte was fond of carrots, particularly in soups and stews. Why do carrots taste so much better in Paris? Maybe it’s the terroir! Terroir is a French term used to describe the natural environment in which a particular wine is produced in France, such as the soil, topography, and climate. It doesn’t solely apply to wine, but also to artisanal foods such as cheese, coffee, tea, and onions. Carrots have terroir too. Parisian market stalls tend to prefer small-scale producers who harvest close to peak freshness, as do French cooks. Carrots are available year-round in France, but the sweetest ones come into their own in spring and autumn. French cooks know to look for carottes nouvelles, the new, young, tender carrots with their tops still on as they are almost buttery when cooked, and perfect for roasting whole with a drizzle of olive oil. Summer carrots tend to be crisp while winter carrots have an earthier taste. Although the orange carrot is the classic, Parisian markets often surprise with bunches of purple, yellow, or even white varieties. Purple carrots were once the norm in Paris, and they look stunning on a plate. Parisians do love their aesthetics at the table! The French phrase “les carottes sont cuites” literally means “the carrots are cooked,” but figuratively it means “It’s all over, it’s all finished, nothing more to be done.” That’s quite a dramatic fate for such an everyday vegetable; a seasonal, cultural, and literary nibble of Paris itself.
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