Les assaisonnements de mémé

Since 1963, my grandparents, Marcel and Marie-Louise LANGLAIS have devoted themselves each year to picking bitter oranges and orange blossoms. They transmitted this virus to my mother (Marinette) then to my sister (Hortense), to myself (Angelique) to my husband (Yann) and finally to our two little girls (Elena and Rose).

Harvesting bitter oranges and orange blossoms was a family tradition every year. For many years, it was relatively easy to sell the entire production of bitter oranges (about 500kg) and flowers. Life flowed serenely in the family orchard cradled to the rhythm of the 2 annual harvests.

Unfortunately, over the years, consumers of bitter oranges became increasingly rare while orange blossoms remained in excessive demand. The number of bitter orange orchards was visibly decreasing (abandoned or destroyed).

3 years ago (in 2020), to the great despair of my grandparents, only 200kg were sold and around 300kg of bitter oranges were thrown away. And the following year, 200kg were donated (so as not to throw everything away) and again 300kg thrown.

At the same time, with my husband, we were lucky enough to be able to move into the family orchard. My grandparents continued to transmit to us the know-how related to the maintenance of sour orange trees as well as the traditional recipes of orange wine and jams.

On July 8, 2022, my beloved grandmother left to join the stars. She left us as a heritage this ancestral tradition that is the cultivation of bitter orange trees.

Every day, from the top of our windows, our eyes rested tirelessly on these trees and their so particular fruits. Every day, under the rays of the sun, the skin of bitter oranges became more colorful. And every day this question: what are we going to do with this tradition? The idea of ​​letting them rot or throwing them away was unbearable and deeply saddened. She loved them so much...

After much research and work, it is with pride that we present our range of sharpening seasoning pencils: candied bitter orange and cinnamon / bitter orange cayenne pepper / bitter orange vanilla / candied lemon / lemon mint / lemon ginger / Orange flowers.

Made exclusively with orchard fruits using whole bitter oranges and orange blossoms.

As you will have understood, grandma's seasonings are a tribute to my grandmother but also a fight to perpetuate the culture of sour oranges, which is part of our region's heritage.