The First Experiment

Bonjour from Paris! Figured, we'd use this space to send out the haps from across the pond. Hope everyone enjoys our little blips. And without further ado... onto "le blogging!"

Oh the differences!!! As most know, I came to France to work at Le Institut Pasteur, an institution whose name gives tribute to the famous Frenchman responsible for unearthing the secret lives of microbes. So it was with a just a little bit of irony that I found myself the other day, shuttling between the two milk sections of our local Carrefour supermarket fretting about pasteurized milk. There was the pasteurized stuff, all two bottles of it, and then there was everything else. Fermented milk. Goats milk. Ewe’s milk. (All unrefrigerated I might add). Frankly, I had never realized there were options before.

What exactly is lost in the pasteurization of milk anyways? Maybe this is one of those vital natural ingredients the French diet is heralded for, and would I be losing out on it by sticking to my American guns and playing it safe, I wondered? Judging from the amount of shelf space afforded by Carrefour however, Le Francais seem to hold Louis Pasteur, or at least his contribution to milk sterilization, in slightly lower esteem than Le Americains.

Update: I took the plunge, and while I haven't died, I say stick with old faithfaul. The other stuff tastes funny.