Pink Slip Gourmet: An Early Morning

So, it seems that in culinary school (at least in Paris) the notion of a field trip is a bit different than in any other type of school. Why, you ask? Because it goes a little like this:

Be at the school before 4 am. No metros running at 3 am? Just walk in the the rain. Then board a bus for Rungis, which is rumored to be the largest wholesale market in the world. Upon arrival, don an even uglier hat (if you can imagine that) and coat than you are normally forced to wear and walk around in freezing warehouses with soaking wet shoes to see things such as octopus, cow lungs, and cheese with worms inside.

Now that I think about it, maybe this field trip should replace the application to get into Ferrandi. Instead of the recommendations, essays, etc they could just have everyone who thinks they want to be a chef go on this field trip. If they come out of it even more excited than going in, then they are accepted to the school. It would be a good way to weed out those who aren't serious, that's for sure!

The trip was great, albeit ABSOLUTELY FREEZING! It was really cool to see a place that supplies so many of the restaurants in Paris not to mention people all over the EU and the world. The market is 573 acres, which is bigger than the principality of Monaco. It is essentially it's own little city. There are over 13,000 people working there and that's not during the busy holiday season when thousands more are added to the roster of employees. There are dozens of restaurants, a medical center, dry cleaners, banks, etc. The only thing they don't need is a grocery store! The place is its own grocery store.

We visited the fish hall, triperie, game hall, produce hall, fromagerie and meat hall, each of which is detailed below with photos. Disclaimer: If you are a vegetarian, a member of PETA or just generally faint of heart, you might want to skip the photos of the triperie and game hall.

Otherwise, enjoy!

3:45 am. Sleepy, but ready to go!

FISH HALL

Entering the fish hall. Looks like a scene out from the book the Hot Zone with these outfits.

Scallops in the background.

Tuna. All the fish is less than 24 hours old.

Octopus at 4:30 am, anyone?

Don't mess with this lobster!

Pousse-Pied. A sea creature that looks like, well, a sea creature. This is one thing I am not inclined to try while in France.

This salmon is still mad at being caught.

Quite a large shrimp.

Swordfish.

TRIPERIE

Yep. Brains again.

The always lovely testicles.

Hearts.

Give it up for some seriously huge livers.

And even larger tongues. Who knew a cow's tongue would be so large?

Stomach just lying around.

A random cow's head.

A bin full of lungs.

Wouldn't be complete without some kidneys here and there.

I don't even want to know what this is.

GAME HALL

Birds of a feather stick together, I guess.

Look at the claws on those things. Vicious.

A couple of goats. Again, not something I'm all that interested in eating.

In the middle of the game hall is this cafe where the people who work can just stop in for a morning coffee. A bit bizarre considdering the surroundings.

Cock a doodle doo!

Peter Cottontail and friends. At least at Rungis, you know things are fresh.

Ducks galore.

By the time we got to the game hall, 214 tons of game had been delivered that morning. It was about 6 am.

MEAT HALL

Rows and rows of hanging beef and veal. It was an incredible sight.

I seriously never knew how huge the pieces of beef would be.

Another little piggy.

Veal bottom!

A piece of veal with a tag certifying where it came from. The photo does NOT do justice to the size of the veal. For those of you who picture a veal as a tiny little animal, you would be shocked to see how big the ones at Rungis are. (And no, they aren't big because they have been pumped full of hormones. Unlike the U.S. of A., the EU is anti-hormone).

I told you the veal was large. Me, with several layers of clothing/protection and still freezing. The cold is worth it, though, because there is virtually no smell at Rungis which is amazing when you think about how bad it should smell.

FROMAGERIE