# Cordon bleu



## Yendred

How  in your language do you call this dish of meat wrapped around cheese and pan-fried?
In French, it's called _*(escalope) cordon bleu*_, and English (it seems) also calls it *c*_*ordon bleu.*_




What about in your languages? All languages are welcome. I'm especially curious to know about Spanish.


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## bearded

Also in Italy we say 'cordon bleu'.
cordon+bleu


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## Yendred

Thanks bearded!

In French it's pronounced [kɔʁdɔ̃ blø].
In Italian, do you pronounce it the French way or you have "localized" the pronounciation? Or both are possible?

To all languages, can you please indicate your specific pronounciation, especially English and Spanish?


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## bearded

Yendred said:


> In Italian, do you pronounce it the French way or you have "localized" the pronounciation?


Mostly in the French way. Some people would pronounce 'blè' instead of bleu, though.


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## Circunflejo

Yendred said:


> I'm especially curious to know about Spanish.


Well, _cordon bleu_ is known among those that like cooking (and nowadays cooking is popular...); bleu is usually pronounced ble (with the usual e in Spanish). Although it's not exactly the same dish, a popular similar dish in Spain is called San Jacobo (this one is known by everyone). A popular similar regional dish is the cachopo (popular in Asturias).


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## Yendred

Great Circunflejo thanks!


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## Dymn

_*Llibret*_ in Catalan ("little book")


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## merquiades

Yendred said:


> How  in your language do you call this dish of meat wrapped around cheese and pan-fried?
> In French, it's called _*(escalope) cordon bleu*_, and English (it seems) also calls it *c*_*ordon bleu.*_


You'd better say  *(wrapped) ham and cheese cutlet / fritter* in America.  Not everyone is going to know what *cordon bleu *is as it's not a culinary tradition yet.  I knew about the chef school in Paris long before this dish.  But it is growing, pronounced "cord on blue", exactly as in French or in the middle somewhere, depending on linguistic awareness.  By the way it tends to be chicken too.


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## apmoy70

I've seen it as *«γεμιστό»* [ʝe.misˈtɔ] (neut.) in Greek --> _filled_, but cordon bleu, either left as it is or transliterated («κορντόν μπλε» [kɔrˈdɔn ble]), ɡains ɡround lately


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## Yendred

Thanks Dymn, merquiades and apmoy70!

To give credit where credit is due, the _cordon bleu _recipe comes from Switzerland (mentioned for the first time in a 1949 Swiss cookbook), as a variant of the _Wiener Schnitzel_ from Austria. It can be made with veal, pork or chicken.

The origin of the name is not quite clear, but it may obviously be a general reference to a talented cook, said to be a "_cordon bleu_". This expression in turn, comes from the Order of the Holy Spirit, a French order of chivalry founded in 1578 by Henry III, king of France. Members of this order wore a cross attached to their coat with a blue ribbon. They were said to meet in gourmet clubs, thus the expression "to be a _cordon bleu_" came to refer to an excellent cook.




Colbert (1619-1683), French Minister of Finances, wearing
the Order of the Holy Spirit cross and blue ribbon.


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## KalAlbè

In New York I always heard it as Cordon Bleu. With _bleu _pronounced as _blue, _which does make sense_._


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## Frank78

In German: Cordon Bleu, normally pronounced /kɔʁdɔnˈblø/ or even /kɔʁdɔŋ ˈblø/


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## hui

In Finnish: *sveitsinleike* ("Swiss schnitzel")


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## alfaalfa

Ciao





bearded said:


> Mostly in the French way


really?
I always heard _cordon _pronounced [kórdon] even in the commercials.


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## AndrasBP

It's really popular in Hungary, too and we use the original name, pronounced /'kordon blø:/
However, most people are not aware of the French origin of the name and there's a popular version "*G*ordon Bl*ue*" (which also appears in restaurant menus), with an initial "g", for some reason (probably interference from the name Gordon).


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## Yendred

AndrasBP said:


> *G*ordon Bl*ue*



 
It sounds like the name of a DC Comics superhero


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## bearded

alfaalfa said:


> I always heard _cordon _pronounced [kórdon]


Ciao
Yes, that is also possible.


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## Circunflejo

Dymn said:


> _*Llibret*_ in Catalan ("little book")


That reminds me that librito is also used in Spanish.


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## Yendred

Circunflejo said:


> That reminds me that librito is also used in Spanish.



Yes indeed!
Receta Libritos de Ternera


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## Circunflejo

Yendred said:


> Yes indeed!


And there are also flamenquines... Too many _similar _dishes.


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## alfaalfa

AndrasBP said:


> *G*ordon Bl*ue*


This is also possible  with the same AndrasBP's reasons


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## velisarius

AndrasBP said:


> there's a popular version "*G*ordon Bl*ue*" (which also appears in restaurant menus), with an initial "g", for some reason (probably interference from the name Gordon).


I've seen and heard that in Greece too, only as _Gordon Bleu_, who was presumably Gordon Blue's French cousin.


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## Yendred

This article (in Spanish) may be interesting:
Cordon o Gordon Bleu: Como quiera que se llamen gustan

The distortion from _cordon_ to _gordon_ seems natural and due to euphony and to make it sound more "English".


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## Aliph

Yendred said:


> To give credit where credit is due, the _cordon bleu _recipe comes from Switzerland (mentioned for the first time in a 1949 Swiss cookbook), as a variant of the _Wiener Schnitzel_ from Austria. It can be made with veal, pork or chicken.


Traditionally it was made with pork. That was before industrially made food came on the market. Now there are even vegetarian versions.


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## Welsh_Sion

I don't think we have the same 'dish of meat' in Wales but 'cordon bleu' could be so written and pronounced approximately like the French (if you knew French), or in the alternative in a more Welsh way (and substituting 'vocal' vowels for the nasal ones: /'kordon blə/.

For those Welsh unfamiliar with French, but familiar with their own culture where a 'blue ribbon' award indicates some sort of high prestige (e.g. winning in a singing or recitation competition), then *ruban glas* /'rɨban gla:s/ or *rhuban glas* /'r̥ɨban gla:s/ could be used. (cf in English 'a blue ribbon event'). 

Does anyone know why a 'blue ribbon' is considered fairly universally as a mark of high prestige?


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## Enquiring Mind

"Cordon bleu" in Czech (and Slovak) too (letemgastrosvetem.cz), though as Andras (#15) and others have noted, you will also find "Gordon Blue" (recepty.vareni.cz) (varenie.sk) on menus and in recipes, and for the same reason. Gordon probably has a central European railcard.


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## Yendred

I thought in Czech, you would have used some expression closer to the Austrian _Wiener Schnitzel_, because of the geographical proximity.


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## Enquiring Mind

Yes, you find that too.


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