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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Maïté and the ortolan” is an epic card of the Memes FR pack, number 2852 of the collection, and the 753rd best-known meme of its 3494 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Maïté and the ortolan” meme mean?
The line points to Maïté’s uninhibited love of food, as she describes with no hesitation how she savours the dish. As a meme it stands for unashamed enjoyment, sometimes to the edge of what today’s audience finds shocking. People use it to comment on someone eating with filter-free enthusiasm, or to underline the gap between old television and current sensibilities. The tone swings between nostalgia, irony and amused embarrassment at a scene that would be hard to air now.
Where does the “Maïté and the ortolan” meme come from?
Marie-Thérèse Ordonez, known as Maïté, was born in 1938 in Rion-des-Landes and died on 21 December 2024. She co-hosted La Cuisine des mousquetaires with Micheline Banzet-Lawton; the first episode aired on 22 October 1983 on FR3 Aquitaine. The show offered regional recipes from south-west France. In 1984 she prepared and tasted an ortolan, a small songbird, in a moment described as one of the show’s most cult. The INA archives put the sequence online. The show left television on 5 September 1997, and Maïté then hosted À table! on France 3 until 1999.
- 22 October 1983First episode of La Cuisine des mousquetaires on FR3 Aquitaine.
- 1984Maïté presents the ortolan tasting that became a cult moment.
- 5 September 1997The show ends on television.
How to use the “Maïté and the ortolan” meme
- Post the clip to comment on a meal eaten with great appetite.
- Caption a dinner scene where someone is shamelessly enjoying the food.
- Quote Maïté to talk about looser, older television.
- Reply to a friend who describes a favourite recipe with too much enthusiasm.
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The “Maïté and the ortolan” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 2852 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Epic |
| Collection | Memes FR pack |
| Fame | 50/100 · #753 of 3494 |
| Recycle value | 20 MemeCoins (60 in Shiny) |
| Suggested by | @azafire |
How to get the “Maïté and the ortolan” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Maïté and the ortolan comes out of the Memes FR pack as an epic card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 20 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Maïté and the ortolan”
More cards of the Memes FR pack
Frequently asked questions
Who is Maïté?
Marie-Thérèse Ordonez, known as Maïté, was a French cook and TV host, born in 1938 and died in 2024.
Where does the ortolan scene come from?
From La Cuisine des mousquetaires on FR3, in which she tastes an ortolan in 1984.
What is an ortolan?
A small bird, the ortolan bunting, long served in Gascon cuisine.
Why did the scene become cult?
It shows unfiltered greed and a television from another era, which INA put online and internet users picked up.
How do I get the Maïté and the ortolan meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Maïté and the ortolan” is an epic card of the Memes FR pack. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Maïté and the ortolan card?
It is an Epic card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: Wikipédia — Maïté · checked on October 18, 2026.
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Open your free pack: 5 meme cards, no account needed.