The Cradle of Whipped Cream

By Linda Tancs

It’s hard to imagine an extravagant French estate as “the cradle of whipped cream.”  Yet that’s exactly the distinction enjoyed by Château de Chantilly, where crème was whipped up in the 17th century (invented, that is) by a headwaiter for the master of the house, le Grand Condé. You might fancy an association with the lace of the same name, popularized by a song released in 1958. And, indeed, lace was produced in Chantilly in the 1600s. The château is better known, though, for its porcelain production in the 1700s. Just 25 minutes from Paris, Chantilly is France’s horse capital, where daily dressage shows delight visitors.