BLUE RIBBON

Cordon bleu is a delicious dish made with meat and cheese, while Le Cordon Bleu refers to a prestigious network of French culinary schools. The term “blue ribbon” in French originally denoted an order of knighthood founded in 1578, whose members wore crosses on blue ribbons. Being a blue ribbon knight was considered the highest honor in chivalry, hence the association with excellence, particularly in the culinary arts. The word cordon is derived from the Old French word for “cord”, corde, which also gives us the words cord and corduroy. Corde traces its roots back to Latin chorda, Greek khorde (with a more specific meaning of “string”), and ultimately Proto-Indo-European ghere, meaning “intestine”. On the other hand, bleu is closely related to the English word blue, which has origins in Old French blo, Proto-Germanic blæwaz, and Proto-Indo-European bhel, signifying “shine”.