This question stems from an argument that I had with my 94 year old grandmother. She likes to order French onion soup at restaurants, but she doesn't like it to be served with the cheese on top. She swears that onion soup didn't used to come with the cheese on top, and that this is some sort of recent phenomenon. I told her I have never heard of such a thing; I was under the impression that onion soup with cheese on top went back even further than my grandmother does.

What I'm thinking is that she's remembering back to World War II, and that many things were being rationed, possibly including the cheese that was put on top of onion soup. She may have started eating onion soup just when there didn't happen to be any cheese on it, and then never got used to it when it went back to its more traditional form.

With that said: Does anyone know if French onion soup has always been served with cheese on top? Was there ever a time (such as during the war) that onion soup was served without the cheese? Was there a regional preference about whether the soup got cheese on it or not (my grandmother lived in New York State and New York City up until the late 40s)?



P.S. -- I promise if I find out that I'm right that I won't go and tell my grandmother she was wrong. I just want to know for my own benefit.

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Yes, they laughed at Einstein, but only because of his silly hairstyle; no one was actually laughing at his science.

You put cheese in onion soup? First time I've heard of that. I'm pretty sure the French don't put cheese in it. I think it's very likely that granny is correct. Especially when you consider that onions are cheap and cheese expensive. Nowadays dairy subsidies are a couple of hundred million dollars a year in the U.S. and although they started in the 1930's I think it was probably in the fifties that they really took off.

French onion soup, at least here in the U.S., is usually served with a large crouton or toasted bread on top (which fits the shape of the top of the bowl), and on top of the crouton is cheese.

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Yes, they laughed at Einstein, but only because of his silly hairstyle; no one was actually laughing at his science.

It looks like French onion soup with cheese on top is at least as old as your grandmother...

"Soupe a l'oignon.--Si vous desirez gouter a cette soupe si appreciee des disciples de Bacchus, preparez-la selon les indications suivantes: Faites revenir dans due beurre (pour deux litres de lait), un gros oignon, coupe en tranches fines; quand l'oignon est bien dore, mettez le lait et le sel et laissez suire. Preparez ensuite dans votre souiere, de fines tranches de pain que vous recouvrez de fromage de Gruyere rape, continuez ainsi jusqu'a mi-hauteur, versez dessus votre bouillon et servez."
— L'Arte du Bien Manger, Edmond Richardin [Agence General de Librarie et de Publications:Paris] 1913 (p. 517)

[Emphasis mine. Sorry I don't have a translation...my French is far too bad for that.]

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Brett
Peters Creek, Alaska

Where'd you get the idea you had a right to go through life unoffended?

Thanks. That information at least lets me know that I'm not insane.

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Yes, they laughed at Einstein, but only because of his silly hairstyle; no one was actually laughing at his science.

I have only ever had it with cheese. I wouldn't eat it any other way -- and it *is* better with Gruyere, not some cheaper cheeses.

Now you've done it ... I have to go get some for lunch.

.

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http://boinc.mundayweb.com/one/stats...033/prj:6/.png

Wow, they put milk in it too.

Always, always with cheese. French-Canadian family, here.

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Quaeso quousque humi defixa tua mens erit? Nonne aspicis, quae in templa veneris?

Provalogne isn't bad. I've had it a few different ways. Some with the croutons, though my preferred mode is with the single piece of baguette bread on the bottom of the bowl.

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I'm not completely heartless, the doctor who removed it told me he'd never be able to get it all.

It's even better if you put various potent potables in it.

The best French Onion Soup I've tasted was from Carol's Creek restaurant in Southport, Annapolis, MD--made with wine.

Todd

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Todd (Bowie, MD, US, North America, Earth, Sol System, Vega region, Local Bubble, Orion arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo A Cluster, Virgo supercluster, the universe in which spock is clean shaven)

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

personal page: http://blog.astrosketches.info

That sounds really good.

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Yes, they laughed at Einstein, but only because of his silly hairstyle; no one was actually laughing at his science.

Lore connected to the dish has it that Louis XV (or a Louis close to that number) himself made the first French onion soup with onions, Champagne, and butter.

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Brett
Peters Creek, Alaska

Where'd you get the idea you had a right to go through life unoffended?

Sounds like I've been missing out.

I like mine with cheese on top [it´s perfectly ok], and some slices of Italian bread.

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"Shut up and calculate" R. Feynman

I consider myself a French Onion Soup expert insofar as I always order it at a restaurant if it is on the menu. IMHO, it isn't French Onion Soup if it doesn't have a crouton and cheese. I don't care how the French prepare it, I like the crouton and cheese. Also, if most of the cheese is in the crock insead of melted on the outside, then opinion of the chef is greatly diminished. The best part is peeling the cheese off of the crock after the soup is gone.

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Rock is dead. Long live Paper and Scissors.

Last time I had french onion soup it came out of a packet. It consisted of dehydrated onion, starch, salt, and brown. I added water, heated it, ate half and threw the rest out. I considered eating it all but I decided to save my willpower in case I ever needed open heart surgery without an anesthetic instead.

That is a different question.

For what it's worth, Alton Brown is on your side. He had an episode of Good Eats in which he made French onion soup, and he covered it in his beloved Gruyere.

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Gillian

"Now everyone was giving her that kind of look UFOlogists get when they suddenly say, 'Hey, if you shade your eyes you can see it is just a flock of geese after all.'"

"You can't erase icing."

"I can't believe it doesn't work! I found it on the internet, man!"

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Yes, they laughed at Einstein, but only because of his silly hairstyle; no one was actually laughing at his science.

I for one question his sanity for arguing with his 94-year-old grandmother. If she's anything like my grandmother, were winning the argument was even remotely possible, only misery would follow.

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Brett
Peters Creek, Alaska

Where'd you get the idea you had a right to go through life unoffended?

I thought it was called French Onion Soup because the onions were French.

These quotes, one after the other, made me laugh. I guess Brown doesn't make that good of a soup after all