French cuisine not only borrowed some of the culinary traditions of different nations, but also acted as an inspiration for culinary experts from different countries.
National cuisine of France
Generally speaking, the national French cuisine cannot be imagined without soups (cream soup, gravy soup, jack soup, consomme broth), meat (lamb, beef, poultry, game, veal), sauces (bechamel, “Bordeaux”, “Morne”), spices (Provencal herbs, thyme, rosemary), cheeses (Roquefort, Camembert, Brie), vegetables, mushrooms, fish, seafood, desserts (meringues, savarens, croissants, soufflés, flans).
But regional cuisine should be considered separately. For example, the cuisine of Brittany is based on fish and seafood dishes: here you should enjoy bouillabaisse soup, shrimp and oysters in lemon juice, “crepes” - pancakes with different fillings.
A feature of the cuisine of Normandy is the use of sour cream, cream and cheese for cooking - you should definitely try veal and local mushrooms with the addition of cream and butter.
In Burgundy, they like to cook sauces, in the recipe of which red wine, onions, mushrooms are used. In the cuisine of this region, Burgundy meat (beef stew in wine sauce) and Burgundy snails (stewed snails with vegetables, spices and white wine) are especially prominent.
If we talk about the cuisine of the Loire Valley, then fruits, vegetables, river fish are in high esteem, so it is worth tasting perch fillets with ber-blanc sauce and tart-taten (inverted apple pie).
As for the traditional dishes of Provence, then here you will be offered to feast on mussels in onion broth, fish soup in garlic sauce, tapenade pasta (a dish that includes olives, anchovies and capers).
Popular French dishes:
- “Bouillabaisse” (soup made from different types of fish);
- “Foie gras” (goose liver pate with truffle, spices, Madeira wine and cognac);
- "Lang-de-buf" (an appetizer based on beef tongue);
- “Ratatouille” (vegetable-based stew that is first fried separately and then stewed together).
Where to taste the national cuisine?
In Paris, you can implement your plans in La Coupole (the restaurant pleases visitors with fish and seafood dishes) or Le Meurice (in this restaurant it is worth eating langoustine fricassee with zucchini, blue lobster in the soup, beef tongue with artichokes and onions); in Avignon - in “Christian Etienne” (here it will appeal to fans of Provencal cuisine); in Colmar - in “La Table du Brocanteur” (the house's specialty is foie gras).
Cooking courses in France
Vacationers in Beaune (Burgundy region) can visit the culinary school "The Cook's Atelier": here they will be taught how to cook 5 dishes of French cuisine and will reveal the secrets of Burgundian culinary traditions (for those who wish, programs are organized for both 4-5 hours and 1- 5 days). And guests of Paris can be invited to look into the culinary school of Alain Ducasse: the eminent French chef will teach them how to cook their own specialties, including pastries.
Travelers should plan a trip to France for the frog festivals (Vittel, April) and lemons (Menton, March), as well as the chocolate fairs (Paris, October).
