Biden serves Macron’s American cheeses at an official dinner at the White House | Jill Biden

It is a bold maneuver by the Americans, to meet the French in an arena they have always mastered par excellence: wine and cheese.

But such is Jill Biden’s singing that she will give the best of America to the French president, Emmanuel Macronand his wife, Brigitte Macron, and their entourage at a lavish dinner at the White House on Thursday — just one of the subtleties and valuable gifts that are part of the diplomatic dance surrounding this state visit.

The Elysee Palace also revealed a list of gifts that Macron will present to his American counterpart, Joe Bidenincluding a fine glass of Christofle, the US President’s wife revealed the venue and menu for tonight’s gala dinner.

It will be served under a large tent in the gardens, at tables laden with candelabra and flowers in the colors of the two countries.

It will feature lobsters—200 live oysters made their recent trip to Washington—along with beef and squash from the White House garden and muffins, among other delicacies.

But the First Lady especially insisted on introducing American cheeses, including a blue cheese from northwest Oregon that was the first American producer to win the World Cheese Championship, in 2019.

Toast will be served with American sparkling wine – albeit in glasses made in France. He will host the evening John Batistea jazz musician from Louisiana, the former province that France ceded to the United States, which Macron will visit on Friday.

The White House has not yet revealed what gifts will be given to Macron, but Paris has announced that it will present Biden with the trophy from Christofle, the fine cutlery and jewelry company that supplied the prestigious cruise ship Normandy, among other things.

As such, it is a reference to the transatlantic relationship. The French ship’s maiden voyage to New York was an international triumph in 1935.

The French president also took a score for the soundtrack to Claude Lelouch’s 1966 film Un homme et une femme (A Man and a Woman), and the director himself was part of the French delegation.

The song of the same name, with the refrain Dabadapada (often retranslated Shabadapada), composed by Francis Lai, was awarded the Golden Globe Award at the time.