FOOD HISTORY: Bouche Noel

Bouche noel ("Christmas log" in French) is a cake traditionally made of Genoise (a kind of sponge cake) baked in a jelly roll pan which has buttercream spread on top and then is  rolled in a cylindrical fashion. The outside is covered with chocolate buttercream spread in such a way as to make it resemble the bark on a log. The finished cake is sprinkled with powdered sugar to look like snow and other decorations, meringue mushrooms, spruce sprigs, berries, etc. may be added.  Because  it resembles a winter log, it has become  a traditional Christmas cake. However, it wasn't always. The origin of this cake can be traced back to the Celtic tradition of celebrating the Winter Solstice in the month of December.( Jol; Norse for Mid -Winter festival; Yol in Middle English; Geol in Old English; Yule in contemporary English -the shortest day of the year). On this day, the Celts would find a large trunk of oak, beech, cherry or elm tree and burn it as a symbol of rebirth and a thank you to the Sun god for the returning of the sun to the earth. When Christianity arrived in Europe, in the Middle ages, the Catholic Church could  not suppress this Pagan tradition and convert the Pagans to Christianity. Therefore, the Church conceived a plan to embrace this Pagan tradition and make it their own. Because the exact date of Christ's birth in not given in the Bible, in 350 CE, Pope Julius I decreed  December 25th on the Julian calendar to be the Church's official designation for the birth of Christ. Thus, the Pagan mid-winter festival became part of the Church's celebration of Christ's birth  The festival was  made  more elaborate. Now logs would be decorated with greenery and ribbons, the youngest and the oldest members of the family would bring the log into their home and burn it in their hearth. It would burn all night and the ashes were used during the years to protect the household from the Devil's evil powers. There are two possible reasons  about how this Pagan ritual turned Christian Christmas celebration event turned from the burning of a real log into the creation a  famous Christmas cake. The first is that Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor, issued a proclamation that the people in Paris close the chimneys in their houses during the winter. It was believed that the entry of cold air into the houses were causing the spread of diseases. This was a public health issue. The second reason for the change might have been  that hearths in houses were being replaced by stoves which could not accommodate a large burning log. Whichever the true reason  may be, the big log, which now could not be burned, was replaced by a small branch in the middle of the table surrounded by sweet treats to be given to visitors. It was in France, at this time, that some entrepreneurial baker(s), either in Paris or Lyon, conceived of a pastry logs to be used in the Christmas celebration to replace the now not available real burning log. This cake became popular very quickly and turned  the Bouche Noel into the Christmas  tradition it has become. While the cake is French in origin, it is popular  in other parts of the world, as well.