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Comment by bshimmin | Hacker News Reader

Is the name a play on "La vache qui rit"?

I'd assume not -- because la vache qui rit is sort of the French version of American cheese (a factory-produced cheese-based product, not an actual cheese), so it's not really the sort of thing they'd want to be associated with.

The name is ringing a vague bell -- maybe there's a childrens' story about a talking hive? No idea, but a quick google didn't find the answer either, so I can't say for sure.

Most French people love La Vache qui Rit. They don't eat it as adults but it revives memories of their school trip lunches.

Sure; it's not considered an evil thing generally; it's just that the subculture of people who go out of their way and pay more to get organic/local/etc. generally aren't eating much of it: they're paying more for the AOC-certified, locally-produced real cheese.

They're also (in my experience) buying a ton of homeopathic remedies for just about everything, which I have trouble not rolling my eyes about, but that's another subject.

Actually the producer can set a minimum revenue under which it's not profitable for him (then he doesn't have to deliver). When the minimum is reached, the Ruche says "yes" to the producer -> thus the name :)

For french speaking people, this video explain it: https://vimeo.com/17644285

French article interviewing the founder, http://www.youminga.org/?p=530, no details about the origin of the name, the jury is still out.

Definitely not (I'm french).

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