Bourbon has nothing to do with whiskey. Réunion was called Île Bourbon until 1848, and the name attached itself to the vanilla the island exported. Madagascar now grows the large majority of the world’s crop.

Bourbon vanilla is the vanilla flavor most people carry in their heads — it’s rich, creamy, sweet, and heavy on vanillin. Tahitian vanilla is a different species and leans more floral. If a pastry chef specifies Bourbon, they’re going for depth rather than perfume.

Where we’ve eaten it:

Benjamin Schmitt (2026) — Vanille Bourbon de Madagascar, gavotte croustillante, crème vanille, glace pécan caramélisé.

Small artichokes are trimmed to the heart and cooked slowly in olive oil and white wine with carrot, onion, garlic and herbs. Barigoulo is Provençal for a local mushroom and the 18th-century original stuffed artichokes with chopped mushrooms and cooked them in oil. The mushrooms dropped out of the recipe, but the name stayed.

The cooking liquid reduces into a light, lemony broth rather than a thick sauce. Lardons or a scrap of cured pork often go in, and the stock is usually chicken, so it isn’t a safe vegetarian bet without asking.

You’ll see it two ways in Paris: as a starter in its own right, served warm or at room temperature. It’s sometimes served as a garnish beneath fish, listed as barigoule d’artichauts, where the vegetables and their broth become the bed for the plate..

Where we’ve eaten it:

Benjamin Schmitt (2026) Artichauts en barigoule, cecina de bœuf, olives noires.

The name means the pork butcher’s sauce, and that tells you what it’s for. Grilled or sautéed pork, almost always. In Paris you’ll meet it on a côte de porc, a roast, and sometimes alongside an andouillette. The acidity from the cornichons helps to cut the richness of the pork.

Where we’ve eaten it:

Benjamin Schmitt (2026) Échine de porc grillée, laitue braisée, soubise d'oignon, moutarde fumée, sauce charcutière.

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