Is cervelle de canut really brains?
No. The Observatoire des produits du terroir says it is not an offal but a specialty based on fromage blanc; the name comes from the canuts, the Lyon silk workers, for whom it was an important food.
What is it made of?
Fromage blanc beaten with a spatula, then finely chopped shallots, parsley, chervil and chives, oil, vinegar, wine, salt and pepper, and whipped cream folded in, per the Observatoire's recipe. French Wikipedia says fresh goat's cheese can also go in.
What else is it called?
Claqueret and tomme daubée, according to French Wikipedia, which says claqueret comes from beating (claquer) the cheese and that the dish derives from the older Lyon sarasson.
Which wine goes with it?
The Observatoire lists Beaujolais AOC and Coteaux-du-Lyonnais reds. French Wikipedia's article on Lyon cuisine says the bouchons serve their specialities, cervelle de canut among them, with a glass of beaujolais or côtes-du-rhône. The French Wikipedia article on cervelle de canut itself suggests a white wine, Chardonnay.
What do you eat it with?
Toasted bread, according to French Wikipedia; the Observatoire des produits du terroir adds potatoes and other root vegetables and warm buckwheat waffles.
Which wine goes with it?
French Wikipedia quotes the Inventaire du patrimoine culinaire de la France, Rhône-Alpes: in Lyon's bouchons the pot sat at the corner of the bar and was spread on toasted bread, accompanied by a beaujolais. The Observatoire lists Chénas among the reds.
Is it protected?
No. It has no protected name, and French Wikipedia says the ingredients seem fairly variable, though there is a common core.
Is Arôme de Lyon protected?
No. French Wikipedia lists it as unprotected.
