3 cheers for Petite Suisse! (and the internet!)

So I've recently fallen in love with these little Petite Suisse yogurt things. They are very dense and high in protein, and they work really well for me as part of my breakfast. They're really strange; they come in these little plastic tubs, only about 60 - 80 grams each. When you open the top of the tub, the yogurt-y stuff is wrapped in a little piece of paper. I didn't know what to make of them, or where they came from, but I found a very informative website that told me all about them!

This is from http://www.chocolateandzucchini.com :

Les Petits Suisses
[Little Swiss Cheese]
Un Petit Suisse, literally "a little swiss", is a fresh cow milk cheese, shaped like a small cylinder. It was originally invented in Normandy in the 1850's, at a milk farm held by a Madame Hérould. One of her garçon-vachers (an employee who tends to the cows, literally a cowboy), who was from Switzerland, suggested she enrich her cheese with cream, like they did in his home country. She followed his advice to excellent results, and named the cheese in his honor. A certain Monsieur Gervais got interested in the product, and helped develop its production, shipping the cheese to Paris on the brand new train line, to be sold extra-fresh every morning.
Originally, a white strip of paper was wrapped around each cylinder, and the petits suisses were packed by six in little wooden boxes. This has evolved into a more modern packaging, in which each petit suisse is in its own ribbed plastic tub, like a yogurt. However, the modern production has cleverly kept the paper wrapping, which really marks the identity of the product.
This used to be a 60% milk fat cheese, but it is nowadays more commonly sold in its 40% version, or even 20% or 0%. Since it is very fresh and not salty at all, it is a very versatile product that can be used for savory recipes (seasoned and mixed with fresh herbs, or added to a spread to make it nicely creamy), but is also widely consumed as a dessert, like yogurt. It is especially popular among kids, because the small tubs fit right into their hands, and because unwrapping them is so much fun.
Here's how you do it. After removing the lid, you turn the little tub upside down onto a plate or bowl. Gently push onto the bottom and sides of the tub, coaxing the petit suisse into falling out. Notice I said "gently" : if you're not careful enough, the petit suisse will be squished and will stick to the sides, and eternal shame will befall you and your offspring for seven generations. Once the petit suisse plops out -- a personal achievement which amply justifies a small yelp -- you have to locate where the little strip of paper begins, so you can pinch it between your fingers and unwrap the petit suisse. Again, utmost caution is in order, because the wrapping paper is very moist and likely to tear. Real satisfaction comes from successfully freeing the petit suisse in one sweeping gesture, keeping the strip of paper whole. Repeat with a second petit suisse if you feel up for it.
You can then sprinkle the petit suisse with sugar or strawberry jam. Some people mix the sugar or jam into the petit suisse with their spoon, but I like to keep the topping separate, to better enjoy the different textures.
I've mentioned that the modern packaging has the petits suisses stored in little plastic tubs, but you have probably noticed it is not the case on the picture above. The petits suisses on the picture are from a traditional milk farm in Saint-Malo, which produces excellent yogurts and petits suisses, packaging them up the old-fashioned way. Those petits suisses undoubtedly come at a higher price than their Yoplait counterpart, but they are also much tastier, with a thicker and more interesting feel, and they are probably closer to the original 1850 version.
Posted by clotilde on May 6, 2004 01:09 PM