The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-09-21
BUTTER STORES IN PARIS.

BUTTER STORES IN PARIS.
While waiting for our breakfast one
quented by foreigners, my friend, Madame
B, said, a. can point you out every
American breakfasting here
looked around at the people seated at
the different tables, and wondered if she
were speaking seriously. In these days
when fashion reduces costume and couture
to such uniformity, and when the blood of
every civilized race is mixed TO a great ex-
tent with that of every other, distinguish
ing nationality at sight appeared to me i'm
possible. asked my friend her secret.
'Oh, it is no secret" she replied, smil-
ing. al don't pretend to tell except when
they are taking breakfast. They all put
salt on their outer"
Your acuteness applies only 20 break
fast, them said. AT dinner it would
not serve you, suppose" said this in
kind of savage way. having the common
weakness that makes all people abroad de-
icuo thSA Spuuti ueu
"No," she said; we never put butter
on the dinner table "a fact | had Mt the
moment forgotten.
1t is true that the only sailed butter you
ever find in Paris is the American butter
(beurre amerieain), but there this is only
used for cooking, and is never sold in butter
stores, but in groceries. Il is our common
tub butter. The French butter, the finest
possible product Of its kind. is sold in the
butter stores scattered all over the city,
which furnish nothing but dairy products
and eggs. These stores are generally
models of order and nestness. Young
girls or women in snowy caps and aprons,
courteous aud obligng, serve the CUSTOM
ers, while responsible-l looking matron
sits at the desk supervising the business
and keeping the books. In Paris women
seem to have monopolized the occupation
Of book keeping.
One of the butter stores of Paris | re-
member especially. ard will briefly describe
it. 1t was near the grand market La
lialle). The large window on the right Of
the entrance always contained large,
loosely arranged bouquet of fresh flowers,
apparently gathered from some rural gar
den. There was nothing else in the win
dow except a glass covered stand contain
ing Boudon cheeses and the doubt creme
suisse. Inside there was a long horseshoe
counter or table, where eggs and cheese
were sold. and on either side marble tables,
each containing about four huge masses of
butter, shaped like an inverted butter fir
kin. Over each mass was hung a delicate
silver wire about two feet long. both ends
terminating in piece of cork. With this
wire the sales woman would cut. almost
always exactly, any amount ordered, from
demi-quart half quarter to n pound
1t being costly product, and always pur-
chased daily, small quantities are the rule
To separate the quantity ordered, lay it on
square of delicate white paper on the
little scales, weigh it, pinch the corners Of
the paper together, and place it on the cool
lettuces in your basket, is the work of
very few seconds with these expert sales
women. Lettuces you would be sure to
have in your basket, for no one goes to
market in Paris without buying them, they
are so crisp and fresh; and naturally you
would purchase butter after everything
else, that it might reach home in the
freshest possible state.
In Paris butter store there is no need
Of tasting or smelling the butter; buy the
highest or even the next to the highest
price, and the quality is sure to be perfect,
having that exquisite color, texture, and
sweet clover aroma possible only to the
very best. Salt lessons or destroys this
aroma in very short time, and is not nee
essary as preventative, for the butter is
made every day. Ten years ago the Paris
price of the finest butter was about forty
cents pound; during the siege it was sold
at forty francs, ami was scarce enough at
that.
One thing sure to surprise the American
in Paris is the almost endless variety of
the cheese. Here, our only idea of that
article is generally the huge factory
Chctse VI tue sToCeIies. III mas no special
name, cheese to the average citizen mean
ing this only. He has to taste it before
daring to buy it, for the name conveys
little notion of its flavor or quality, and it
may be mild or strong, rich or poor, though
the price is the same In Paris no one
dreams Of tasting cheese when buying it.
1t is Brie, Bondon, Neutehatel, Gruyere,
Rochefort, etc, the name indicating exactly
what it is. Cheese making in France
seems to be one of the exact sciences. A
description Of some of the ordinary cheeses
of France cannot be without interest to
our people, because several of them are
beginning to be introduced here.
The cheapest and most extensively used
is the frontage dc Bris, so named from the
place where it is made. 1t is about two
feet in diameter, and scarcely an inch thick.
CONTINUED ON FOURTH rAaEl