A look inside the world’s finest food and wine society.
Tami Lancut Leibovitz
‘La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ is the name for the most veteran and the largest food and wine society in the world, dating all the way back to the middle ages.
Last week I came back from a trip in Lyon, France, a gastronomic tour that combined adventure with knowledge and culinary education. I joined a lovely Israeli team combined with industry professionals and food enthusiastics for a tour in a town that is considered the international and local gastronomy mecca, and it was spectacular! It was an experience of a lifetime, enjoying meet-ups, lectures, special dinners and dishes and even market trips. The grand finale was a gala event, where members from all over the world were certified as members as well as a new Israeli member that was part of the team. So much excitement and joy for the love of food and the finer things in life!
The gastronomic organization, one that I am proud to be part of, is dedicated to food and wine lovers - gourmets, gastronomes, chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers, oenologists, winery owners, sommeliers, food and wine educators, and everyone that has a passion for the finer things in life and the finest dining and wine experiences you can dream of. The social aspect is also a great deal, meeting society members that share the same lifestyle and culinary interests.
The organization includes 90,000 members from 85 countries around the world and it’s proud of the grand and fancy events, surrounding food and wine, which it hosts year-round, around the world.
Just last month, on September 25, the organization celebrated its annual “World Chaîne Day”, a day filled with events throughout the world, prestigious dinners and a chance to wear the Chaîne famous ribbons. What kind of ribbons you ask? Before I revel the answer, let’s take a look into the heritage of the society and understand that makes it the unique organization it is.
A tradition that keeps growing
The roots of the organization goes deep and far, all the way back to 1248, the French middle ages in France. The society started its way as a professional guild that was called “The Goose roasters”.
It all began when King Louis XII decided to create a union for different trades and professions, choosing the “The Goose roasters” to be one of those groups, and it was dedicated to teaching and training young adults the world of culinary skills. In the year 1610, chose King Louis XII to grant the Goose Roasters an official royal charter and a coat of arms. That’s the beginning of the year’s long traditions of the society, traditions that evolved into the unique Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs that we know today, a society that invites culinary professionals as well as food and wine enthusiastics to join its events and traditions. The word confrérie does mean “Brotherhood” but since its re-birth, the society is open for “sisters” too and both women and men can join. 1950 is the year the society was reintroduced and was received with great success until nowadays. It keeps on growing in size and expanding its range and volume of events and destinations.
Now when we know where it’s all started, we can take the time to acknowledge the ribbons and the pins –the special symbols of the society, worn by the loyal members. To join the Chaîne is not so simple, the membership is by invitation only, from at least from two members, plus requires a show of skill and knowledge in the subject of food and wine. The actual initiation ceremony includes the use of swords to “crown” the member as well as a traditional welcome in the ancient Latin language.
Now we get to the stylish part! Each member of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is awarded an official ribbon with the color that symbolizes his status along with a denoting rank. The pins, worn on the ribbon, symbolize different events and dinners the member visited. A wonderful custom of the society was created by members from all over the world that exchange pins as a token of friendship and connection on special occasions. The organization has its own hierarchy, delegated by the member’s skill, profession or years spent in the society, but the best part is – all members enjoy the festive events together, in some of the best restaurants and exciting destinations, with no attachment to their rank, everyone joined for the love of gourmet meats and wine.
The values behind Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs
The society values is all about sharing the passion for food and wine, grilling and roasting, cooking and indulging with wonderful dishes. It focus on the relationships between the members - forming friendships and connections between individuals that share common interests and enjoy traveling the world, finding new friends, culinary adventures, wonderful flavors and extraordinary dishes. The events are the cherry on top, and it’s a major part of it, if not the most important part - the membership includes a vast variety of fantastic events where you indulge, learn, and connect and that’s summarize the main values of the society and the reasons why I find it as exciting as I do!
For any question about etiquette or any other question, please visit my site at http://bit.ly/AskTami and ask away! My blog also has plenty of articles on the subject for you dive deeper into the world of the finer things in life: http://bit.ly/TAMITLL
http://www.chaine.org.il/ http://www.chainedesrotisseurs.com/
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