# le digestif



## charlie2

Hi,
The other day I learned that the French people have a "secret weapon" when they eat too much. C'est le digestif. Le digestif, l'apéritif, ce n'est pas la même chose? On prend l'apéritif avant un repas, c'est correct? Quelle est la différence? How does _le digestif_ work as a secret weapon?
Thank you.


----------



## Jabote

Le digestif is a strong alcohol that you drink after the meal and that is supposed to help your digestion because alcohol just as supposedly burns the fats...


----------



## charlie2

Thank you. So it is a generic term? What kind of alcohol do you drink as _digestif_? Like vodka or gin?


----------



## Jean-Michel Carrère

Armagnac, Cognac are favourites.

Digestif is also known colloquially as 'pousse-café'.


----------



## Jabote

Kirsch, Fine Champagne, Grand Marnier, alcool de poire, alcool de prune, etc.


----------



## la grive solitaire

...ou un bon Calvados.


----------



## Jabote

la grive solitaire said:
			
		

> ...ou un bon Calvados.


 
Right on la grive.... and a grive should know what she is talking about.... don't we say "saoûle comme une grive" ???? Just kidding of course... ;o)))


----------



## charlie2

Alright, I'll remember these names. Thank you. Do they really work? (No, no, I am only joking. Thank you again.)
Edit : Calvados is found in the sauce for a pancake, isn't it?


----------



## la grive solitaire

Jabote said:
			
		

> Right on la grive.... and a grive should know what she is talking about.... don't we say "saoûle comme une grive" ???? Just kidding of course... ;o)))




LOL  Elle est bonne celle-là, Jabote! et merci--je ne la connaissais pas du tout, je retiens!


----------



## Jabote

la grive solitaire said:
			
		

> LOL Elle est bonne celle-là, Jabote! et merci--je ne la connaissais pas du tout, je retiens!


 
L'expression vient du fait que les grives adorent le raisin, qu'elles s'en gavent dans les vignes quand ils sont bien mûrs, et qu'elles en ressortent, je suppose, un peu pompettes !


----------



## fetchezlavache

ah vous avez oublié la mirabelle de lorraine !!!


----------



## Jabote

Oh ouiiiiiiiiiii !!! Désolée !!! Mais bon... j'avais quand même parlé d'alcool de prune, hein !

Hey là tu me fais bavarder ! Je cause, je cause, mais j'ai mon ménage à faire....


----------



## le chat noir

Calvados is a strong apple liquor (the name comes from a part of France, inside Normandy, where there are lots of apple orchards - actually it is where the D-Day landing took place), and indeed used to flavour pancakes or other cakes - although I prefer it dry in a glass .

Armagnac is made out of plums, in the soutwest of France
Cognac is made out of grapes, with a very complex recipy
Kirsch is made out of cherries, and comes from Germany

Most other strong liquors just have the name of the fruits they are made of. For instance: poire, prune, mirabelle (a kind of yellow plum mostly cultivated in the Lorraine).


----------



## Agnès E.

Amusant :
Nous utilisons le vin de Porto comme apéritif (= qui ouvre l'appétit) alors que les Portugais et les Britanniques l'utilisent comme digestif (= qui aide à digérer).

Quid des trous normands, hein, quid ?


----------



## Jabote

Le trou normand, par définition, c'est un bon coup de Calva entre deux plats riches !

He he.... j'ai faim moi.....


----------



## Cath.S.

Dans ma région (Centre) on boit de l'épine, un alcool obtenu à partir des fruits du prunellier sauvage (_sloe tree_), également appelé épine noire.

Edit, oui, j'avais écrit "dans lma gégion", et alors ? On parle comme ça, chez nous !


----------



## Jabote

egueule said:
			
		

> *Dans lma gégion* (Centre) on boit de l'épine,


 
lol.... Tu n'en aurais pas déjà pris un p'tit coup aujourd'hui, par hasard egueule ? ;o)))


----------



## Cath.S.

Jabote said:
			
		

> lol.... Tu n'en aurais pas déjà pris un p'tit coup aujourd'hui, par hasard egueule ? ;o)))


ROFL!  
Tu m'as grillé!


----------



## Jean-Michel Carrère

To Le Chat Noir (in particular) and all the others let it be known that ARMAGNAC is not made with plums, but with GRAPES from the Gers départment in Southwestern France.


----------



## charlie2

That's too much to drink for one night.   I mean for our dear friend egueule.Thank you.


----------



## Jabote

Jean-Michel Carrère said:
			
		

> To Le Chat Noir (in particular) and all the others let it be known that ARMAGNAC is not made with plums, but with GRAPES from the Gers départment in Southwestern France.


I thought so, but not being a knowledgeable amateur myself, I dared not contradict le chat noir....


----------



## Jabote

le chat noir said:
			
		

> Cognac is made out of grapes, with a very complex recip*e
> *


*
;o))) Just a typo I guess...


*


			
				le chat noir said:
			
		

> Kirsch is made out of cherries, and comes from Germany


 
To be more specific, Kirsch is made from cherry stones, not from the pulp of the cherries.


----------



## Cath.S.

charlie2 said:
			
		

> That's too much to drink for one night.  I mean for our dear friend egueule.Thank you.


It's only 6:00 PM in France!


----------



## Jabote

egueule said:
			
		

> It's only 6:00 PM!


 
A-hem.... only 11:00 am here....


----------



## le chat noir

Oops sorry, I thought about pruneaux à l'armagnac, which is dried plums soaked in armagnac. My bad.

And my spelling went to pot too, this is not my lucky thread .


----------



## Jabote

He he, too late egueule, too late too slow !


----------



## Cath.S.

Jabote said:
			
		

> A-hem.... only 11:00 am here....


L'heure de l'apéro, donc, de toute manière !


----------



## charlie2

egueule said:
			
		

> It's only 6:00 PM in France!


Okay, sorry, sorry, I thought I was the centre of everything. Sorry.


----------



## la grive solitaire

Jabote said:
			
		

> L'expression vient du fait que les grives adorent le raisin, qu'elles s'en gavent dans les vignes quand ils sont bien mûrs, et qu'elles en ressortent, je suppose, un peu pompettes !




Merci! On ne finit pas d'apprendre...


----------



## Harrison

Hi !
And what would the English be for "Digestif" then ? Is there an equivalent term ?
Thanks !
Harrison


----------



## la reine victoria

Harrison said:
			
		

> Hi !
> And what would the English be for "Digestif" then ? Is there an equivalent term ?
> Thanks !
> Harrison


 

Hi!
Welcome to the forums Harrison. 


It is officially known as a "digestive" but it isn't a word you will hear very often in the UK.

Generally, a host willl say, "Would you care for a brandy or a liqueur?"

In a restaurant the menu usually ends with -

Coffee

Cognac

Whiskey

Port

 Liqueurs 

​Regards
LRV​


----------



## carolineR

For all it's worth, the GDT says "digestif" (in English)


----------



## Harrison

Thanks !

Harrison


----------

