Pretty butt bread

Tartine jolies fesses: A carrot cream with a wink

The Tartine jolies fesses from Rue Traversette is a vegetarian carrot cream consisting of 57 percent carrot, finely rounded off with dried tomato, lemon, and pink peppercorns. Orange, mild, slightly sweet, and the name is a French proverb, not a promise.

Tartine jolies fesses by Rue Traversette is a vegetarian spread in which carrot, at 57 percent, clearly leads the way. It also contains onion, olive oil and rapeseed oil, dried tomato, lemon juice, and black pepper. A mere 0.06 percent of pink peppercorns is enough to give the cream its resinous, floral edge. There is no honey in it.

Mild, sweet, and resinous all at once

In the jar, the cream glows a vibrant orange; it is finely puréed, with the pink peppercorns appearing as tiny specks. It smells of cooked carrot and citrus peel, friendly and without any heat.

With the first bite, you get the sweetness of the carrot, then the acidity of the lemon, and finally the resinous tingle of the pink peppercorns, which lingers surprisingly long. Sweet, resinous, velvety, and so smooth that it almost spreads itself onto the bread.

The dried tomato works in the background, giving the carrot the savory foundation it wouldn't have on its own. Rapeseed and olive oil share the work: one makes the cream supple, while the other provides a Mediterranean touch. What is striking is how little is going on here and how much comes out of it, as nothing is used for seasoning except salt and pepper.

On crackers, endive leaves, and baguette

As a mild option among our vegetable spreads and creams, the Tartine jolies fesses is the most agreeable choice—you can never go wrong with it when serving guests.

Stéphane himself prefers to spread it on a cracker or inside an endive leaf, which balances the sweetness with its bitterness. It looks great on toasted baguette for an aperitif, as well as with light meat, fish, and fresh goat cheese. Stir a spoonful into warm potatoes, and it almost becomes a sauce.

Because it contains no honey, it fits at any table where the diet is strictly plant-based.

A proverb in a jar

"I am lovely and I bring pretty colors, I am the carrot," Stéphane Strobl explains on the label, letting the vegetable speak for itself. Behind this is an old French saying that claims carrots give you rosy cheeks and a pretty bottom (jolies fesses). The name needs no further explanation, and the rest is a matter of taste.

He has been collecting such puns since 2011 for his L'esprit franchouillard line, for which he thinks up new names every year. He founded Rue Traversette in 2005, back when it was located on the Rue de la Traversette in Saint-Pons-de-Mauchiens, which still gives the brand its name today.

Today, a team of about ten people cooks in the cannery built in 2015 in Saint-André-de-Sangonis, cutting by hand, pasteurizing gently, and working without preservatives, colorings, or artificial flavors. In June 2026, Stéphane was recognized for this by the Hérault Chamber of Trades and Crafts as a Responsible Entrepreneur.

The carrot only rounds out at room temperature

Take the jar out of the fridge in good time; at room temperature, the carrot tastes significantly rounder. Once opened, the cream keeps for a few days in the refrigerator. Those who prefer something spicier will find a bolder counterpart from the same kitchen in the Tartine le plaisir.