Home » Blogs » JeremyCherfas's blog
Submitted by JeremyCherfas on August 21, 2009 - 2:30am

Recovering almost extinct French wheats

Has anyone here come across the French wheat varieties known as Touselle or Touzelle? (I did search first.) Louis XI, gravely ill, thought that only bread made from Touzelle could restore him to health.

I ask because a friend has written about the rediscovery of these varieties, and wondered if anyone had access to the article L'homme qui plantait des blés by Isabelle FAURE in Nature & Progres No. 59 (Sep/Oct 2006).

Thanks

Jeremy

Filed under:
user icon
Submitted by Mini Oven on August 21, 2009 - 7:25pm.

Touzel, France

Is it possible that he thought that wheat from Touzel, France could help?  The town is in a valley where wheat might be grown.   ...or is that too far fetched?

Submitted by JeremyCherfas on August 21, 2009 - 11:39pm.

Thanks Mini Oven

There is indeed a village called Touzelles -- I couldn't find Touzel -- about 240 km almost due south of Paris. And there are what look like wheat fields around it. The article I referred to, however, quotes a report:

In 1482, in the month of December, King Louis XI was taken ill at Tours, and had Touzelle [wheat] brought from the diocese of Nismes ...

And Nimes is another 350 km SSE of Touzelles, so I doubt that Touzelles was originally in the Diocese of Nimes. The article says that this chap has recovered some of these older varieties. We were wondering whether anyone could shed any further light on them.

Jeremy

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.