At the table of an ordinary French citizen of the Third Republic, the day revolved around the midday meal, the most substantial and convivial. It began with a soup or a one-pot stew, followed by local charcuterie or cheese, and ended with a sweet treat dipped in a glass of wine. In the evening, leftovers reheated often sufficed. In Champagne, the vineyard and the river (the Aube, the Seine) set the rhythm of what ended up on the plate.

Boucher was born in Nogent-sur-Seine, in the heart of Champagne: sparkling wine (or still wine, the "nature wine" of the time), andouillette de Troyes, and Chaource cheese are the emblematic flavors of his native terroir, found both on the worker's table and at the studio banquet.