Coronation of Charles III: what if the “coronation quiche” was not a quiche?

Kish or not kish? That is the question. Charles III and Queen Camilla will serve their guests this Saturday in London a “coronation quiche” during a banquet, but in Lorraine, the historic birthplace of the quiche, purists consider the term excessive: in fact, it would be more of a “savory tart”. “. cake,” they say.

The British monarch personally chose the recipe for this vegetarian dish of spinach, beans and tarragon, an inexpensive and easy-to-prepare dish that “easily adapts to different tastes and preferences,” boasts the British royal family.

But the term “quiche” is inappropriate here, notes Evelyn Müller-Dervaux, grandmaster and president of the Lorraine quiche confederation in Dombal-sur-Meurthe (Meurthe-et-Moselle) in eastern France. “Of course, they weren’t talking about Lorraine quiche, but etymologically, when the word quiche is used, it automatically implies that it is from Lorraine, since the word quiche is a word from Lorraine,” the specialist deciphers.

Kish, created under Charles III … Lorraine

“In a broader sense, they called it a quiche, but I would rather call it a savory pie,” the Grand Master of the Fraternity cheerfully continues. “We can be a bit demanding, but that’s okay, we’re protecting the product. » The invariable ingredients of a good Lorraine pie: shortcrust pastry, eggs, cream, a little nutmeg for the brave, and bacon bits just laid out on top of the pastry.

Thus, the coronation quiche served on Saturday will end up being only a distant cousin of the Lorraine quiche, the mother of all quiches whose origins date back to 1540. A delicious detail, this dish originated during the reign of another Charles III, Duke of Lorraine in the 16th century, a time of peace and prosperity in the region, that still reminds us of Evelyn Müller-Dervaux.

The Dombasle-sur-Meurthe fraternity of Lorraine pies, which aims to draw attention to this emblematic dish and make the region famous and loved, was re-created in 2015 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Dombal-sur-Merte pie festival. sur Mert. But Evelyn Müller-Dervo regrets the former splendor of this festival, which attracted many people in the 1970s. Currently, there are no more platform parades and Miss Kish elections …