# mmm to Chicken Cordon Bleu, but from whence comes the "bleu" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075 "2003-08-18T23:52:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/1 "2003-08-18T23:52:37Z")
So…where does the “bleu” in Chicken Cordon Bleu come from? It’s not made with blue cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/2 "2003-08-18T23:55:13Z")
Cordon Bleu means ‘Blue Ribbon’ - a term that derives from a rather convoluted cheffy history. ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/3 "2003-08-18T23:58:54Z")
Wow. That was just all kinds of speedy! So, I can safely assume that to call something “chicken cordon swiss” is entirely unacceptable. I’ve heard it called that aplenty when made with Swiss cheese. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/4 "2003-08-19T00:04:12Z")
[A history of le cordon bleu](http://www.culinaryprograms.com/cordon.htm). ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/5 "2003-08-19T00:04:21Z")
Even Cordon Suisse would be unacceptable. And meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/6 "2003-08-19T03:23:19Z")
To clarify, the dish/recipe is named after the culinary school. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/7 "2003-08-19T03:31:35Z")
To clarify, the dish/recipe is named after the culinary school. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/8 "2003-08-19T03:44:40Z")
Repeating, after **DarrenS** and **GaryT**. [Le Cordon Bleu](http://www.cordonbleu.net/) is a renowned school of the culinary arts, and the dish is named after it. It has nothing to do with blue chickens. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/9 "2003-08-19T04:03:31Z")
Now if wee could just stop people from calling blue cheese “bleu cheese” ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/10 "2003-08-19T04:21:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > \*\*It has nothing to do with blue chickens. \*\* What colour is the Chicken of Bristol? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/11 "2003-08-19T10:49:08Z")
It could have blue and white quarters if it’s a rover. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/12 "2003-08-19T11:02:54Z")
“Chicken of Bristols” would presumably be the white meat. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mmm-to-chicken-cordon-bleu-but-from-whence-comes-the-bleu/196075/13 "2003-08-19T12:41:33Z")
Be sure to wash it down with some Pabst Cordon Bleu.