La Cuisine 1875 Paris

A French kitchen, built in layers.
Inspired by the flavors and cooking methods of nineteenth-century France.
La Cuisine 1875 Paris began with a question: What did Renoir's Paris taste like?
 
To find the answer, we went back to French cookbooks published during the years Renoir was painting, studying the work of Jules Gouffé, Alexandre Dumas, Urbain Dubois, and Baron Brisse. What emerged was not a single historical “French seasoning,” but a way of building flavor.
 
Parsley, onion, shallot, garlic, thyme, bay, and black pepper appeared again and again alongside butter, stock, wine, meat juices, mushrooms, and reduction. Herbs were bundled and infused.
Aromatics were softened in fat. Wine lifted browned flavors from the pan. Stocks were simmered and reduced. Flavor was built gradually rather than simply sprinkled on at the end.
 
La Cuisine 1875 Paris is our modern interpretation of that culinary architecture.
 
It is not a reproduction of a nineteenth-century seasoning mixture, nor do we claim it is something Renoir himself ate. Instead, it gives today's cook a practical starting point for building flavor using the methods and aromatic vocabulary documented in French culinary sources of the late nineteenth century.
 
Flavor Profile
Savory, herbaceous, aromatic, gently peppery, earthy, and deeply layered, with parsley at the center and garlic deliberately kept in balance.
 
Best With
Chicken
Mushrooms
Pork
Fish
Rice
Potatoes
White beans
Root vegetables
Soups
Stocks
Pan sauces
Cream sauces
Butter sauces
White wine sauces
 
Why It Works
Parsley forms the herbal foundation, reflecting its remarkable persistence in nineteenth-century French culinary sources. Chives, onion, and shallot provide the aromatic base, while garlic adds savory depth without dominating the blend. Thyme and bay echo the herbs repeatedly found in bouquets and cooking liquids, and black pepper provides gentle warmth.
But La Cuisine 1875 Paris was designed to do more than season the surface of food. It works particularly well when introduced early in cooking, allowing fat, liquid, heat, and time to draw the flavors together.
Bloom Recommendation
Gentle Bloom • Butter
La Cuisine 1875 Paris shines when gently bloomed in butter before the other ingredients are added.
 
Spicekeeper Tip
For an easy introduction to La Cuisine 1875 Paris, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet and gently bloom 2 teaspoons of seasoning for 20–30 seconds. Add chicken or mushrooms and brown lightly. Deglaze with 1/4 cup dry white wine, add 1/2 cup chicken stock, and simmer gently. Reduce the sauce and finish with a little cold butter and fresh lemon juice.
 
You'll understand immediately why this blend was built for the pan rather than simply sprinkled over the plate.
 
Ingredients
Parsley, Chives, Shallot, Onion, Garlic, Thyme, Bay, Black Pepper
 
No fillers. No preservatives. Non-GMO.
 
Freshly blended and packed in small batches by Oak City Spice Blends.
 
Late-Nineteenth-Century French-Inspired Culinary Blend.