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French cuisine

Encyclopedia : F : FR : FRE : French cuisine

This article is part
of the Cuisine series
Preparation techniques and cooking items
Techniques - Utensils
Weights and measures
Ingredients and types of food
Spices and Herbs
Sauces - Soups - Desserts
Cheese - Pasta - Bread
Other ingredients
Regional cuisines
Asia - Europe - Caribbean
South Asian - Latin America
Mideast - North America - Africa
See also:
Famous chefs - Kitchens - Meals
French cuisine is characterized by its extreme diversity. French cuisine is considered to be one of the world's most refined and elegant styles of cooking, and is renowned for both its classical ("haute cuisine") and provincial styles. Many of the world's greatest chefs, such as Taillevent, La Varenne, Carême, Escoffier, or Bocuse are or were masters of French cuisine. Additionally, French cooking techniques have been a major influence on virtually all Western cuisines, and almost all culinary schools use French cuisine as the basis for all other forms of Western cooking.

Contents

History

French cuisine originated from Italian cuisine (or rather the Italian City States common cooking methods) which was brought to the French court upon the marriage of Catherine de Medici to King Henri II of France. She was so disgusted by the cooking methods of the French at this time that she brought her own chefs from Italy; they taught the French chefs the Italian method of enhancing the flavours of the ingredients rather than hiding them. So was born French cuisine.

Diversity

Traditionally, each region of France has its own distinctive cuisine:

Besides these five general areas, there are many more local cuisines, such as Loire Valley cuisine, Basque cuisine and the cuisine of Roussillon, which is similar to Catalan cuisine. With the movements of population of contemporary life, such regional differences are less noticeable than they used to be, but they are still clearly marked, and one traveling across France will notice significant changes in the ways of cooking and the dishes served. Moreover, recent focus of French consumers on local, countryside food products means that the regional cuisines are experiencing a strong revival in the early 21st century, especially as the slow food movement is gaining popularity.

What is often known outside of France as French cuisine is the traditionally elaborate haute cuisine, served in restaurants for high prices. This cuisine is mostly influenced by the regional cuisines of Lyon and northern France, with a marked touch of refinement. It should be noted, however, that average French people do not eat or prepare this cuisine in their everyday life. As a general rule, elderly people tend to eat the regional cuisine of the region where they are located, while younger people will be more inclined to eat dishes from other regions and foreign dishes.

French wine and French cheese are an integral part of French cuisine, both as ingredients and accompaniments. France is known for its large ranges of wines and cheeses.

Exotic cuisines, particularly Chinese cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine and some dishes from former colonies in Northern Africa have made inroads.

Ingredients

French regional cuisine uses locally grown vegetables, such as these: Common fruits include: Meats commonly consumed include: Horse meat is available from special butcher stores, but few people consume it.

Seafood commonly consumed includes:

Fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as fish and meat, are purchased either from supermarkets and grocery stores or smaller markets. Street markets are held on certain days in most localities; towns of a certain importance generally have a more permanent covered market in which food shops, especially meat and fish retailers, have better shelter than the periodic street markets. Generally, a street market for vegetables takes places on certain days outside such covered markets.

Present-day food and drink in France

For French people, cooking is a part of culture, and cooking and good food are well appreciated. The French generally take a high pride in the cuisine of their country, and some, particularly in the older generations, are reluctant to experiment with foreign dishes.

Structure of meals

Breakfast

The normal day begins with a light breakfast in the morning, generally consisting of: Hotel breakfasts often contain croissants, but it is uncommon for french people to eat croissants at every breakfast; they may be replaced with other kinds of viennoiserie such as pains au chocolat, madeleines etc.

Typical lunch and dinner

Lunch is had at some point between noon and 2 p.m., and dinner in the evening after 7:30 p.m. However there are large variations depending on the local regional cultures. The dinner is usually between 6 p.m and 7:30 p.m in Alsace region for example while it is usually after 8:30 p.m in southern France. A normal complete meal consists of: Meals, particularly lunch, are often followed by a cup of coffee.

Alcoholic products may be consumed as follows:

In most cities, street markets sell fresh vegetables, meat and fish, and evening or weekend meals are very often cooked with fresh ingredients.

Variations

Festive meals may include several main dishes. Some meals incorporate a trou normand — some small dose of a highly alcoholic liquor or sorbet, perhaps calvados, which props up appetite for what follows.

In large cities a majority of working people and students eat their lunch at a corporate or school cafeteria, which normally serve complete meals as described above; it is therefore not usual for students to bring their own lunch food. It is commonplace for employers of white-collar workers at smaller companies to distribute lunch vouchers that one uses to pay for meals in neighbouring budget restaurants; however workers having lunch in this way typically do not eat all three dishes of a traditional lunch due to price and time considerations. In smaller cities and towns, some working people leave their workplaces to return home for lunch, generating four rush hours during the day. Finally, an also popular alternative especially among blue-collar workers is to lunch on a sandwich possibly followed with a dessert; both dishes can be found ready-made at bakeries and supermarkets for budget prices.

Drink

Traditionally, France has been a culture of wine consumption. While this characteristic has lessened with time, even today, many French people drink wine daily. The consumption of low-quality wines during meals has been greatly reduced. Beer is especially popular with the youth. Other popular alcoholic drinks include pastis, an aniseed flavoured beverage drunk diluted with cold water, or cider.

The legal drinking age for most people is 16. However, it is not customary for shopkeepers or bartenders to verify a client's age, and teenagers eating with their family in restaurants will be served wine if the family requests so. On the other hand, it is very unusual to witness the kind of public inebriation that is customary in cities of the United Kingdom or Scandinavia on Saturday nights. Usually, parents tend to prohibit their children from consuming alcohol before these children reach their early teens. Students and young adults are known to drink heavily during parties, but usually drunkenness is not displayed in public. Public consumption of alcohol is legal, but driving under the influence can result in severe penalties.

Divisions of Restaurant Cuisine

Schematically, French restaurant cuisine can be called as Cuisine bourgeoise, which includes all the classic French dishes which are not or no longer specifically regional, and which have been adapted over the years to suit the taste of the affluent.

Notable Dishes

Famous French Dishes

Quick Food

The following dishes can generally be ordered in brasseries: Generally speaking, French fries are a common side order for lower end French style restaurants. The French generally believe that fries are of Belgian origin, although there is no evidence for this origin; a typically Belgian dish is steamed mussels with a side of fries.

A typical simple, cheap, quick meal consists of pasta, often spaghetti, with tomato sauce.

Common Canned Food

Most dishes, including relatively sophisticated ones, are available as canned or frozen food in supermarkets. These products are sometimes endorsed by famous chefs.

Common Savory Pies

Famous But Atypical Dishes

The following dishes are considered typical of French cuisine in some foreign countries, but actually are infrequently eaten:

Desserts

Specialties by region/city

The salade landaise is a popular dish mixing together typical Southwestern ingredients: gizzards, pine nuts, and possibly duck or goose confit.
Enlarge
The salade landaise is a popular dish mixing together typical Southwestern ingredients: gizzards, pine nuts, and possibly duck or goose confit.

Un-French dishes

The following dishes may be thought of as French but really are not.

See also

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External links

 

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