France is a country where cuisine is really loved and appreciated. French cuisine is included in the UNESCO heritage list, while delicious food is served here not only on holidays, it is prepared daily. Locals prefer freshly prepared food and adhere strictly to traditions. To understand what the French like, it is worth looking into any bistro - there will certainly be a couple of hits that tourists will also appreciate.
Traditional lunch: step by step instructions
The typical Frenchman eats 3 times a day. At 8 in the morning, a simple breakfast awaits him: a cup of freshly brewed coffee with a croissant, a bun with chocolate, or just toast, spread with jam or chocolate paste. Children are often given hot chocolate with a roll or toast.
The next meal is lunch. The whole country dines at the same time, from 12 to 14 hours. At this time, the brasseries, bistros and restaurants are sold out. First, a light snack is served: green salad with vinaigrette sauce, grated carrots with butter and vinegar, spinach stewed with cream. In winter, instead of salad, you can indulge in soup. The French prefer light pureed soups made from vegetables: carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, leeks. Homemade onion or fish soup or profiteroles consommé are served for a festive dinner.
The main course will be hearty and simple. Usually it is meat or poultry, fish is more often eaten in coastal regions. Beef bourguignon (Burgundy meat) is popular. Beef stewed in red wine with spices for a long time, served with French fries or steamed vegetables. Among the favorite dishes are mussels with fried potatoes, rabbit in white or mustard sauce. An alternative option for those who do not have time to dine is a huge baguette sandwich with lettuce, slices of ham, vegetables and a light sauce.
Lunch is rounded off by dessert. Often the French replace it with a few slices of not too spicy cheese. A fleeting, coulomier, brie or camembert will do. Yoghurts or fruits are a good dessert. You can buy ready-made smoothies with or without sugar at any supermarket. The French eat chocolate, cakes and other high-calorie desserts only on weekends and holidays. Instead of wine, lunch is accompanied by plain water, sometimes with a few tablespoons of syrup. The meal ends with a cup of coffee.
Dinner starts at 8 o'clock. This is a family meal, children and adults gather at the same table, gatherings at the computer or TV are not welcome. Usually the hostess prepares one or two dishes. An obligatory snack of vegetables: raw, boiled, pickled. For dinner, you can prepare a hearty and nutritious dish, for example, quiche lauren - a pie made of puff or shortcrust pastry stuffed with poultry, spinach, mushrooms, cheese. Fried chicken, braised rabbit or duck are popular. In winter, lentil or bean soup can be served for dinner. An obligatory accompaniment is a fresh baguette. The French do not like to count calories, fats and carbohydrates, believing that it is much more important to eat at the same time, to eat only quality foods and not to overuse fast food.
Regional cuisine: traditions and peculiarities
Every region of France prides itself on its own specialties. They try to use exclusively local products for their preparation.
Provence cuisine is based on vegetables and olive oil. The region gave the world ratatouille - a bright, healthy and surprisingly tasty vegetable stew. The recipe for the famous dish is simple: onions are fried in a deep frying pan, then bell peppers, garlic, eggplant and zucchini are added. The last component is slices of peeled tomatoes. The proportions of vegetables can be changed by taste. The ratatouille is stewed for about 45 minutes and served both hot and cold.
In Provence, they love anchovy snacks and olive pasta here. The Provençals do not like meat too much, but they do justice to the poultry: duck, turkey and especially chicken. In Marseille, the famous bouillabaisse is prepared - a thick soup made from different types of fish, flavored with tomatoes and white wine.
In Burgundy, meat is given its due, pedigree cattle are raised here and the best sausages are prepared. Favorite delicacies - boiled ham in jelly with parsley, chowder with vegetables and bacon, snails stuffed with butter and herbs, rooster stewed in red wine. In Dijon, the famous mustard is made, which is added to many dishes. The most famous is the rabbit in mustard sauce.
Normandy is famous for its dairy dishes. Here they make the best butter in France. Normans also love meat, especially pork. The region's traditional dish is pork in cider and calvados. It's easy to cook: the chops are fried in a pan or grilled, and then poured with a sauce of cider, calvados and boiled meat juice with a spoonful of sour cream. The meat is served with fried shallots and toasted apple slices.
Festive table: phased presentation
The French are very fond of joint lunches and dinners in a family or friendly circle. Ceremonial feasts are arranged for any occasion, and the menu is made according to the classical canon.
First, an aperitif is served: a cocktail, light white wine, sometimes even beer. An appropriate snack is prepared for drinks: vegetable verrines (a kind of salads in glasses), canapes, nuts. An aperitif can last an hour, during which time guests are actively communicating and preparing for a hearty meal.
The gala dinner consists of appetizers, main course, dessert and cheeses. As an entrée (appetizer), they serve foie gras pate with toasted toast, sliced smoked salmon. One of my favorite main dishes is chicken. The French know hundreds of recipes for making capons, young cockerels, chickens and pullets. They are stuffed, grilled, flamed, or stewed. No less beloved is duck, which they prefer to cook "with blood", that is, slightly undercooking. Among the popular festive dishes are rack or leg of lamb with aromatic herbs, beef steaks, quail in sauce.
Dessert will be the traditional taten (open inverted apple pie with caramel), hot muffins with liquid chocolate and vanilla ice cream, a la carte crème brlée, and fruit clafoutis. A lighter dessert is strawberries with whipped cream. The cheeses are served on a board, each guest cuts off a piece they like. According to the rules of good taste, you need to taste 2-3 options.
The final stage is coffee. It is by no means served with dessert. But a hot drink can be accompanied by a digestif: cognac, armagnac, brandy, eau de vie. The festive meal lasts several hours, during which guests not only flirt, talk about art and everyday life, but also exchange their favorite culinary recipes, planning the next dinner together.
