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French Cuisine. One of modern France's greatest treasures is its rich cuisine. The French have an ongoing love affair with food, and their reverence for time spent eating is evident in any culinary establishment nationwide.
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One of modern France's greatest treasures is its rich cuisine. • The French have an ongoing love affair with food, and their reverence for time spent eating is evident in any culinary establishment nationwide.
It is also manifested in the traditional family gatherings around the home dinner table, particularly the Sunday mid-day feast which is prepared lovingly over many hours and consumed leisurely through a bevy of appetizers and main courses, usually accompanied by a number of wines and often lively discussion which tends to center on political topics.
What is perhaps less widely recognized is that France's reputation for fine food is not so much based on long-held traditions but on constant change.
In fact, the general expectation of good eating is a relatively new experience for the French. • At the time the Bastille was stormed in 1789, at least 80% of the French population were subsistence farmers, with bread and cereals as the basis of their diet, essentially unchanged since the time of the ancient Gauls nearly two millenia before.
In the mid-nineteenth century, following the demise of the aristocracy, food was a conspicuous symbol of social position, swiftly adopted by a new ruling class of bourgeoisie, who recreated the sumptuous meals of the very aristocracy they had once criticized.
At the same time, two-thirds of Parisians were either starving or ill-fed, five times more likely to be nourished from vegetable proteins than from any meats or dairy products. • The golden age of haute cuisine benefited only those at the very top of the social ladder.
It took a world war at the beginning of the twentieth century to halt the gross inequality of wealth at the table, and to bring about a more even distribution of the nation's produce.
French Paradox • It is well-known that the stereotypical French meal is heavy in saturated fats; heavy creams and butter are a staple in many dishes.
Despite this fact, the French populace suffers from lower incidences of cardiac disease than many other western nations, including the U.S. • Much research and medical opinion seems to credit their consumption of red wines with an overall reduction in cholesterol levels
Cheese Trivia • The French eat more cheese than any other nation in the world - an amazing total of 20.4 kg (45 lbs.) per person per year. 400 different kinds of cheese are made in France.
Some goats' milk cheeses are sprinkled with charcoal ash. • This gives them an ash-grey color and is intended to absorb surface moisture, thus helping to preserve them.
A French meal might begin with a hot hors d'oeuvre (or for luncheon, a cold hors d'oeuvre) followed by soup, main course, salad, cheese, and finally dessert. • French operate with a strong sense that there is an appropriate beverage for every food and occasion. Wine is drunk with the meal, but rarely without food.
Kidney, brain, sweetbreads, tripe, blood sauces and sausages, sheep's foot, tongue, and intestines are all common in French cooking and hold equal standing with the meat of lamb, beef, pork, poultry, and game.
The normal meal schedule is to take a light breakfast in the morning (consisting of bread and/or cereal possibly coffee and some fruit, perhaps croissants), a lunch at some point between noon and 2PM, and dinner in the evening.
A normal complete meal consists in appetizers (perhaps raw vegetables or salad), a main dish (generally, meat or fish with a side of vegetables, pasta, rice or fries), some cheese and/or dessert (fruit or cake).
In large cities most working people and students eat their lunch outside, it is to be noted that corporate and school cafeterias normally serve complete meals (appetizers, main dish, dessert); it is not usual for students to bring sandwiches. In smaller cities and towns, most working people leave their offices to return home for lunch, generating four rush hours during the day (8am, 12pm, 2pm, and 6pm).
crêpe is a thin pancake. It originates from Brittany, a region in the west of France, where it is traditionally served with apple cider.
quiche is a pie made primarily of eggs and cream in a pastry crust. Other ingredients such as chopped meat or vegetables are often added to the eggs before the quiche is baked.
