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Île-de-France
“In 1638, the Benedictine nuns of Moret-sur-Loing created a pastille made with a decoction of pearl barley to soothe sore throats. Bossuet delighted in them, Louis XIV asked for more. Three hundred and eighty-eight years later, the secret recipe is still in production — handed down from nun to layperson in 1972.”
Confectionery from Île-de-France.
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The story begins in 1638, when the Benedictine sisters of Notre-Dame des Anges, established in Moret-sur-Loing (Seine-et-Marne), perfected a sweet made from cane sugar and a decoction of pearl barley, with a dash of vinegar added to prevent crystallisation. The first mother superior, Élisabeth Pidoux — a cousin of La Fontaine —, introduced this "stick" that soothed sore throats, initially appreciated by the monks themselves.
The sweet quickly acquired a dual reputation: medicinal and indulgent. Louis XIV was fond of it, and the Court promptly adopted this Moret pastille; among the orators who used it to spare their voices was Bossuet.
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The French Revolution brought production to an abrupt halt: the nuns were forced to cease their trade, and the priory disappeared. The recipe could well have been lost. But sœur Félicité jealously guarded the secret and passed it on to the new nuns who resettled in Moret. Production resumed and has continued uninterrupted to this day.
In 1972, the nuns ceased manufacturing and entrusted their secret recipe — unchanged since 1638 — to a secular confectioner. The tradition continues today at the confectionery house Des Lis Chocolat, in Moret-Loing-et-Orvanne.
Appearance
A berlingot or stick. Translucent golden-yellow to amber in colour, letting light pass through like raw gemstones. Mostly smooth surface, occasionally slightly dusted or matt along the edges. The berlingot traditionally bears a cross and the initials "RM", for "Religieuses de Moret".
Aroma
Gentle, slightly malty, evoking pale caramel and warm barley. Subtle and delicate, without aggressive sweetness.
Taste
Cane sugar and barley harmonise in a lightly malty sweetness. The vinegar used in the making is undetectable, but contributes to the sweet's shine and smoothness. Recipe unchanged since 1638.
Texture
Hard, but not immediately brittle. The sucre d'orge melts slowly under the tongue, gradually releasing its aromas. To be sucked patiently, never bitten into.
the barley decoction is mixed with cane sugar and a small quantity of vinegar to prevent crystallisation.
the mixture is heated to around 150°C.
the liquid sugar is poured onto a cold marble worktop and worked to cool evenly.
whilst still pliable, the sugar is passed between rollers to give it its final shape of a berlingot or stick.
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Sucre d'orge de Moret is enjoyed like a pastille, left to dissolve slowly under the tongue — never bitten into. Its soothing effect on the throat makes it the traditional companion of heavily taxed voices: singers, orators, teachers, preachers. It pairs well with plain tea or a lime-blossom tisane.
In its metal tins illustrated with historical scenes of Moret-sur-Loing, it is an iconic souvenir of the town. To give as a gift or to treat oneself after a visit to the prieuré Notre-Dame des Anges or the banks of the Loing.
Sucre d'orge des religieuses de Moret holds neither an appellation d'origine contrôlée nor a PGI (IGP). Its protection rests on the transmission of the secret recipe — jealously guarded since 1638 — and on the historic reputation of the town of Moret-sur-Loing, which is inseparable from this sweet.
Artisanal confectionery
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