Emblem of the Lorraine gastronomy, you can enjoy me as a fruit at the end of the summer. But you can appreciate me during the whole year - as jam at the breakfast or in a glass (but just a drop!) after a special meal. I am...
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european institute of cultural routes |
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| Laurie HOLZER |
| 10 March 2010 |
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| ...THE MIRABELLE PLUM, OF COURSE !! |
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Picture: François Bertram / Canetti Conseil
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| THE ORIGIN OF THE MIRABELLE PLUM |
The legend of Princess Mira
... Once upon a time, a princess named Mira, who was as generous as she was pretty, was living in a magnificient castle, in the so-called "Pays de Nied" (the area around the Nied river). One day, she offered an old woman hospitality. In order to thank her, the old woman, who was in fact a fairy, used her magic wand to transform all the sterile trees that surrounded the castle into sumptuous branches, full of golden fruits. Then, the fairy said to our princess: "As your name is Mira and as you are as generous as pretty (pretty is the English word for the French "belle"), these fruits will be named MIRA-BELLES plums !"
A present made by Saint Nicholas to the region Lorraine ?
According to the legend reported by the Abbé Miot, former priest of Foug (in La Route de la Mirabelle, coédition du Conseil Régional de Lorraine et des Editions Serpenoise, 1992, page 2)
" One day, the Duke Ferry, leaving his city
Of Nancy, was going to Varangéville ;
He was sad and tired, already old and broken,
Weighed down by the burden of his hard and long past...
He went and kneeled down, on the doorway of the sanctuary,
Where was standing - all in marble - the ancient
Picture of Saint Nicholas with the three children,
Coming out from the vat, ingenuous and triumphant.
Patron Saint, said Ferry, Lorraine is suffering,
From a terrible, implacable, unprecedented war.
Brigands burnt down villages and hamlets
Multiplying everywhere, terror and pain.
The green wheat has been reaped: the crop is lost,
My people are dying of hunger, poor frantic masses,
Deserting their homes, panting, and in desperate straits,
They avoid under the thunderstorm and are camping in the woods.
The ones, who fall in the hands of these fierce brigands,
Are dying in horrible pains.
To crown it all, Plague with its hideous face,
Is killing day after day my poor people.
No more hope here below ! Only your power,
Good Saint Nicholas, can put an end to our suffering.
Let your supreme blessings rain over us;
Help your friends, the children of Lorraine.
During this time, the Saint was bending his white head,
Listening thoughtful this touching request.
He disappeared suddenly, flying to the Sky.
Saying: I'm going in order to ask the Lord,
He came back soon and with a majestic gesture,
He hold a magnificient small tree out to the noble Duke.
"Accept this present, that God has just created,
he said, let it grow and multiply.
Soon you will see your old fallow land,
Covering themselves with a superb greensward,
The fruits, which will spring up, will have the colour of gold,
The colour of God's thron itself, and will be a treasure
For your subjects. Exclusive privilege of the Lorraine's soil,
This fruit coming from somewhere else will be hard and wild.
It also will provide a sweet liquor,
Which from Plague the horror will annihilate".
Ferry thanked and took the tree,
Saint Nicholas took back his marble face.
People of Lorraine ! Be happy, because since this time,
Your pleasant slopes are blossoming during the spring,
Producing at the autumn a beautiful harvest,
Of a fruit so good, so sweet and so fine: the MIRABELLE plum !"
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Mirabelle plums of Lorraine (Picture: M. Ehrhard)
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And to finish...
Besides these two legends, different explanations are often given for the origin of the mirabelle plum.
Firstly, the Latin etymology "pretty to see", which reminds in this way the legend of the Princess Mira.
Another explanation, today refuted by the specialists, refered to a variety of plum called "Myrobolan", fruit from the Indies, which was used for pharmacy.
Finally, more probably, the origin of the mirabelle plum culture can be situated in the town of Mirabeau (Latin: Mirabella), in the Vaucluse (South of France), where René I, Duke of Anjou and Lorraine, had planted the first mirabelle plum trees in the XVth century, before introducing them in Lorraine.
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| MIRABELLE PLUM, FRUIT-SYMBOL OF LORRAINE |
Blossoming mirabelle plums trees(Picture: Ctifl / Patrice Greff)
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70 % of the mirabelle plums' world production is provided by the Lorraine region : each year, the crop is closed to the 15 000 tons ! Jean-Marie Pelt, president of the European Institute of Ecology (based in Metz), says that "the mirabelle plum tree is for Lorraine what the olive tree is for Provence".
The mirabelle plum belongs to the family of plums. It has a yellow colour flecked with red, and is quite exclusively cultivated in Lorraine.
There is a distinction to make between the mirabelle plum of Nancy and the mirabelle plum of Metz. The one of Metz, smaller, has a coloured thin skin and gives the best jams. The one of Nancy, bigger, has a yellow and thick skin. Its good quality led to a multiplication of the stumps and all the trees, which are now planted, are belonging to this variety.
Since 1996, the mirabelle plum benefits from a PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), which protects its name and quality at the European level. In 1999, the actions in favour of an increase of the quality - led by the mirabelle plums producers - were rewarded by the delivery of the "Red Label" designation and by the "Mirabelle de Lorraine" compliance certification.
Picking and crop
Mirabelle plums are reaching the best of their flavour and of their maturity between the 10th and the 15th of August. The season of the mirabelle plum only last 6 weeks, from mid-August to the end of September, but the upkeep of the orchards occupy the producers the whole year.
The picking methods have been modernised, but are still respecting the tradition :
- the picking on canvas, consists in "shaking" the fruits. By shaking the mirabelle plum tree, the ripe fruits are falling on a weaved canvas, which lays on the floor. Then, they are picking up manually. So the fruits are gathered and sorted at the feet of the tree. In the past, the mirabelle plum tree was shaked manually, but today, a mechanical vibrator is used. 98 % of the crops are made with that method.
- the mechanical picking, which replaces today the old wood poles. Only the ripe fruits are falling off their branch and they are sorted at the feet of the tree. This method of picking combines tradition and food safety : fruits are not manipulated.
- the handmade picking, last method of picking. The gatherers are equiped with ladders and with baskets, which are specially designed for this kind of crop. They pick the fruits directly on the tree. Each day, a gatherer is picking some 150 kg of fruits.
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| THE ASSOCIATION MIRABELLES DE LORRAINE |
The association "Mirabelles de Lorraine" is gathering all persons and producers passionated by the mirabelle plum of Lorraine and who are respecting strict rules of production. It was created 1995 and is the holder of the PGI (Protected Geopgraphical Indication) and of the mark "Mirabelles de Lorraine".
Gathered under the label "Mirabelles de Lorraine", the producers are submitted to very strict rules, which guarantee :
- fruits collected and packaged in Lorraine
- a guaranteed minimal sugar content
- a product identified from the orchard to the consumer
- the size of the mirabelle plum can not be inferior to 22mm
The producers of Lorraine make it a point of honour to pick the fruits at their perfect maturity. Controls are regularly done on the fruit and they guarantee a mirabelle plum of Lorraine at the top of its gustative qualities.
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| THE MIRABELLE PLUM'S FESTIVALS |
From the mid-August onwards, Lorraine is celebrating the mirabelle plum... Lots of towns and villages are celebrating the golden fruit of Lorraine : Vigneulles-les-Hattonchâtel in the department of Meuse or Bayon in the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. But the most famous Mirabelle plum's festivals takes place in Metz !
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http://www.mairie-metz.fr
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Created in 1947, the Mirabelle plum's Festivals are attracting every year thousands of visitors in Metz. During more than a week, the capital city of Lorraine celebrates the mirabelle plum, by proposing a series of events and animations. The Mirabelle Plum's festivals are starting with the famous election of the Queen and ending with the procession of floral floats and huge fireworks. Next edition in August 2005 !!
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The mirabelle plum of Lorraine gives in to all culinary whims...
Everything is possible ! You can bite into mirabelle plums without anything on them to appreciate their full taste, but you also can enjoy them in tarts, jams or chutneys ! What about associating them with mullet, fillets of duck or rabbit for delicious sweet and savoury mixes ?
If you prefer a drink, you can choose between mirabelle plums cordial, sparkling, liquor or brandy... Mirabelle plum adapts itself to everybody's taste !
Mirabelle plums can also be canned. In syrup, in their natural juice, in jelly, jam, with their stone or not, in compote or in purée, you will enjoy them under their various forms during the whole year !
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Mirabelle plums tart (Picture: Laurent Rouvrais / Canetti Conseil)
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Mirabelle plums macaroons (Picture: Christian Adam / Canetti Conseil)
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A recipe of mirabelle plums' macaroon, proposed by the association "Mirabelles de Lorraine" and Canetti Conseil
Ingredients :
- 4 big macaroons ready for use
- 250 gr of lightly stewed mirabelle plums
Preparation :
- Cut horizontally the macaroons in two parts.
- Dispose the lightly stewed mirabelles plums, without anything
or on a bed of confectioner's custard.
- Decorate the top of the macaroons with an entire mirabelle plum and some crushed pistachios.
- Enjoy !!
Reference book: La Route de la Mirabelle, coédition du Conseil Régional de Lorraine et des Editions Serpenoise, 1992.
Thanks to: Association "Mirabelles de Lorraine" and Mrs Carine DIERS, in charge of communication by Canetti Conseil, Mrs Christel RIGOLOT and the whole team of the CRT Lorraine.
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