Every country has its own special food, which also reflects the culture of each country. As a world-recognized food kingdom, France, everyone knows about France’s food characteristics and French food. What about food culture? French food is actually unique. Let us understand a country by understanding its food culture!
Next, let us learn together!
A brief discussion of French food culture and the reasons for its formation
First, the cuisine culture
Pay attention to the seasonings and simple dishes. French food is superior to other Western food in its emphasis on ingredients, heat, combination of dishes, freshness of ingredients, diversified dishes from different regions, and the exquisiteness, rationality and artistry of cooking. Commonly used spices include: thyme, rosemary, bay, parsley, tarragon, nutmeg, saffron, cloves, and hundreds of sauces, which not only pay attention to the nuances of taste, but also consider the differences in color. Compared with the wide variety of ingredients, there are only about a dozen types of dishes. The order of ordering is: the first dish is cold dish or soup. Although there are many kinds of "first dishes" on the menu, you can only choose one. There will be a piece of bread before the dish. After you finish eating, the waiter will help you remove the plate and serve the second course. The second course is soup, a delicious French soup, including thick broth, light vegetable soup and delicious seafood soup. . The third course is the main dish of the meal. The most popular main dishes are various "chops", such as chicken steaks, fish steaks, steaks, and pork chops. This so-called steak is clean meat with bones and spines removed, and then poured with a specially prepared sauce. It is delicious and easy to eat. Then comes the dessert, which can be fruit, coffee, cake or ice cream. French specialty dishes include Marseille's "Provence fish soup", foie gras, Parisian lobster, red wine pheasant, chicken liver steak, baked snails, etc.
Second, dining culture
The French pay great attention to dining etiquette. The placement of tableware is one of the contents of food culture. In France, the simplest way to place dishes is Place the napkin on the plate in the center in front of you, place the fork on the left side of the plate, and place the knife and spoon on the right side. Directly in front of the plate are water glasses, red wine glasses and white wine glasses from left to right. The French not only pay attention to dining etiquette, but also particularly pursue the mood of the meal. The French even give food a philosophical meaning and regard dining at the same table as a kind of bonding relationship and an elegant pleasure and enjoyment of making friends. A world-class caterer once said: "You can judge the overall personality of the people of this country by feeling the dining atmosphere on the table." Therefore, the French do not just stop at the stage of filling their stomachs with food. It is an attitude of enjoying life. It takes four or five hours to enjoy a formal French meal, from appetizers, seafood, meat, cheese to desserts. Although the process is complicated, the important thing is not how much food you eat, but how fully you taste the delicacies. Enjoy the high-end atmosphere of the restaurant and appreciate the matching of tableware and food.
Third, coffee culture
Coffee culture is also a major feature of France. Since 1686, when businessmen from Sicily, Italy came here to open the first coffeehouse, Parisian coffeehouses have been flourishing. In and around Paris, there are cafes almost everywhere on sidewalks, squares, and gardens, and business is extremely prosperous. Coffee is inseparable from the life of the French. From milk coffee with croissants for breakfast to afternoon tea for French office workers, coffee accompanies the lives of the French. It is not surprising that there are coffee shops everywhere. France’s coffee culture has a long history and is by no means as simple as eating, drinking and having fun. A cup of coffee paired with an afternoon of sunshine and time is a typical French coffee. The important thing is not the taste but the light attitude and style. The French pay attention to the environment and mood when drinking coffee. They read, write, talk and kill time at the small coffee table on the roadside. Since the last century, coffeehouses have often become centers of social activities, clubs where intellectuals debate issues, and even a typical symbol of French society and culture. White tables, blue coffee cups, awnings fluttering in the wind, busy waiters, and of course, the leisurely organ, are all the characteristics of French cafes.
These cafés were born in Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysées, Montmartre and Montparnasse, and then went on to greatness. French new literary and artistic trends took root here. These cafes have also witnessed the growth of French culture from its infancy to its heyday.
Fourth, wine culture
France’s wine culture has grown and developed along with the history and civilization of France. Wine culture has penetrated into all aspects of French people's religion, politics, culture, art and life, and is closely related to people's lives. As a must-have on the French table every day, wine has become an indispensable part of French food culture. France, as the main wine producing country in the world, has 10 wine-producing regions across the country, with a wide variety of wines, most notably the Bordeaux region. The wines of the Champagne region are the most famous in the world. At the dinner table, the French also pay great attention to the matching of wine and dishes, such as drinking lighter aperitifs before meals, white wine or rose wine when eating salads, soups and seafood; drinking red wine when eating meat, and drinking red wine after meals. Then drink a little brandy or liqueur. Champagne is commonly used for celebrations.
Fifth, cheese culture
General de Gaulle once lamented: "Who can govern a country with 246 kinds of cheese?" In fact, there are currently 487 kinds of cheese in France, which is That is to say, the French can eat different types of cheese every day, 365 days a year. Therefore, cheese is also a must-have for every meal on the French table. There are roughly eight categories of cheese in France: fresh cheese, flower-rind soft cheese, washed soft cheese, blue cheese, goat cheese, hard unripe cheese, hard mature cheese, and melted cheese. Eating cheese is also an art, and the right combination can better appreciate its rich flavor. Generally speaking, mild cheese must be paired with smooth wine; salty cheese must be paired with stronger red wine. For fresh, first-ripened cheese, French bread with a crisper texture should be chosen, while for rich, aged cheese, whole-wheat bread with a strong flavor is suitable. The formation of French cuisine and its unique food culture are the product of many factors.
The main reasons for its formation include the following aspects:
1. Historical and economic conditions
The formation of long-term cultural, lifestyle and economic conditions Developed food traditions across France. Rich meat dishes, Burgundy's creamy sauces owe much not only to Burgundy's excellence in cattle raising, but also to the region's economic prosperity over the centuries. Mountainous areas, on the other hand, are good for making hard cheeses that last longer. Historically, in areas with limited economies, most families relied on animal husbandry as their main means of livelihood, so various food production system projects emerged.
2. Closely related to the national character of France
The French attach great importance to food. A French cook once had a famous saying: "It is better to discover a new dish than to discover a new one." A new star will bring greater benefit to mankind. "For them, food is not only a fragment of life, but also an attitude and even a basic art of life. This is the reason why French cuisine endures for so long. In addition, the romantic feelings of the French have also enabled France to create many romantic and wonderful forms of life in the world, especially for the French aristocrats, who are characterized by extravagance and enjoyment in their bones. At banquets , hunting and other activities, red wine is indispensable, which promotes the formation of a long-standing wine culture. Therefore, the reason why French food is world-famous is inseparable from the nation's diligent pursuit of delicious food.
3. French cuisine draws on the strengths of others
France is adjacent to Italy, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom, which is conducive to French cuisine drawing on the strengths of others. In 1533 AD, when the Italian princess Catherine di Medici married French Crown Prince Henry II, she brought 30 chefs there to introduce new foods and cooking methods to France. The French combined the advantages of the two countries' cooking and gradually promoted it. Louis XIV ingeniously launched a cooking competition, where chefs competed and showed off their unique skills.
In the 17th century, France learned from Italy how to use knives and forks, which initially formed the current Western food etiquette. After two to three hundred years of unremitting efforts, it finally became better than its previous masters. French cuisine conquered gourmets from all over the world and became the representative of European and American Western food.
In recent years, France has been affected by the economic downturn and changes in the eating habits of young people. The overall price and quality of traditional expensive and exquisite delicacies have been declining. Fewer and fewer French people are willing to pay astronomical prices just for a meal. France's two most authoritative food review guides, "Michelin" and "Gautémiux", have begun to advocate a new food culture of high quality and low price. Many restaurants that were unattainable in the past have tried to significantly reduce their prices to attract more diners. For those who want to taste French cuisine, it is not impossible to go to an authentic French restaurant and enjoy a perfect meal with fine wine and dishes. No matter how modern the society is and how avant-garde people’s thoughts and behaviors are, food is always a country’s traditional and ancient art, a reflection of a country’s cultural life, and a window for understanding foreign cultures.