The Classical Music Minute

How Did Frédéric Chopin Feed His Creativity?

January 02, 2023 Steven Hobé, Composer & Host Season 1 Episode 96
The Classical Music Minute
How Did Frédéric Chopin Feed His Creativity?
Show Notes Transcript

Description
Frédéric Chopin loved his food and was afforded great opportunities to develop his rather expensive tastes. Take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
Chopin’s favorite restaurant was “Au Rocher de Cancale,” and that particular eatery is still located at rue Montorgueil, Paris 75002. The composer also liked to eat at the “Café de Foy” when it was actually called Café Tortoni. 

About Steven, Host
Steven is a Canadian composer & actor living in Toronto. Through his music, he creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his music website for more. Member of the Canadian League Of Composers.
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Frédéric Chopin loved his food. 
 
Although he spent a lot of time and money on strudels and donuts with jam filling and candied orange peel garnish at his favorite “Wild Man” restaurant in Vienna, he couldn’t wait to get invited to the villa of Dr. Johann Malfatti, who had gained notoriety for treating Beethoven, and always served Polish foods to Chopin. 
 
One of Chopin’s favorite dishes was called “Zrazy.”, made of thin slices of beef wrapped around vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, and potato. Yum!
 
When he moved to Paris, he wrote “…One day you will eat the most abundant and satisfying dinner for 32 in a restaurant with mirrors, gold and gas lamps—and the next day you can go to have breakfast where you’ll get food for a bird and you’ll pay three times as much.”
 
Chopin received many dinner invitations which also expanded his culinary palette. In that time, he acquired quite a taste for truffles. However, emerging medical problems forced him to forgo wine and coffee and replace it with milk and acorn coffee, served with spices, cloves and honey.