Vichyssoise facts for kids
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| Type | Soup |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | France |
| Region or state | Vichy |
| Serving temperature | Cold |
| Main ingredients | Leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, chicken stock |
Vichyssoise (pronounced VISH-ee-SWAHZ) is a thick, creamy soup. It is made from cooked and blended leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock. This soup is usually served cold, but you can also enjoy it hot. It is sometimes called potage Parmentier.
The Story of Vichyssoise
Recipes for soups made with leeks and potatoes were popular in France by the 1800s. These soups were often named "Potage Parmentier." This name honored Antoine-Augustin Parmentier. He was a French expert who helped make potatoes popular in France in the 1700s.
The exact story of how Vichyssoise got its name is a bit of a mystery. One fun story says that Louis XV of France was worried about being poisoned. He made so many servants taste his potato and leek soup that it became cold by the time he tried it. He liked it cold so much that it became a cold soup!
Some people, like famous chef Julia Child, believed it was an American invention. Others think its true origin, whether French or American, is still unclear.
Who Invented Vichyssoise?
Louis Diat, a French chef, is often given credit for making Vichyssoise famous. He worked at the Ritz-Carlton in New York City. Diat grew up in a town near Vichy, France.
In 1950, Diat explained his idea to The New Yorker magazine:
In the summer of 1917, when I had been at the Ritz seven years, I reflected upon the potato and leek soup of my childhood which my mother and grandmother used to make. I recalled how during the summer my older brother and I used to cool it off by pouring in cold milk and how delicious it was. I resolved to make something of the sort for the patrons of the Ritz.
The soup was first called Crème Vichyssoise Glacée. This name came from the spa town of Vichy. Later, around 1930, the restaurant's menu changed to English. The soup's name then became Cream Vichyssoise Glacée.
Even before Diat, a French chef named Jules Gouffé had a recipe for a hot potato and leek soup. He published it in his book Royal Cookery in 1869.
See also
In Spanish: Vichyssoise para niños
