I was five years old when I first decided that I wanted to be
a chef, and I grew up without changing my mind. Gazing
out at the mountains, scaling the summits with my brothers
and sisters, gathering wild redcurrants, mushrooms,
pansies, hazelnuts and chestnuts…

Even now that I'm in Grenoble, the mountains remain my greatest source of inspiration.
In summer, I gather wild plants in the Southern Alps, from the foot of the Meije mountains as far as the Lautaret pass.
Primrose, hysop, catmint, common wormwood, blackthorn, oxalis, white genepi, true lavender, camphor absinthe, hogweed, meadowsweet…
As a self-taught enthusiast, I have learned their Latin names and, more importantly, the vastly different flavours they release as decoctions, infusions, or when simply placed upon a line-caught fish.
In winter, when the mountains are hidden under the snow, I work with truffles, citrus fruit, spices and heirloom vegetables.
Over the seasons, my pleasure lies in creating original plant associations, drawing out the best that nature has to offer, finding inspiration along the steep paths of our Alpine mountains.

Stéphane Froidevaux