“When you’re hungry, you’ll feel sad!” -Saya, Blood-C, Ep. 2
What is a guimauve? In short: “The French were the first to make a marshmallow closely resembling what we eat today. It was made from sugar, eggs, and the mallow plant’s jelly-like extract, beaten together to a foam. They called it pâté de guimauve, or guimauve for short—pâté meaning “paste” and guimauve being the French botanical name for the mallow plant” (Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/2008/07/cooking_life_fluff_piece#ixzz1SVWildzQ). This delightful confection appears in the 2nd episode of the currently airing Blood-C, when Saya learns of the confection that gives Cafe Guimauve its name.
Presented to her in its pink, cube form, the sweet serves as a delightful complement to the black coffee that she drinks daily. As the cafe scene follows immediately after a battle with an aged one the night before and a sing-song morning walk, it and the coffee also work well to represent Saya and her seemingly contradictory characteristics. The Saya we see in public shares a bottomless amount of sweetness with everything and everyone, from her father, to Cafe Guimauve’s Fumito, to random animals she sees on her walk to school, and to her friends. Her silly, yet endearing, made-up songs also reveal the kindness that she embodies. And yet, her nights are filled with blood, with the protection of her small, yet beloved home. The Saya who goes into battle looks nothing like the Saya singing about the weather. Like her unadorned coffee, the bitterness of her endless fight against the aged ones is also an irreplaceable part of her. Perhaps it’s the assurance of protection that allows her to be the happy girl she is to those she cares for. Just like how the black coffee and the guimauve bring the flavors of each other to light for a gratifying blend of bitter and sweet, so, too, does Saya’s night life work to protect the life that she shares with her friends and family.
Interested in trying your hand at making guimauve? Try Chocolate & Zucchini’s recipe for Guimauve a la Rose et au Chocolat!
That looks so completely and utterly delicious. Have you tried it before?
I need to find some, like, right now. xD
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I’ve had it once when I went to Paris, but I would love to try it again…maybe the recipe :p
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You went to Paris?! How was it?
I’ve always wanted to go there; tour the Louvre, see the Eiffel tour, eat in a cafe and explore the catacombs beneath the city.
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Well, since it was part of a high school choir way back in the day, I wasn’t able to enjoy it on my own as much as I would have liked. I still visited the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral (we sang inside!), the Arc de Triomphe, Basilique du Sacre coeur….so on. Sad story about the Louvre though…I never made it inside. My friends were so completely distracted outside by all the caricature artists, that we never made it into the actual building; I was pretty mad about it afterward. I didn’t get to go into the catacombs either, but I’ll have to do it next time I go!
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Wow! That sounds incredibly fun.
The only trip I’ve been offered through school was one to Germany, but sadly, it fell through. If not for my parents, I would offer to be an exchange student any day.
How were the French people there? Were they truly as stand-offish as the stereotype implies? (sorry for asking so many questions. I just love hearing about other people’s travels xD)
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I always enjoy these anime food posts of yours! ^ ^ And love how you tie it to the characters!
Guimauve… Learned something new and delicious today. I’m going to try making it another day.
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I’m glad you like the food-themed posts 🙂 There are plenty more planned for the future! I find it a fun way to analyze the people who make/eat the food, as farfetched as some of the connections may be.
If you ever make guimauve, you should let me know how it turns out.
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[…] specialty, which is also called guimauve, which is a french marshmallow thing (thanks Anime B&B!) And Saya loves her tea. And her guimauve. Also mentioned at Anime B&B, and this goes along […]
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[…] la página de Anime B&B encontrarás formas de traer a la vida comida que ves en tus series favoritas de anime. En una […]
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[…] chảy nước miếng như bánh mì cà ri từ Yakitate!! Japan và có cả công thức cho guimauve từ Blood C (dĩ nhiên là không kèm theo máu rồi!). (forum này cũng có một số công […]
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In the anime, the guimauve was made from flesh and blood of the monsters Saya killed. So you are literally basing the recipe and comparing them to the ‘cute and sweet’ cubes Saya ate. This is irony at it’s finest ladies and gentlemen. Come and make your own bloody flesh and organs recipe as shown within the anime!
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Yes, I was presenting the French guimauve, since I believe at the time I wrote this, the true ingredients of Saya’s had not yet been revealed. I would hope that anyone making these would go with the original recipe instead of the one presented in Blood-C. 🙂
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I hope this doesn’t spoil the ending for people who may not have seen it yet…
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My post should be spoiler-free, but hopefully since this show has been out long enough, this comment won’t surprise too many people. 🙂
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it surprises me now :” i instantly googled guimauve when they talk about it, and then somehow google took me here. so far so good until i stumbled upon comment above ;_; but it’s okay.
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It is probably best to avoid reading any discussion on an episode until after you’ve seen it 🙂 Glad the spoiler didn’t upset you too much, and I hope you get to try some yummy guimauve some time, or make it yourself!
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