Parthenais
Encyclopedia
Parthenais is a beef
breed
from the Deux-Sèvres
départment of western France
.
, a town which was an important cattle market during Middle Ages
. The golden age of this breed was the second part of 19th century, with the French herdbook being established in 1893, making it one of the oldest in France. At this time, phylloxera
killed all the grapevines
of the Cognac
vineyards. Waiting for a way to fight this disease, farmers bought cattle and in a few years their butter was known all over the country. This Charente-Poitou butter is nowadays an AOC
. The breed has been exported to the United Kingdom
, Ireland
the USA and Canada
.
, producing good tasting lean meat. Cows have enough milk to rear their calves.
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
breed
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
from the Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...
départment of western France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
History
The name comes from ParthenayParthenay
Parthenay is an ancient fortified town and commune in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France, sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet...
, a town which was an important cattle market during Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The golden age of this breed was the second part of 19th century, with the French herdbook being established in 1893, making it one of the oldest in France. At this time, phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
killed all the grapevines
Vitis
Vitis is a genus of about 60 species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, both for direct consumption of the fruit and for fermentation to produce...
of the Cognac
Cognac (drink)
Cognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....
vineyards. Waiting for a way to fight this disease, farmers bought cattle and in a few years their butter was known all over the country. This Charente-Poitou butter is nowadays an AOC
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
. The breed has been exported to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
the USA and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Characteristics
The hair colour is golden brown, with lighter eyes, muzzle and legs while the nose, hooves, and tail are black. Horns are crescent shaped. Bulls weigh up to 1150 kg (2,600 pounds) and stand about 145 cm tall. Mature cows weigh around 700 kg (1,600 pounds) and stand about 135 cm tall.Use
After a multi purpose history, they have been selectively bred as a pure beef breed since 1970, with a degree of double musclingDouble-muscled cattle
' refers to breeds of cattle that carry a mutation which represses the myostatin protein, consequently augmenting muscle growth. Affected breeds include:* Belgian Blue* Piedmontese* Parthenais...
, producing good tasting lean meat. Cows have enough milk to rear their calves.