St. Clement was either the second or third
Pope because of some conflicting records by early historians. Very few
details are known about his life other than he was consecrated by St. Peter,
Clement was bizarrely martyred by being drowned in the sea with an anchor
attached to his neck. He is venerated by the Roman Catholic Church, the
Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church, and the Lutheran Church.
St Clement achieved
culinary immortality because he was the name saint of Clement Faugier
of Privas, France.
Privas was a one-industry town in the nineteenth century with most of the
local jobs based on the silk industry. When the silk industry began to
slump, Faugier organized a commercial factory to produce one of the town's
local delicacies, marrons glaces (candied chestnuts).
Faugier's marrons glaces and chestnut purees are still one of
the most popular French brands
of chestnut
products today. To help create a demand for his product, Faugier devised
several chestnut recipes which he named after his name saint, including the
famous Charlotte a la St. Clement.
There is another culinary connection to St. Clement which is
based on a somewhat gory 17th century nursery rhyme about the bells of
London.
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