In this episode of Fishwives of Paris, Emily and Caroline chat about Paris’s most famous sandwich, the croque monsieur, including the strange origins that may or may not include cannibalism. Along the way, they explore the history of Paris ham, the truth behind the croque madame, why French cafés rarely allow substitutions, and how Michelin-starred chefs are reinventing this humble classic today. 

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This week, Emily and Caroline dig into one of Paris’ most iconic café classics: the croque monsieur. It may look like a simple ham-and-cheese sandwich, but this crunchy little Parisian native comes with café culture, industrial sandwich bread, Paris ham, melted cheese debates, cannibal rumors, and a surprising number of glow-ups.

From its alleged 1910 origin story to its modern truffle, caviar, vegetarian, and Michelin-adjacent versions, this episode asks: is the croque monsieur actually good, or does it need a serious upgrade?

What you’ll learn

• Why the croque monsieur is considered a native Parisian dish
• The bizarre cannibal rumor attached to its origin story
• What separates a café from a restaurant in France
• Why most basic café croques may come from Metro
• What goes into a classic croque monsieur
• Where to find elevated croque monsieur versions in Paris

Locations mentioned

• Metro – restaurant supply chain where many basic café croques may come from
• Les Halles – historic Paris market district tied to Paris ham
• The 11th arrondissement – where Prince de Paris ham is made
• Chez Aline – former horse butchery known for jambon-beurre using Prince de Paris ham
• Savoie – French region associated with Emmental de Savoie
• Franco-Swiss border – discussed in relation to cheese traditions
• Gruyères, Switzerland – village associated with real Gruyère cheese
• Poilâne – Parisian bread used in some croque/tartine variations
• Petrossian – mentioned for a caviar croque monsieur
• Tram Café, 5th arrondissement – does a truffle croque using Prince de Paris ham and Comté
• Brasserie Bonnerie – neo-brasserie version with a stacked, pan-fried croque
• Printemps du Goût – food hall at Printemps, where Laurent Dubois makes croques
• Faste – croque monsieur specialist with classic and creative versions
• Loire Valley – source of the Selles-sur-Cher-style goat cheese mentioned in the vegetarian croque

Who this episode is for

This episode is for anyone who loves French café culture, nostalgic comfort food, Paris food history, weird culinary legends, or a good argument over whether a sandwich is actually worth the hype.

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New episodes every other Tuesday