Perhaps you’ve heard of the incredibly popular scallop-shaped tea cake from France known as a madeleine and sometimes a madeleine biscuit. They’re actually nothing out of the ordinary – just a buttery yellow cake and their uniqueness lies mostly in their shape. But, as with many meals in France, there is a charming story that goes along with the food, adding a level of delight and interest to each sweet bite.
Story of a French cake
There are several different versions of who made the first cupcakes and why. In one version, Madeleine was a young servant girl who had been asked to create a special gift for Stanislas Leczinski, the deposed king of Poland who had sought refuge in France in the 17th century. Special cakes were made supposedly to calm the spirits of the poor unwanted king. In another version, a different Madeleine created the special scallop-shaped cakes to feed pilgrims on their way to the burial site of Saint Jacques. The scallop shell was a sign of protection that has long been associated with Saint Jacques in France, and in fact, scallops are called Coquilles Saint Jacques.
In any case, whoever first made the scalloped cupcakes had a very good idea, as their popularity has only increased over the centuries. At first they were made on a small scale, but with the industrial revolution underway, the way was paved for larger-scale production.
the city of commerce
Around a century after they were first made, one town in particular, Commercy, in the Lorraine region of eastern France, became the center of commercial production. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, passengers on the train passing through Commercy were entertained by the many saleswomen who frequented the railway station to sell their employers’ cupcakes. The women carried the cakes in large baskets, each one shouting louder than the last in an effort to be the one to make the sale. It was apparently quite the sight because it is remembered to this day and Madeleine makers still proudly mark their marks as “made in Commercy”.
Proust
However, it was the French author Marcel Proust who truly immortalized the madeleine. In his autobiographical book, In search of lost time (memory of things past), Proust’s main character takes a bite of a madeleine and returns to a vivid childhood memory, the subject of the book. The phrase “Proust’s madeleine” is now synonymous with anything that triggers a long, colorful recollection of the supposedly forgotten past.
Snack time in France
If it’s four o’clock in the afternoon in France, there are mothers all over the country who are taking a pack of madeleines from the pantry shelf to serve to the prove or snack time. In general, the French adhere to a strict eating schedule, with regular times for each meal. Lunch is eaten between noon and one and dinner after 7:30 pm, which is a pretty long stretch without eating, especially if you’re seven. Snacking between meals is discouraged, but the prove it can be counted and many times that prove it’s a cupcake.
If you get the chance to enjoy a cupcake, perhaps with your afternoon tea, you’d like to be reminded of the long history behind this simple cupcake.