Little Maconnais Goats (cheese) and Delicate Wines (June 15th, 2011)

Making wine is hard work and a serious commitment. We visited Jean-Christophe’s vineyard—Domaine Perroud, as an example of Burgundian vineyard and winery. The grapes grown in this region are primarily pinot noir and chardonnay. We learned about the impact of soil, climate, and each region’s terrain on the quality of the grape. In Burgundy, the soil is primarily limestone and each row of vines is covered with gravel in between the vines in order to get sugary grapes. The gravel helps absorb the heat for the cooler nights, and prevents a majority of other plants growing next to the grapes, so that the grapes can get maximum nutrients from the soil. From the soil, we learned about the harvest in August and how the grapes are juiced and destemmed mechanically using modern stainless steel equipment. Red wines differ from white wines because the skin [containing the pigment that gives the color] is fermented with the juice as opposed to only fermenting the juice for a white wine. Usually red wines are aged in oak barrels while whites are kept crisp in stainless steel vats. Temperature, pressure, and humidity are controlled as much as they can by the wine producer to make sure that that he/she gets the taste that he/she would like to sell the wine as. Different grapes can be mixed in various amounts to get the desired taste and the variables seem infinite. The parts of the grape such as stems and seeds are not just thrown away, but are actually used in the cosmetic industry. Additionally, grape seeds are used to make oil!
We also had a wine tasting at the same vineyard and learned to actually spit out the wine into a bucket (see picture below).
Our picnic was also at the same vineyard by the water. We had fresh baguettes, cheeses, meats, fruits, macarons, and savory wines. Look below at the pictures to appreciate the food! I will miss having casual 2-hour lunches when I leave France.
Following the picnic, we went to a local Maconnais cheesemaker where we met the goats, the kids, and finally the delicious cheese! Most cheese in France is made from raw milk unlike the US pasteurized milk. Unpasteurized cheese are safe to eat locally since they have the friendly LAB (lactic acid bacteria—same bacteria referred to as probiotic cultures) and outcompete pathogenic bacteria since the LAB are the dominant fermenters. We tasted fresh cheeses with tiny spots of Penicillium mold as well as older entirely moldy goat cheeses. I have to say that the Penicillium [naturally occurring fungus] offers the most flavors, and hence I love old stinky cheeses. The cheese was made by mixing morning and evening goat milk with a bit of old whey as the starter culture. Whey is the precipitated solution of water, lactose, bacteria, salts, and whey protein. Whey proteins and supplements are widely used as a health shake or protein powder. Cheese, similarly to wine, is able to be very efficient since all parts of the production can be put to more use.

Below are some pictures of goats and vineyards
This little goat thought my shirt was tasty:

The Maconnais Goat Cheese

The Cheese-molds

Cheese Tasting

Maconnais Vineyards and Wine Production (with our usual wine tasting of course)

Wine tasting and the bucket

Trying to Give Reason to Eat Way Too Much Bread and Cheese

I will have to write much more and include a large number of pictures about French food soon but in the time that I have allotted for writing tonight. I do what I can. The internet connection that is availble really is very slow here in Cluny, France. It is very similar to dial up which I have not used in years. I write this post while hearing fighter jets from Dijon shooting past overhead breaking the sound barrier from time to time or so it sounds.

Parisians are interesting because of the way that they get from place to place, which is unusual to an American. They appear to walk, take a scooter, or take the metro. You do not see many cars and those that you do are the equivalent of a Toyota Yaris or smaller. People seemed to always take the metro if they were going from anywhere within the city or the train if they were going anywhere more substantial. The amazing thing is that almost all the metro lines that I rode on were busy at any hour during the day. Even more people walk though if the weather is nice out. I used to see men and women in business casual walking through the parks that I visited or walking to the local sandwich shop.

It is hardly surprising that most people either walk or take the mass transit system when you look at the price of gasoline. A liter of gasoline was around 1.60 euros. When you convert euros to dollars that is 2.16 dollars to liter so a gallon is 3.75 liters thus a gallon of gasoline would cost 8.10 dollars. The price of taking the metro is less than 1 euro per trip if you buy per trip and if you buy a pass like the city residents do it costs less than 0.25 euros per trip. It is really quite remarkable how well organized the transportation system of Paris is to transport as many people as possible. The USA could learn something from the French in regards to how to reduce a dependence on gasoline-powered cars.

As an exercise physiology major who is interested in nutrition, I thought that it was really interesting that Parisians are for the most part thin but eat a lot. Many of the things that they eat are very high in fat with a large amount of alcohol. To counter this very heavily fat diet that appears to the common viewer as a terrible diet that is opposite what most dieticians prescribe, the Parisians eat a very high quality diet. Every meal was prepared with a salad on the side and the constituents of the meal were very apparent. Nowhere, except the American food chain restaurants, did you see a food that would likely have more calories than it appeared. The steaks disclosed the exact weight in grams and the pasta dishes came on plates that were appropriate to their calorie content.

I was happy to find that the Twinkie is not a usual part of the diet but rather a croissant made with real butter is the common indulgence. I bought a bag of sables (a type of cookie) from a store and the ingredient list was 5 ingredients long and not one was artificial. The label went butter, wheat flour, sugar, ground almonds, and almond extract. Food is simple, untouched, and delicious with the ingredients being the focus point. You do not scoff down food because it is a source of calories but savor the flavor.

What a relaxing life it is to sit back and really think about the food that is front of you. You find yourself eating less and eating better than in America. Food is undoubtly more expensive but it is really worth it. When you combine the life style of the Parisians with the food that they eat, it is not surprising that you never see a really obese individual. For that matter, you don’t really ever see an overweight person unless they are from another country, like America.

The "Clunysois"

The third day of class, June 15th was a field trip out into the countryside surrounding Cluny, known as the "Clunysois". So, in the morning after some baguette, jam and coffee we hopped on our "Voyage Clunysois" bus and rode through the countryside. I can't begin to describe how beautiful the countryside was in words so instead I'll just put some pictures that I took at the end of this post. The wine country here with its large expanses of vineyards, old chateaux and countryside homes is beautiful beyond any description that I could give it. I hope that at some point in your life you can make it out here because just looking through the pictures that I took makes me want to stay here forever.

One landmark we visited in the Clunysois, La Roche De Solutre, is a large rock formation in the middle of the countryside with an amazing view. I took a video from up there that shows just a couple seconds of the wonderful view we had (it's at the bottom of this post after the pictures) and I'll let you judge for yourself how it was. After that scenic stop we were off to the "Domaine Perraud", a vineyard and winery close by. Many of the wineries here are named "Domaine x, y, z" as domaine translates to "estate" in English. The winery itself was of a good size and was designed in such a way that you could tell that these people knew what they were doing. According to the owner, the winery was a small operation by French standards, but to me it seemed very respectable.

Since I've worked at a winery since I was 12 or 13 I recognized most of the equipment in the winery, and it was definitely quality stuff. Equipment that would easily cost upwards of $10,000 in New Jersey was only 4000 euro according to the owner, which is roughly $5,700. The equipment is much cheaper here because most of it is manufactured in Europe, and obviously the price increases drastically if you have to ship a huge metal tank overseas. But, the equipment wasn't the only thing that impressed me at this winery. There were several things in use there that I had never even seen before and was very interested in the roles that they played. The operation at Domaine Perraud was definitely one created to optimally produce good wine and I even learned a thing or two there that I hope we can use at my family's winery.

After our visit, we had a picnic next to a lake in the vineyards of Domaine Perraud. The day before we collectively bought an assortment of breads, meats, cheeses, fruits and desserts and brought them with us on our trip. It's a much cheaper way of eating, and definitely just as good as you can get at a restaurant if not better. We all ate very well, and I'd say it was the best picnic I've ever had, hands down. The view that we had at our picnic site was amazing and the food stuffs that we all bought were delicious. I even got to talk to an older frenchman who was fishing at the lake at the time and we talked about fishing in the states for a short time, but eventually I ran out of vocab words and had to say goodbye.

Next up was a trip to a goat farm in the Clunysois that produced fresh goat cheeses from their own goats. This farm was operated by just two people, a husband and wife of about 50 or 60 years of age, but still full of energy. We saw the goats and the milking operation and then went in to see the cheese production area, which was small, but still producing a relatively large amount of cheese for its size. And then, the fun part, the cheese tasting! We were served the same cheese of different ages, 24 hours old, 48 hours old, and several days old accompanied with a white wine of the region, which is customary for goat cheese tastings. I don't have to tell you that the cheeses were all superb, and after we were all incredibly stuffed. By this point we were all starting to feel the fatigue of all this venturing through the French countryside and we were very thankful to be on our way home, but no need to pity us, hahah.

On the way back to Cluny we saw several enormous chateaux that were gorgeous and with the picturesque countryside in the background it was like something from a post card. But then again, most of the things I've seen on this trip could have easily been post cards. So, I guess it was just another normal day in the Clunysois, but it was an extraordinary day for a Jersey farm boy.

Finding My Way In Paris

I write this post in my free time while at the study abroad class in Cluny, France and drinking a glass of chardonnay. I have learned so much at this course that I think I will still be trying to catch up when I get back to NJ.

Paris was a spectacular city that is really a city of light and culture. To quote another study abroad student that I have met over here in France, “Paris gives you a flavor of what France is about, more so than can many European cities to their respective countries.” The Parisians are admittly quite rude and downright annoying at times, but there are an equal number of people that are really very wonderful. Those Parisians who are not rude are often welcoming and give a big smile and greet you when they walk into their restaurant or boutique. Others glare and grimace at you when they notice your accent.

The biggest give away that we were from out of town was our backpacks that screamed tourist. Apparently, backpacks mean that you are an American. The French way of carrying possessions around is in a cloth bag similar to a reusable shopping bag. The reason the bag is important is the role of bags in European shopping culture. European stores do not give shopping bags when you check out but expect you to carry your own bag. If you do ask for a bag from the establishment, they will charge you a steep fee. Frequently, I saw people twice a day with a few baguettes or pastries sticking out of the corner of a cloth bag hanging on one shoulder.

Our first dinner in Paris, I ate at a restaurant called Café Central on a pedestrian street, and the waitress listened patiently to our broken French and then taught us some of the words we lacked. It was quite amusing to be trying to ask for an expresso and find out that the word expresso is not commonly used; rather the word café or noissett is used instead. Then you must specify how large and whether or not you want milk; most French waiters and waitresses will deliver your coffee without milk unless you ask. I found myself craving coffee and wishing that I could just get a cup to go which is not the way of the French. Unfortunately for the impatient American who wants to just get onto the next sight or the next street, you are obliged to sit for at least 30 minutes and enjoy a coffee.

On our second day in Paris, I found one of the several Starbucks in Paris. The experience that you get in North America is lost on the Starbucks of France. For one example, they serve freshly squeezed orange juice for a premium price. They had a very fancy machine that slices and then positions the slices for an automatic pressing. A medium cup of this beverage called Jus Fraiche will run 4.50 €, which is about $7.00. People then do not frequently leave with there beverage but sit in the Starbucks drinking as they would in a café. A few days later we found another Starbucks, and the experience was the same but even more people could be found sitting at small 18” diameter tables watching the world go past.

The world of the Parisian is one that is explored on foot with food making up the principle of the day. I started my day at 9 AM and didn’t return until 10 PM. Among the challenges of being in a foreign country where coffee does not run in the veins of the people, the bathrooms are few and far between. Those bathrooms you do find are paid for and often cost 1 euro which is the equivalent of 1.60 dollars. The trick that we learned after a few days was to go to a café and drink a 1.30 euro coffee and use their bathroom which was not crowded with tourists. I think about this and write about this because I believe in being well hydrated, and I cannot express enough how frustrating it is to find a bathroom when you drank a liter of water in the last hour. In one park I found a gentleman peeing on a bush and still another man teaching his son to peak on an iron fence.

The big lessons I learned during my time in Paris are learn how to order coffee if you don’t like being surprised by your beverage, don’t carry a backpack or risk being profiled, and don’t drink to much water if you don’t want to pee in the park.

Class Routine—Biochemistry, Microbiology, a 2-hour lunch, and Medieval History (June 14th, 2011)

After my morning run through the town of Cluny, I was exhausted, but exhilarated. I ran the country route through the hills, the pastures, and went running into town. The smells of the early morning cafes and fresh bread let me almost taste the goodness! I showered and ran back to breakfast and warmly greeted by Madame (the woman who runs the hostel that we call madame) to a breakfast of fresh baguettes, jam, coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. After many cups of coffee, we were all off to class, which was next door in the hostel’s hall.
Today was the first full day of class in Cluny. We brushed up on biochemistry and microbiology so that everyone was on the same page. I can now wake up at 3 AM and tell you that fructose-1,6-bisphosphate is the intermediate the regulates glycolysis—in the EMP pathway thanks to Dr. Haggblom’s “why and how” discussion. Having a small class and learning by discussing really helped retain and learn the science. To recharge ourselves, we went out to lunch in Cluny to a local café. I had the most delicious pea and carrot soup with emmental cheese and garlic croutons with a glass of Macon rosé wine. Gastronomy and taking time to eat is a big part of the French culture. There is no such thing as “to go” here because everybody eats a proper lunch here and it considered vulgar to rush food. Local stores and shops close in between 12-2PM for a lunch break, while people flock at the local cafés even for just a cup of coffee. There is no such thing as coffee to go either! For dessert, we had espresso before heading back to class.
We spent the afternoon walking around Cluny for a history lesson with Dean Reinert. I had no idea that Cluny was the center of Christianity in medieval times. I also have a new appreciation for monks. In medieval times, the monks made the cheese and sometimes wine for the town—hence, towns started to grow around the monasteries. Under the Benedictine rule, the monks practiced poverty, chastity, and humility while working each day. Work and prayer was thought to lead to salvation. Before the French Revolution, Cluny was a grand monastery with old castle-like walls and towers. Some parts of the town have been restored, but a lot of it has to be imagined.
After class, everyone went out together to the market to gather food for tomorrow’s excursion to a vinery and goat farm. We bought a variety of cheeses, meats, fruits, and wine to have a grand picnic by the lake. The picnic would be part of our usual 2-hour lunch of course. As usual, pictures are below:

Class

Daily Breakfast

Our first day of class

The 13th was our first full day in of class in Cluny and it was a rough one! I've never been to Europe before, and the six hour time difference here from the east coast of the US is a killer. Here in Cluny were six hours ahead of the east coast so when you wake up at 8am it feels like 2am. We woke up bright and early so that we could get breakfast at the hostel before our class that started at 9 o'clock, but breakfast for the french is far from what were used to. When you think of complimentary breakfast at a hotel you might think of sausage links, eggs, bacon, muffins, bagels, maybe a waffle iron, some yogurt, etc. Breakfast in France is baguette with butter and jam and to drink you get coffee or tea and I have to say that it's going to take some getting used to because by 10 o'clock my stomach was growling!

So, with all that in mind, the first full day of talking about fermentation pathways and microbial activity was a little difficult. But, one good thing about France is that lunch is two hours long. I think we have breakfast figured out pretty well, but two hour lunches are awesome. During lunchtime everyone shuts down their businesses except restaurants, of course. All the little shops, the post office, the banks, everyone takes off and goes out to eat for lunch. So from twelve to two we joined the people of Cluny by going out to a cafe where we ate lunch outside in the beautiful weather and enjoyed the atmosphere of the quaint little town. The townspeople are all familiar with one another, so when we come along speaking English and probably acting very strangely in their eyes we get some odd looks. I'm certainly not used to being looked at like that so often, but I'm sure it won't be the last time, so I might as well get used to it for a while.

After lunch we continued with our class on microbiology and biochemistry until it was time for us to take a historical tour of the town with another one of our professors, Dr. Reinert. Professor Reinert led us on a tour of Cluny where we visited its important monuments and attractions and learned some history about them. I thought that the most interesting part of the tour was about the abbey of Cluny. Built in 910, and at its height of power in the mid 12th century, the abbey was once magnificent, but today much of it has been destroyed. During the French Revolution all religious orders were dissolved and forced to leave their respective monasteries and churches. At the time of the revolution there were only ten monks left in the abbey of Cluny, but still, the loss of what was once a great monastery is a shame. After the tour wrapped up we were left to go about as we pleased for the first time and explore the town to our heart's desire. Here are some pictures from the days adventures:

That night, all of us climbed to the top of Cluny and sat on the wall watching the sunset over the beautiful Burgundian countryside. It was a beautiful sight and unfortunately I forgot my camera, but it's a memory that I doubt I'll forget, with or without a picture.

Mission of Efficiency

Fun Fact: Did you know that Singapore is less than 25% the area of Rhode Island per sq. mi., yet there are 5 Singaporean people for every 1 Rhode Islander? In essence, Singapore's population is over 20x more concentrated per sq. mi. than Rhode Island.

Imagine Rutgers being 20x more populated with college students (not that it's possible, this is just a comparison)--that would tally to about 800,000 students just in New Brunswick alone! Now imagine trying to catch the college busses while being bombarded by a mass of people trying to catch that same bus. I'd rather walk from Cook to Busch, thank you.

Singapore's population is so high that most people depend on public transportation to get anywhere on time, but is it a nightmare to catch a bus or a train? Actually, no. Singapore is pushing for incentives to make public transportation more efficient while reducing traffic and air pollution. The trains and busses run every 2 to 8 minutes so they are never overcrowded (though it can get packed at times), and even if you do miss the bus or train, there is always another mode of transport that will easily take you to your destination. Considering that I depend on this mode of transport to go to and from work, this reliability is definately a plus!! And I can explore the zoos and parks on the other side of town, so it's great. I honestly think this is the neatest thing. I love travelling, but actually finding a way to get to where I want to go ends up being the biggest hurdle. If this system were in America, I can probably go from Maine to Cailfornia with ease, though it may take a couple of weeks but I'm up for it! Singapore has the advantage of being a small country you can pretty much catch a bus in almost every nook and cranny of this island.

Developing ways to house all of the people here is a feat in itself. Here, most people live in apartments because they are the least expensive routes for housing. Small bungalows and townhouses can easily cost millions of dollars due to space constraints so that is out of the question! Instead, what you can find are apartment buildings everywhere. The buildings are very colorful, but it is definately a shock to see so many high rises considering that I come from American suburbia. I'm currently living in the blue one!



This mode of efficiency has even crossed into my laboratory. There are well over 20 people in my lab room each working on his or her own project (the most people I have ever seen) all focused on producing glycerol through bioprocessing algae and bacteria. We all share the same equipment, yet there is a harmonious balance between the high volume of people and the work that gets done. As of now, I am currently working on two separate projects to increase the efficiency (ironic) of glycerol production in algae. As of now, I am focused on manipulating the salt concentration of the algae media to determine if an increase in osmotic pressure will correlate to an increase in excreted glycerol from the algae cells. It turns out that glycerol has many pharmaceutical uses and can also be processed for use as biofuel--i.e. lower our dependence on fossil fuels so this is good news. There is at least one other student who is responsible for the experiments I run and I am responsible for another student's experiment. On top of that, there is a gradaute student supervisor and a PhD supervisor that makes sure we are all on track. It all seemed so chaotic when I first started but now that I have been working there for over two weeks, I have adjusted to the Singapore speed.

I will give you updates on my June 17 birthday and weekend adventures soon!