As is very often the case with gastronomy, the etymology of certain words gets lost in literature. Such is the case with quiche. The term appeared in an account book of the Hôpital Saint-Julien de Nancy in France in 1605, under parboiled food and quiches.
The term appeared again in the early nineteenth century. It could also be a derivative of the Frankish "Küche" or "Kieche", in the regional language of Lorraine. It is still used today for all salty pies.
At that time, it was made of bread dough. Today it is made of shortcrust or flaky pastry to make it lighter. The "migaine"served in Lorraine, with a base of eggs and thick cream, was garnished with diced bacon. Today, however, because of its success, the quiche has travelled around the world. Now there are all sorts of variations for every taste, from salmon and chicken to leeks, depending on the chef’s imagination.
Duke Charles III of Lorraine (June 12, 1545 – May 14, 1608) was a very big fan, but Alfred Hitchcock also seemed to have fallen under its spell. In one scene in To Catch a Thief, produced in 1955, Cary Grant and John Williams are gathered around a delicious dish of quiche lorraine made by the housekeeper. The pastry is said to be "as light as air". He is known to have liked it for breakfast!
Daiana, in her Parisian-style café, likes serving hers with arugula and balsamic vinegar: "the quiche is a savoury dish that you can eat at any time of the day, light and tasty, it could quickly become an addiction!"
Photo: Arnaud Barbet