Submitted by Julia Rose on the 2024 Winter BUAD program in Paris, France…
Earlier this week, bright and early in the morning, our class split up into teams in order to create the best Apero Board. Our board would then be judged by French restaurant owners, based on presentation and authenticity. We first went on a tour around a main marketplace to learn all about how to create a true Apero board. An Apero board is a lot like a charcuterie board, but can have a lot more variations of different meats, vegetables, and fruits. Not only did we get to learn about the culture and popularity of buying groceries at farmers markets rather than processed goods at a grocery store, we also got to experience the relationship the market vendors make with their customers. They want to get to know every single one of their customers that come to their stands, and make them as satisfied as possible. We got to know some of the locals, try different samples, and learn about their products. Many of their produce, like fruits and vegetables, are imported from countries all around the continent, and are still fresh and ready to eat. We spent about an hour walking around these markets, asking for suggestions from the vendors and trying to pick the best ingredients for our board. To end, of course, we went to one of the many bakeries around the city to pick up a few baguettes to bring it all together. Afterwards, we met at a nearby restaurant to put together our board. We had arranged the cheeses that paired best with each fruit and berry we got for each of the corners, arranged the meat into flowers, lined the edges with cut up baguettes, and centered it off with herb artisan bread and flowers we bought at one of the floral markets. In my opinion, the best addition we had on our board was a jar of lavender honey to put on the bread and cheese.
Once our board was complete, it looked beautiful. After being judged, we got to finally taste our creations as an appetizer before our lunch. The board tasted as good as it looked. I had never been a picky eater, and was willing to try all of these new cheeses and jams, but the flavors we had brought together were surreal. The Apero board was one of the best things by far I had tasted during my Paris trip, and it makes it even better than a group of us had created it together. That day I had not only tried new foods, used my creativity, and got closer with the friends in my program, but I had also learned so much about French cuisine and culture while doing so. (Submitted on January 19, 2024)